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Wesnofske - What's in a Name?
India
Built 1869 - Scrapped 1894
Operated by the Anchor Line
From 1869 to July 8, 1874, it made the run from Glasgow, Scotland to Moville, Ireland to New York in transatlantic service.
Thereafter, it sailed only to the east between England and India.
Martin Wesnofske and family arrived in NYC on it Tuesday, June 9, 1874. They embarked from Glasgow, Scotland, Saturday, May 30th. It was a popular embarkation points for early immigrants to the U.S. in the 19th Century. It appears that they crossed from Germany/Poland to the United Kingdom from Hamburg after an examination of passenger lists for the year 1874. A family oral tradition reported by Sister Regina Bernadette in 1988 says they left from Bremen. That port's records were destroyed under policies limiting record keeping on emigres to three years. An oral tradition passed through Stella Pryztula Wesnofske to her daughter Gloria Wiltsee reports Martin and family travelled in an open boat that had oars, held about 15 persons. They were accompanied on their journey by the Makofske family which also settled onto Long Island. The Makofske's were not on the INDIA.
This oral tradition could only make sense if it referred to an English Channel crossing. Thus, inbound passenger records to the ports of England, Scotland or Ireland are a point of research interest on their story.
Manifest Notes: Note two different scripts for the name of Capitain James Harris - the far right is the signature. The 'J' for the month June is different from the two 'J's in James. The 'J' in Johan and Joseph match those of the two left James Harris name. (Same is true for the capital 'H' use.)
Another anomaly on page 2: passenger names are sometimes listed first name, last name; others are last name, first name. Many hands are in the record keeping pie.
Columns:
1. NAME
2. AGE: Years/Months
3. SEX
4. OCCUPATION
5. THE COUNTRY TO WHICH
THEY SEVERALLY BELONG
6. THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THEY INTEND TO BECOME INHABITANTS
7. DIED ON THE VOYGE
8. PART OF THE VESSEL OCCUPIED BY EACH PASSENGER DURING THE VOYAGE
The 'do' customarily stands for ditto.
Martin Wischesewski >
Anna " >
Johan (John) " >
Joseph " >
Frantz (Frank) " >
Anna " >
Johan (John) " >
Joseph " >
Frantz (Frank) " >
No family died on the voyage.
Manifest Error Note: Martin was 33 years old as of this date and not 23 as recorded. The other ages for Anna and the children are correct Including Frank as an infant less than one year of age (no charge for fare). As so often is the case for passenger lists, census data, vital records and newspaper accounts, errors in recording were made. Perhaps the language accent or the inscriber's mental slip accounts for the error.
Extensive searches for Martin, Anna and the known children with the ages and birth order verified by later US census data shows no alternative family group arriving in New York in other years.
Martin I and son John
1892 Naturalization Record cards
It is the year of the Queens Farm purchase.
Martin & Anna Homepage
Wesnofske - What's in a Name?
P.O. Box 3029, Bridgehampton, NY 11932