The family of my 3x great grandfather(William Ballard) arrived in Liverpool between 1834 and 1841. They are on the 1841 Liverpool census. William was elsewhere but is in Liverpool with his wife Jane Ballard (born Isle of Jersey) for the birth of their son. Their son William Francis Ballard born in Liverpool in 1849. The parents of my 3x great grandfather (William Ballard and Anne McBride) were born in Dublin. William’s younger brother (Robert) was born in Drogheda in 1828. I assume they took the Drogheda steam packet boat to Liverpool.
My question is, would there have been passenger lists for the crossing from Drogheda? Or as Ireland at the time was part of the UK, there were no passenger lists created as they were British citizens?
William remained in Liverpool but apart from his dad, the rest of the family went on to the USA… Philadelphia, New Orleans, Boston and eventually Cape Elizabeth in Portland, Maine.
Many thanks!
David
Adesso
Tuesday 12th Dec 2023, 12:30PMMessage Board Replies
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No passenger lists have ever been kept for travel between Ireland and Britain. As you say it was then just a short domestic journey and did not require passenger lists. There are no passenger lists for most European travel, not just between Britain and Ireland. eg Ireland to France or Norway to England don’t normally have any passenger lists either.
In general, passenger lists only exist for long distance travel eg Ireland to America, England to Australia.
Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘
Tuesday 12th Dec 2023, 02:24PM -
Thanks once again!
Regards
David
Adesso
Tuesday 12th Dec 2023, 03:06PM -
Hello David! It's fascinating to learn about your family history. Regarding your question, during that time period, passenger lists for crossings from Drogheda might not have been consistently kept. However, as Ireland was part of the UK, it's possible that no separate passenger lists were created for British citizens traveling between the two locations. It's worth noting that records from that era can be incomplete or difficult to locate. If you're looking for more specific information, you may want to explore local archives or historical societies in Drogheda or Liverpool. Good luck with your research!
Jacobjsdhfg
Wednesday 13th Dec 2023, 09:15AM -
Many thanks for that!
Regards
Adesso
Wednesday 13th Dec 2023, 10:46AM