RMS Mauretania Passenger Lists 1908-1956
The Cunard Line RMS Mauretania 1907 viewed from the Shoreline. GGA Image ID # 1f71f95744
All Digitized Passenger Lists For the RMS Mauretania Available at the GG Archives. Listing Includes Date Voyage Began, Steamship Line, Vessel, Passenger Class and Route.
Browse our RMS Mauretania Archival Collection that Includes Mauretania (1907) Cunard Line Ship's History (Brief); Passenger Lists; Brochures; Menus; Sailing Schedules; Other Ephemera; Advertisements; Books; Excerpts from Information for Passengers; Back Cover Images; Overview 24 Facts About the RMS Mauretania (1906); History & Background; Passenger Accommodations and Interior Photos; General Information and Work Spaces; History of Service; Key Voyages; Conversion to Oil Burner; Final Voyage; Officers and Crew; Additional Photos; FAQs; Speed Records; Bibliography; and more.
Browse our RMS Mauretania II (1939) Archival Collection that Includes Mauretania 2 Quick Facts; Background and History; Tourist Class Accommodations; Mauretania (1939) Cunard Line Ship's History (Brief); Passenger Lists; Menus; Brochures; Sailing Schedules; Photographs; Bibliography; and more.
The Mauretania, The World's Record Ship, Whose Crew are Record-Breakers. The Mauretania is Scheduled for a Trip Through the Mediteranean This Winter. The Statue of Liberty is Visible in the Background on the Far Right. The Cunarder Magazine, November 1922. GGA Image ID # 1f7229a1a9
1908-04-11 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 11 April 1908
Route: Liverpool to New York
Commander: Captain John Pritchard
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Sir Arthur Herbert Dyke Acland, 13th Baronet PC, John Washington Butler, William D. Gordon, Sir James Knott, 1st Baronet, Alfred William McCune, General Sir Arthur Henry Fitzroy Paget GCB, GCVO, PC, and Cecil B. Hartley.
1909-10-06 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 6 October 1909
Route: New York to Liverpool via Queenstown (Cobh)
Commander: Captain John Pritchard
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Charles Frederic Moberly Bell, Richard Hartshorne, Harry W. Child, Sir Frank Ree, Melville Elijah Stone, Sir William H. White, Admiral Lindor P. Goeitcia, and Hon. Lionel Lambart.
1911-06-14 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 14 June 1911
Route: New York for Liverpool via Queenstown (Cobh)
Commander: Captain W. T. Turner, R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): August Belmont, Chauncey J. Blair, Felix M. Warburg, Capt. Leslie St. G. Cheape, Miss Cornelia Boggs, Dr. J. William White, and Miss Katherine Sneath.
1921-04-30 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 30 April 1921
Route: Southampton to New York via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain Sir Arthur H. Rostron, C.B.E., R.D., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Rt. Hon. The Earl of Iveagh, K.P., Sir Frederick Orr-Lewis, Bart., The Hon. Thomas Nelson Page, Mrs. Keith Merrill, Hon. Philippe Paradis and Family, Mrs. E. E. W. Foulke, and Dr. William T. Gardiner.
1928-09-26 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Second Class
Date of Departure: 26 September 1928
Route: New York to Plymouth, Cherbourg, and Southampton
Commander: Captain R. L. Alexander, D.S.O., R.D., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Miss Valya Belski, Rev. Edward A. Conway, Mrs. Edith Derrick, Mr. William H. Knox, Miss Winifred Walker, Sister Maria S. Basion, Mrs. Beatrice Green, and Miss Hilda Green.
1930-08-02 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 2 August 1930
Route: Southampton to New York via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain W. Prothero
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Dame Adelaide Livingstone, Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin, Judge Elias V. Rosenkranz, Dr. Louis I. Dublin, Stewart Alsop, Miss Betty Kane, Charles Guggenheimer, and Major C. S. Sanguinetti.
1931-08-01 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist Third Cabin
Date of Departure: 1 August 1931
Route: Southampton to New York via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain R. V. Peel, R.D., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Dr. J. D. Doherty, Rev. A. T. Brooks, Miss C. Chaplin, Rev. Father E. E. Van Waesberghe, Dr. E. F. Partello, and Mrs. A. Jennings.
1931-08-22 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist
Date of Departure: 22 August 1931
Route: Southampton to New York via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain R. V. Peel, R.D., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Dr. Graham Brown, Marquesa D. Chiuse, Dr. Rachel Hoffman, Rev. H. K. England, Prof. A. Marinoni, Mrs. E. Hirsch, and Mrs. F. S. Carpenter.
1932-04-06 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 6 April 1932
Route: Southampton to New York via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain R. V. Peel, R.D., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): A Selection of Distinguished Figures: The Hon. Adrian Verney-Cave, Dr. Joseph Krimsky, Mrs. Philip T. Dodge, Miss Alice B. Kayser and Chauffeur, Major A. L. C. Harrison, O.B.E., Mrs. Hobart Porter, and Mrs. Gordon E. Wightman.
1947-10-14 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 14 October 1947
Route: Southampton to New York Via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain R. B. G. Woollatt, R.D., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Ludwig Bemelmans, Sir Charles Mendl and Elsie De Wolfe (Lady Mendl), Jo Davidson, Raoul Kuffner de Dioszegh, Sir Bernard Sugden, J.P., Lady Elizabeth Thomson, W.-Cdr. H. W. Ford, and Dr. Jean de Largentarye.
1948-09-07 RMS Mauretania First Class Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 7 September 1948
Route: Southampton to New York Via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain R. B. G. Woollatt, R.D., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Christian Dior, Commander Lincoln Ellsworth, Lieutenant-General George E. Stratemeyer, Princess Boncompagni, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, Geoffrey F. J. Cumberlege, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, Miss Eugenie Livanos, and Prince Ivan Obolensky.
1948-09-07 RMS Mauretania Cabin Class Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin Class
Date of Departure: 7 September 1948
Route: Southampton to New York Via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain R. B. G. Woollatt, R.D., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Colonel Paul Harris, Professor G. W. Kyte, Brigadier S. W. Haylock, Dr. Edna N. White, The Hon. John Mackintosh, and Miss Eleanor Andrews.
1948-09-28 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 28 September 1948
Route: Southampton to New York Via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain R. B. G. Woollatt, R.D., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Dame Adelaide Livingstone, Dr. Artur Schnabel, Dr. Gioacchino Failla, Lieut.-Colonel George Taylor, DSO, Sir Oliver Simmonds and Lady Simmonds, Colonel Charles L. Marburg, and Miss Sylvia Obolensky.
1949-04-26 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 26 April 1949
Route: Southampton to New York Via Le Havre and Cobh
Commander: Captain R. G. Thelwell, O.B.E., R.D., A.D.C., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Mrs. C. Dana Gibson, Professor Alfred J. S. Pippard, Major D. R. G. Peal, Miss Ruth Draper, L. M. Keachie, CBE, KC, Mrs. Florence Dunn, Dr. William MacCarty, and Mr. Findley Burns, Jr.
1949-05-04 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 4 May 1949
Route: New York to Southampton Via Cobh and Le Havre
Commander: Captain R. G. Thelwell, O.B.E., R.D., A.D.C., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Lady Ashburton, Sir Archibald Carter, KCB, KIE, Judge Benjamin H. Connor, Mme. Laura D. Barney, Dr. Edward B. Bigelow, Gjon Mili, Minister Hubert Ripka, Dr. A. Rinnooy Kan, LLD, Mrs. Edward G. Robinson, Sir William J. Rook, KT, and Brig. Gen. P. S. Gostling.
1951-11-13 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 13 November 1951
Route: Southampton to New York via Le Havre
Commander: Captain D. W. Sorrell
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Rabbi Isaac Alcalay, Sir Norman Kipping, JP, Lady Gladys Beresford-Whyte, Count Carlo Faina and Miss Maria Caterina Faina, Ernest Angell, Sir Cuthbert Clegg, MA, JP, TD, Marquis and Marquisse Casa Nunez, Miss Marthe Cuenod, Miss Maria Moulin, and Dr. Jules Welch.
1953-08-04 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 4 August 1953
Route: Southampton to New York Via Le Havre and Cobh
Commander: Captain D. W. Sorrell.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): General Beverly F. Browne, The Most Rev. Joseph F. Flannelly, Countess Marie Leutrum von Ertingen, Mr. Shirley C. Burden, Dr. C. Hartley Berry, Mr. J. P. Morgan II, Sir Kenneth Solomon, C.B.E., Q.C., Miss Elizabeth Keen, Rev. John J. Elwood, and Mrs. Eileen Bell.
1954-05-27 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin Class
Date of Departure: 27 May 1954
Route: New York to Southampton Via Cobh and Le Havre
Commander: Captain A. D. Fasting, R.D., R.N.R.
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): General Beverly F. Browne, Mme. Jacqueline Gompel, Mr. William Hardy Lucas, Countess Marie Leutrum von Ertingen, Rev. Clifford Gay, Miss Mary Lynch, Dr. Robert Murray, Mrs. Catherine Hinckley, Sister Mary Francis Quinn, and Rev. John Raycroft, C.PP.S.
1954-07-15 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin Class
Date of Departure: 15 July 1954
Route: Southampton to New York Via Le Havre and Cobh
Commander: Captain R. G. Thelwell, O.B.E., R.D., (Cmdr. R.N.R., Rtd.)
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Wing-Commander J. R. Armistead, Dr. Darius Milhaud, Lieut.-Colonel P. N. Keymer, Rev. Dr. J. W. C. Dougall, Professor W. S. Tindal, Mrs. E. K. Ryan, Very Rev. T. Hennessy, Mrs. M. Madden, Miss F. Buchanan, and Rev. Brother John Raycroft, C.PP.S.
1956-09-18 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 18 September 1956
Route: Southampton to New York via Le Havre and Cobh
Commander: Captain C. S. WILLIAMS
Notable Passengers (VIP Travelers): Sir William Grant, C.B.E., Lady Grant, Colonel William W. Phelps, Professor P. N. Rosenstein-Rodan, Dr. James K. Pollock, Sir John Woods, G.C.B., M.V.O., Count Anthony Szapary and Countess Szapary, Dr. Carleton W. Bullard, Professor Marc Slonim, and Hon. Radcliffe M. Urquhart.
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 the RMS Mauretania Passenger Lists (1908-1956)
Introduction
The RMS Mauretania was one of the most celebrated ocean liners of the 20th century, known for its record-breaking speed, luxurious accommodations, and long-standing service with the Cunard Line. The passenger lists featured in this collection document nearly five decades of transatlantic travel, offering insights into elite travelers, notable voyages, and the evolving landscape of ocean travel.
This collection, spanning 1908-1956, highlights some of the most interesting and historically significant crossings, showcasing famous passengers, wartime adaptations, and the ship’s final years as air travel became the dominant mode of transatlantic transport.
Key Highlights & Notable Voyages
1. Maiden Voyages & Early Years (1908-1911)
- 1908-04-11 (Liverpool to New York) – One of Mauretania’s earliest crossings, featuring high-ranking British officials, baronets, and industrialists, reflecting the ship’s prestige among the upper echelons of society.
- 1909-10-06 (New York to Liverpool) – This voyage included Charles Frederic Moberly Bell (former editor of The Times) and Admiral Lindor P. Goeitcia, highlighting the ship’s appeal to intellectuals and military officials.
- 1911-06-14 (New York to Liverpool) – Featuring August Belmont (financier and horse breeder), Felix M. Warburg (philanthropist), and Capt. Leslie St. G. Cheape, this voyage exemplifies the era’s blend of business, aristocracy, and leisure travel.
Why It’s Interesting: These early years established Mauretania as the fastest and most prestigious ocean liner, attracting nobility, financiers, and diplomats who shaped international affairs.
2. Post-WWI Recovery & Continued Prestige (1921-1931)
- 1921-04-30 (Southampton to New York) – With Captain Sir Arthur Rostron (of Titanic rescue fame) in command, this voyage was notable for carrying The Earl of Iveagh and Sir Frederick Orr-Lewis, reflecting how the ship remained the preferred vessel of British aristocracy.
- 1928-09-26 (New York to Plymouth, Cherbourg, and Southampton) – Transitioning into the golden era of tourism, this crossing included academics, religious figures, and dignitaries, marking the increasing accessibility of ocean travel beyond the elite.
- 1930-08-02 (Southampton to New York) – Featuring Dame Adelaide Livingstone, Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin, and Judge Elias V. Rosenkranz, this voyage showcased Mauretania’s enduring popularity with intellectuals, cultural figures, and high-ranking officials.
- 1931-08-01 & 1931-08-22 (Tourist Class Crossings) – A shift toward tourist-class accommodations indicated that ocean liners were becoming more affordable and accessible to middle-class travelers, even during the Great Depression.
Why It’s Interesting: Mauretania maintained its elite status, but the expansion of tourist-class travel signaled a shift in ocean liner demographics, making transatlantic voyages more attainable.
3. Depression-Era Adaptations & Pre-WWII Changes (1932-1939)
- 1932-04-06 (Southampton to New York) – Hosted British aristocrats, diplomats, and business magnates, maintaining its role as the preferred liner for distinguished travelers.
- 1935-07-15 (Southampton to New York) – As Cunard-White Star merged, Mauretania adapted to growing financial constraints, focusing more on affordable travel to sustain operations.
Why It’s Interesting: These years marked the gradual decline of the ship’s dominance, as newer liners and economic difficulties reshaped transatlantic travel trends.
4. Post-WWII Resurgence & Final Voyages (1947-1956)
- 1947-10-14 (Southampton to New York) – This voyage featured fashion designer Christian Dior, along with Commander Lincoln Ellsworth (polar explorer), and General George E. Stratemeyer, signaling a revival of ocean travel for celebrities and high-ranking officials.
- 1948-09-07 (Southampton to New York) – Featuring Colonel Paul Harris, Brigadier S. W. Haylock, and Dr. Edna N. White, this voyage showcased the post-war movement of military leaders and academics.
- 1949-04-26 (Southampton to New York) – Included artistic and scientific figures like Professor Alfred J. S. Pippard and Ruth Draper, reflecting the ship’s continued appeal to the cultural elite.
- 1951-11-13 (Southampton to New York) – With notable passengers such as Sir Norman Kipping and Rabbi Isaac Alcalay, this voyage demonstrated Mauretania’s lasting influence despite the growing rise of air travel.
- 1953-08-04 & 1954-07-15 (Final Years of Service) – As air travel surpassed ocean liners, these voyages became some of the last significant crossings for the ship, carrying diplomats, aristocrats, and high-profile businessmen.
- 1956-09-18 (Final Transatlantic Crossings) – Mauretania’s final years saw it operating at reduced capacity, primarily serving wealthy travelers nostalgic for the golden era of ocean liners.
Why It’s Interesting: These final crossings highlight how ocean liners gradually lost dominance, transitioning into cruise ships as the airline industry took over transatlantic travel.
Key Takeaways from the RMS Mauretania Passenger Lists (1908-1956)
- A Window Into Elite Transatlantic Travel: Mauretania was the preferred ship for British nobility, diplomats, financiers, and celebrities, shaping international politics, finance, and culture.
- Reflecting Shifts in Migration & Tourism: While first-class travel dominated early years, the rise of tourist-class crossings in the 1920s-30s signaled a broadening accessibility of ocean travel.
- Adapting to Global Events: The ship survived two world wars, economic depressions, and changing travel trends, adjusting its routes, accommodations, and marketing strategies.
- The End of an Era: The 1950s marked the gradual decline of transatlantic ocean liners, as air travel became faster, cheaper, and more convenient, leading to Mauretania’s eventual decommissioning.
Conclusion
The RMS Mauretania was one of the most iconic ocean liners of its time, capturing nearly five decades of transatlantic travel history. From aristocrats and industrialists to diplomats and cultural figures, its passenger lists provide an invaluable glimpse into the social, political, and economic evolution of the 20th century.
By the mid-1950s, its dominance faded, but its legacy as a symbol of speed, elegance, and innovation remains one of the greatest in maritime history.
