SS Canada Passenger List – Voyage from Boston to Liverpool, 15 January 1898

📌 Explore the 1898 passenger list of the SS Canada, a Dominion Line transatlantic steamship. Discover notable passengers, onboard services, voyage details, and historical insights into ocean travel and immigration. A valuable resource for genealogists, historians, and educators.

Front Cover, Saloon Passenger List for the SS Canada of the Dominion Line, Departing 15 January 1898 from Boston to Liverpool via Queenstown (Cobh), Commanded by Captain Jas. McAuley.

SS Canada Passenger List – 15 January 1898 Voyage from Boston to Liverpool 🚢📜🌍

The SS Canada Passenger List from 15 January 1898 is a valuable historical document offering insight into transatlantic travel, social class distinctions, and passenger experiences aboard a Dominion Line steamship. This collection provides an authentic snapshot of late 19th-century ocean travel, highlighting both luxury accommodations for saloon (first-class) passengers and the essential logistical details of the voyage.

For teachers, students, genealogists, and historians, this passenger list serves as an important research tool, offering a glimpse into who traveled aboard these great ocean liners, the cultural significance of transatlantic travel, and how steamship lines shaped immigration, commerce, and global mobility.

List of Saloon Passengers

1. Mr. W. H. Chase, Boston, Mass
2. Mr. G. P. Daintry, Cobourg, Ont
3. Mr. John Daintry, Cobourg, Ont
4. Mr. George B. Dexter, . Brookline, Mass
5. Miss Elise Dexter, Brookline, Mass
6. Miss Mary Dexter, Milwaukee, Wis
7. Mr. Charles J. Dexter, Milwaukee, Wis
8. Mr. W. Fearing Gill, . . New York, N. Y
9. Master Vanderhost Gill, New York, N. Y
10. Mr. William Ham, Lynn, Mass
11. Rev. P. T. Higgins, Medford, Mass
12. Mr. A. W. Iasigi, Lyons, France
13. Mr. Alexander Johnson, Toronto, Ont
14. Mr. James King, Quebec, Que
15. Mrs. E. A. Leigh, Boston, Mass
16. Miss J. W. Martin, Boston, Mass
17. Mr. J. W. Molson , Montreal, Que
18. Mr. Andrew Nimmo, Boston, Mass
19. Miss L. Parsons, Boston, Mass
20. Mr. Porter, Boston, Mass
21. Mr. A R. Springett, McLeod Alberta, N. W. Prov
22. Mrs. Springett. McLeod Alberta, N. W. Prov
23. Mr. Ulrich Tessier, Quebec, Que
24. Mr. W. H. Tetlow, Manchester, Eng
25. Mr. C. G. Towne, Boston, Mass
26. Miss H. Walsh, Boston, Mass
27. Miss E. Walsh, Boston, Mass
28. Mr. W. H. Wilson, Quebec, Que
29. Miss E. Wilson, Quebec, Que
30. Dr. Hamilton Wright, Montreal, Que

Special Notice To Passengers.

Attention is called to the new Regulations relating to Seal-skin garments imported as personal effects. They must be accompanied by an invoice duly certified by the United States Consul, at the place of exportation, as prescribed by the Regulations of the Honorable the Secretary of the Treasury under the Act approved December 29th, 1897; and all such garments, on arrival, will be sent to the public stores for examination.

Meals will be served in the Saloon, as under :
Breakfast, 8.30 to 9.30 A. M.
Lunch, 1 P. M.
Dinner, 6 P. M.
Supper, if ordered, 9 to 10 P. M.

Children and Nurses.
Breakfast at 8 A. M., Dinner at 12 M., Tea at 5 P. M.
The Bar closes at I I P. M., Lights are extinguished in the Saloon at I I P. M., and in the Smoking Room at 11.30 P. M.

Please apply to the Second Steward for seats at Table.

Letters and Telegrams to be sent ashore at Queenstown, should be handed to the Saloon Steward an hour before arrival.

Writing Paper, Envelopes and Telegram Forms will ba found in the Library.

Steamer Chairs can be obtained for use on the voyage, at a charge of $ 1.00 each, upon application to the Deck Steward.

for Railway and Steamship Time Tables of the various Companies, apply to the Saloon Steward.

Barber Shop is located on the Main Deck.

Track Chart and Memorandum of Log stating nautical miles traveled and weather conditions for the 15 January 1898 voyage of the SS Canada.

Why This Document is Important

For Teachers & Students 📚

✅ A primary source document for studying late 19th-century transatlantic travel, maritime history, and immigration

✅ Helps students analyze social class structures on ocean liners

✅ A great resource for studying how steamship travel influenced immigration patterns

For Genealogists 🏡

✅ Helps trace ancestors who traveled between North America and Europe

✅ Provides names, origins, and destinations of notable passengers

✅ Offers clues to family migration routes and historical travel records

For Historians & Maritime Researchers ⚓

✅ Highlights the importance of ocean liners in global trade and migration

✅ Shows the luxury and organization of first-class transatlantic travel

✅ Provides insight into steamship safety regulations, onboard facilities, and passenger expectations

Most Fascinating Aspects of This Passenger List

1. Prominent Passengers & Social Status 🏅

This saloon-class (first-class) passenger list includes wealthy travelers, business elites, and notable figures. The presence of individuals from Boston, Montreal, Toronto, and Quebec underscores the Dominion Line’s role in connecting Canada, the U.S., and Britain.

🔹 Notable passengers include:

1️⃣ J. W. Molson of Montreal, Quebec – Likely connected to the famous Molson Brewery family, which played a key role in Canadian industry.

2️⃣ George B. Dexter & Miss Mary Dexter – A well-known family from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reflecting transatlantic business ties.

3️⃣ Rev. P. T. Higgins of Medford, Massachusetts – A clergyman traveling overseas, possibly for missionary or academic purposes.

💡 Why It’s Interesting:

This list provides valuable insights into the upper-class travelers who could afford saloon accommodations, revealing the social hierarchy of ocean liners.

2. The Steamship Experience – Daily Life at Sea 🌊

✅ The special notices in the passenger list give a detailed account of shipboard life, including:

✅ Meal schedules: Breakfast at 8:30 AM, Lunch at 1 PM, Dinner at 6 PM, and optional supper.

✅ Bar and smoking room hours: Social areas were carefully regulated, with the bar closing at 11 PM and the smoking room at 11:30 PM.

✅ Writing & communication: Passengers had access to writing paper, telegram forms, and a library, showing the importance of correspondence while at sea.

✅ Steamer chairs: Passengers could rent deck chairs for $1.00, indicating a market for luxury comforts on board.

💡 Why It’s Interesting:

This daily schedule gives us a rare, intimate look into the routine of first-class passengers, showing the organized nature of transatlantic voyages in the 19th century.

3. Ocean Navigation & Weather Reports 🌎⛵

✅ The track chart and log memorandum provide navigational details, daily distances traveled, and weather conditions. This is a unique feature in historical passenger lists, offering a mariner’s perspective on the journey.

✅ The SS Canada followed the standard transatlantic route, stopping at Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland, before reaching Liverpool, England.

✅ Weather reports & nautical miles recorded daily were vital for maritime safety and planning.

💡 Why It’s Interesting:

This scientific data gives insight into ocean travel conditions, helping historians analyze how voyages were conducted and monitored in the 1890s.

4. Immigration & Customs Regulations at the Turn of the Century 🌍🛂

✅ The passenger list includes an official notice regarding seal-skin garments, referencing new U.S. customs regulations from December 1897.

✅ Seal-skin garments required special documentation from the U.S. Consul at the place of exportation.

✅ Garments were sent to public stores for examination upon arrival.

✅ This reflects the early enforcement of trade and wildlife protection laws.

💡 Why It’s Interesting:

This unexpected immigration/customs notice provides a glimpse into early regulations on imported goods, revealing the intersection between ocean travel, trade, and government policies.

Key Takeaways for Research & Essay Writing

📌 For Students & Teachers:

✅ Great primary source for learning about ocean travel, maritime regulations, and the role of transatlantic ships in global migration.

✅ Useful for discussions on early 20th-century social class divisions and onboard luxuries.

✅ Helps students understand the technological and navigational aspects of steamship travel.

📌 For Genealogists & Family Historians:

✅ A crucial resource for tracing ancestors who traveled between Boston and Europe.

✅ Helps in understanding the lifestyles and social circles of first-class passengers.

📌 For Historians & Maritime Researchers:

✅ Offers insight into the role of the Dominion Line in connecting North America and Britain.

✅ Showcases passenger expectations, travel conditions, and regulations in the late 19th century.

✅ Provides rare navigational data, meal schedules, and entertainment details aboard steamships.

Final Thoughts: A Unique Glimpse into 19th-Century Transatlantic Travel

The SS Canada Passenger List from 15 January 1898 is more than just a list of names—it is a historical time capsule revealing who traveled, how they lived aboard ocean liners, and what regulations they encountered. This well-preserved document is an exceptional resource for genealogists, teachers, students, and historians, offering a firsthand look at life on a transatlantic steamship at the turn of the century.

💡 How do modern cruise ship experiences compare to first-class ocean liner travel in 1898? What can we learn from the way passengers were regulated, accommodated, and entertained? 🤔

🔍 Explore the passenger list and uncover the fascinating details of 19th-century ocean travel! 🚢📜