Searching by place of origin - can I do it?

[Nick Carver]

Hi. I'm trying to identify a group of 21 people from my village (Isleham in Cambridgeshire) who all travelled to the USA together in about the 1850s. Isleham is a pretty small place, so 21 people going at once made a difference and I'd be grateful if anyone could direct me to a search facility which gives the place of origin.

I've only stumbled across this fact today, but my previous experience in looking for emigrants from my own family suggests the details are given more by boat in which people travelled,

Any help gratefully received.

[grub]

Hi Nick
From the passenger lists I've been fortunate enough to view, the place of origin is usually country only, ie England, Wales, Ireland, etc.  It is rare to see the county, as some travel miles to reach the most convenient port.

It may be possible to locate "the group", on ship lists, or
those parties that subsequently became naturalized citizens.

Wish I could be of more assistance.
Valerie

[esinker]

Hi Nick,

My family, surname KNIGHT, emigrated from Isleham on
the Sir Robert Peel which arrived in the Port of New York in November 1851.  You can find the passenger list on the Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild webpage:

http://www.immigrantships.net/v3/1800v3/sirrobertpeel18511112_01.html

You will find my KNIGHT family there.  William KNIGHT took his wife and family.  His wife is transcribed as HENRICO and a MALE but she is really Honoria RUMBELOW and was born in Freckenham, Suffolk. 

As you will see the list only shows them as from England.  It would be interesting to know if any of the other passengers was from Isleham or the surrounding area.

In the 1860 US census living with my KNIGHT family is a James PARR, which is a surname that occurs in the Isleham/Fordham area.  James Parr was from England, age 35, a bootmaker and a widower. 
- Ed Sinker, now living in Herefordshire, UK

[Nick Carver]

Ed

None of the other family names are of Isleham origin, although there were a fair few people who were fairly itinerant and may have been transients whose final domicile in the UK was Isleham.

Where exactly did your Knight ancestors eventually settle in the USA? From your comment about a local man staying with them at the time of the census, they may have formed a community of their own in the US.

Thanks for the reply
Nick