Passenger List, Vancouver, July 1902

[kdvs]

Hi all,

A couple of years back I got a lot of very helpful responses to a post about the travels of one of my ancestors, Arie Roothoff (here).

In 1908, on one of his many travels, he passed Detroit on his way to Walla Walla, Washington, coming from Canada. The list of Alien Passengers Applying for Admission (page 1, page 2) states that he landed in Vancouver in July 1902 aboard the Empress of China. I would really like to know where that ship came from.

Unfortunately Passenger Lists for Vancouver before 1905 can't be accessed through the Library and Archives of Canada website (link). Is there another way to see where Arie boarded the ship?

Thank you!

[polarbear]

My interpretation of the border crossing papers.....

Ary has a final destination of Milton Michigan (1st page, last 2 columns on the right). Page 1 column before these indicates nearest relative in country he had come from was an uncle in Australia, so I think he must have come from there in 1902. It looks like he went from the Vancouver landing to Walla Walla Washington and spent 2 months there, leaving the USA in Sep 1902 (page 2).  He was listed as a Canadian (?) citizen here and it appears he had been in Canada since Sep 1902, his last permanent residence being Toronto Ontario.

PB

[kdvs]

Page 1 column before these indicates nearest relative in country he had come from was an uncle in Australia, so I think he must have come from there in 1902.

That is indeed likely. However, there is no evidence his father's brother lived in Australia at that time, or anytime. I am hoping that more information on the Empress of China's route could shed some light on this.

Are there any records from this time period?

It looks like he went from the Vancouver landing to Walla Walla Washington and spent 2 months there, leaving the USA in Sep 1902 (page 2).  He was listed as a Canadian (?) citizen here and it appears he had been in Canada since Sep 1902, his last permanent residence being Toronto Ontario.

He didn't stay in Canada after 1902. He actually married his aunt in England in 1903 and traveled from England to Canada in 1906 and 1908.

Is there anywhere I can check if he happened to got the Canadian nationality between 1902 and 1908?

For a timeline of Arie's life: click here

[Christine53]

Have you tried looking at the shipping news in the papers ? I did a search for "Empress of China " in 1902 and then narrowed down by date:

Empress of China left Hong Kong for Vancouver 4 June 1902                         

                          left Yokohama  Japan for Vancover   date obscured but paper dated 17 June 1902

                          arrived Vancouver  from Hong Kong 25 June 1902

                          arrived Hong Kong from Vancouver 30 July 1902


According to Wikipedia she sailed the Pacific route from the West Coast of Canada to the Far East until she sank in 1911 in Tokyo harbour.

[polarbear]

I don't see this passenger listing in the other thread.....is it for your Arie?

Arrived Southampton UK 10 Feb 1908 from Australia
Mr A Roothoff Painter no age given Dutch
He embarked at Adelaide
Can't make out the name of the ship.... Gneiseman?

If this is your Arie and he states he is Dutch, it would appear that he didn't become a naturalized Canadian.

PB

[kdvs]

Have you tried looking at the shipping news in the papers? I did a search for "Empress of China " in 1902 and then narrowed down by date:

Empress of China left Hong Kong for Vancouver 4 June 1902                         

                          left Yokohama  Japan for Vancover   date obscured but paper dated 17 June 1902

                          arrived Vancouver  from Hong Kong 25 June 1902

                          arrived Hong Kong from Vancouver 30 July 1902

Thanks, but where can I find these papers?

[kdvs]

I don't see this passenger listing in the other thread.....is it for your Arie?

Arrived Southampton UK 10 Feb 1908 from Australia
Mr A Roothoff Painter no age given Dutch
He embarked at Adelaide
Can't make out the name of the ship.... Gneiseman?

Interesting... He sailed from the UK to Canada again a month later on March 7th aboard the SS Laurentian.

Where did you find this information?

Edit: I found this ad (link) in a 1907 New Zealand newspaper, about halfway down the page, right below "N.D.L". You're probably right about the ship's name, but it is probably misspelled as there used to be a ship from the Norddeutscher Lloyd called the Gneisenau.

[Christine53]

Have you tried looking at the shipping news in the papers? I did a search for "Empress of China " in 1902 and then narrowed down by date:

Empress of China left Hong Kong for Vancouver 4 June 1902                         

                          left Yokohama  Japan for Vancover   date obscured but paper dated 17 June 1902

                          arrived Vancouver  from Hong Kong 25 June 1902

                          arrived Hong Kong from Vancouver 30 July 1902

Thanks, but where can I find these papers?

They are available either at http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ or with a subscription to findmypast.

[polarbear]

The 1908 arrival in Southampton is in 'UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960' on Ancestry.

Ship could easily be Gneisenau. Shipping line is Norddeutscher Lloyd.

PB.