RMS Etruria Passenger Lists 1886-1908

RMS Etruria of the Cunard Line. GGA Image ID # 21f3a3ee82

All Digitized Passenger Lists For the RMS Etruria Available at the GG Archives. Listing Includes Date Voyage Began, Steamship Line, Vessel, Passenger Class and Route.

Passenger Lists contained in the GG Archives collection represent the souvenir list provided to the passengers of each cabin class (and other classes). Many of these souvenir passenger lists have disappeared over the years. Our collection contains a sampling of what was originally produced and printed by the steamship lines.

Recap and Summary of RMS Etruria Passenger Lists (1886-1908)

Introduction

The RMS Etruria of the Cunard Line was one of the great transatlantic steamers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for its speed, luxury, and prominent passengers. Operating from 1885 to 1909, the Etruria played a significant role in both immigration and high-class leisure travel, often carrying notable figures from politics, literature, academia, and business.

The passenger lists from 1886 to 1908 reveal a fascinating cross-section of society, including celebrated authors, industrialists, military officials, and religious leaders, reflecting the changing nature of transatlantic travel at the turn of the century.

 

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Key Highlights & Notable Voyages

1. The Most Famous Voyage – Bram Stoker & Henry Ward Beecher (1886)

• 1886-10-23 (Liverpool to New York, Saloon Class)
  • Notable Passengers:
    • Bram Stoker – Best known for Dracula (1897), Stoker was then a theater manager and secretary to actor Sir Henry Irving.
    • Rev. Henry Ward Beecher – A famous abolitionist preacher, brother of Uncle Tom’s Cabin author Harriet Beecher Stowe.
    • Dr. Ernst Freund – Influential legal scholar, known for his contributions to administrative law.
  • Why It’s Interesting: This voyage carried two major literary and intellectual figures, making it one of the most culturally significant crossings of the Etruria. Stoker would later publish Dracula, changing the landscape of gothic fiction forever, while Beecher was a leading voice in American social reform.

 

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2. William Booth & Early Salvation Army Influence (1890)

• 1890-03-15 (Liverpool to New York, Saloon Class)
  • Notable Passengers:
    • William Booth – Founder of the Salvation Army, traveling as part of his missionary work.
    • Dr. R. F. Weir – An early pioneer in plastic surgery and reconstructive medicine.
    • Major R. T. Creamer & Edward Lloyd – British political and business figures.
  • Why It’s Interesting: The presence of William Booth signals the growing global influence of the Salvation Army, which would become one of the most important charitable organizations of the 20th century.

 

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3. High Society & Aristocracy on Board (1898)

• 1898-04-01 (New York to Liverpool, Saloon Class)
  • Notable Passengers:
    • Baron de Heeckeron de Wassenner – A European nobleman.
    • Cornelius C. V. Burrill & Sir Walter R. Olivey – Prominent businessmen.
    • Baroness Alida Chanter – Aristocratic traveler.
  • Why It’s Interesting: This voyage highlights the continued use of transatlantic liners by European aristocracy, who were still major figures in international society before World War I.

 

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4. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. – A Future Supreme Court Justice (1898)

• 1898-08-27 (Liverpool to New York, Saloon Class)
  • Notable Passengers:
    • Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. – Future U.S. Supreme Court Justice, known for his legal philosophy on free speech and civil liberties.
    • Arthur Clifton Goodwin – Prominent American landscape painter.
    • Graham Lusk – Noted physiologist.
  • Why It’s Interesting: Holmes would go on to become one of the most influential legal minds in American history, making this one of the most historically significant voyages in the Etruria’s history.

 

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5. Second Cabin Becomes More Prominent (1898-1904)

• 1898-08-27 (Liverpool to New York, Second Cabin Class)
  • Notable Passengers:
    • Rev. J. B. Baker & Rev. Thomas H. Baragwanath – Religious leaders.
    • Mr. Wong Lin Goh – One of the few documented Chinese passengers, reflecting the growing Asian influence on transatlantic travel.
• 1904-06-11 (Liverpool to New York, Second Cabin)
  • Notable Passengers:
    • Surgeon Benjamin Pitt Johnson & Rev. W. L. Evans – Medical and religious professionals, showing that second-class was now a viable option for professionals traveling overseas.
  • Why It’s Interesting: By the early 1900s, second-class was no longer just for immigrants, but also for business professionals and religious figures who needed transatlantic mobility.

 

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6. The Final Years – More Religious & Political Figures (1908)

• 1908-09-10 (Liverpool to New York, Saloon Class)
  • Notable Passengers:
    • Baron Peter von Paumgartten – European aristocrat and diplomat.
    • Rev. William O. Baker & Rev. George F. Bennett – Religious leaders.
    • Judge James M. Winters – U.S. judicial figure.
  • Why It’s Interesting: This was one of the Etruria’s last major voyages before she was retired in 1909, marking the end of an era in steamship travel.

 

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Key Takeaways from RMS Etruria Passenger Lists (1886-1908)

1. A Ship of Cultural & Political Importance

The Etruria frequently carried writers, judges, social reformers, and business magnates, making it one of the most influential vessels of its time. Notable figures included:

• Bram Stoker (Dracula, 1897)
• Rev. Henry Ward Beecher (Abolitionist leader)
• Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (Supreme Court Justice)
• William Booth (Founder of the Salvation Army)

 

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2. A Symbol of Social Change

• Early voyages (1886-1898) were dominated by wealthy and elite travelers.
• By the 1900s, second-class became a viable option for professionals, reflecting a shift in the class structure of transatlantic travel.

 

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3. A Bridge Between the Old & New Worlds

• Etruria carried European aristocrats, American business magnates, religious leaders, and emerging social reformers.
• Its voyages show how steamships connected the political, intellectual, and economic elites of two continents.

 

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Final Thoughts

The RMS Etruria was one of the most prestigious Cunard liners of its time, often transporting world-famous authors, politicians, and reformers. Its passenger lists reflect the changing world of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, from Victorian aristocracy to the rise of American industry and social progress.

With its final voyage in 1909, the Etruria marked the end of an era for ocean liners before the Titanic generation would redefine transatlantic travel.