Description

The popularity of the aggregate passenger
lists published in previous numbers of
The Island Magazine has prompted the
continuation of the series in the following
pages. In this installment, the period 1842-
1847 is covered.
The Unregulated Passage
All too early in the quest for ship passenger
lists, Island genealogists have faced
the frustration of a lack of records documenting
the arrival of their forbears in
the New World. The scarcity of records
is easily explained when one considers
that, until the late 19th century, what is
now Canada had a "Free Entry" policy
with respect to immigration. Thus, the
Island government did not require records
of passengers at the point of entry.