Emigaton Notes

http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/Irish-emigration.html  The following notes are from this website.

The Age of the Steamer


     The first steamer to cross the Atlantic was probably the Canadian ship SS Royal William which made the voyage from Quebec to London in twenty five days in 1833. At a time when a typical crossing in a traditional sailing ships took five to eight weeks, this was a huge development but it was to be more than two decades before steamers started to play any significant part in the story of Irish emigration.

     One of the co-owners of the SS Royal William was Samuel Cunard who subsequently founded the eponyomous company in 1840 having won the contract to provide a fortnightly mail service between Liverpool and Halifax, Boston and Quebec.

     The Britannia made its maiden voyage from Liverpool to Halifax and Boston on 4 July 1840, reportedly with a cow onboard to provide fresh milk to passengers. This ship completed its voyage in just 14 days and such was its success that Cunard had a fleet of 12 ships within a decade.

     The numbers of passengers carried across the ocean in steamers at this time was tiny, however. These early steamers were principally cargo or mail boats.

     It wasn't until the mid-1850s and 1860s that some comforts – electric lighting, more deck space etc – were added for passengers.

     By 1863, some 45% if Irish immigrants arrived in North America on steamships. By 1866, this had increased to 81% and within another four years nearly all Irish emigration to Canada and the USA was made on steamers.

(We have never found immigration records for Thomas Peacock and his family.  Apparently, the records are normally kept where the ship arrived.  However, it would seem that they probably came on board a steam ship )