They Came in Ships [Paperback]

John Philip Colletta Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1989

Chances are, if you're American, you've got immigrant ancestors! For over 400 years, from the 1500s-1900s, millions of people immigrated to the United States. They came from Europe, Africa, Asia and Central and South America. And nearly all of them came by ship, leaving behind valuable clues for you to discover! They Came in Ships is the first comprehensive manual to navigate the vast landscape of these ship records!

Author John Philip Colletta will guide you through the difficult task of uncovering and understanding these essential records. You'll learn where and how to begin your search for your ancestors! Study the sample research scenarios to make your research time more effective! Colletta has even introduced a special chapter in this edition dedicated to helping you find a ship if your ancestor arrived in a year not included in National Archives!

They Came in Ships is the ultimate genealogist's tool for locating and understanding immigrant ships' records! An essential tool for the American genealogist! 93 Pages, Softbound

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Irvine, a teacher in British Columbia, has teamed up with one of the leading genealogy publishers to give us a fine handbook for English genealogy research. Irvine focuses on how to use the many unpublished resources available in North America at the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City, many FHL branch libraries, and FH Centers located in local Latter Day Saints churches and other larger libraries. In addition, Irvine outlines research in English repositories. Her nuts-and-bolts approach to relatively accessible material sets this book apart from other handbooks. Essential for the institutional as well as the home market. Colletta's work, revised since it was first published in 1989, provides a helpful discussion of biographical and genealogical information and other migration details that may be found in passenger lists. Four information-filled chapters provide help on acquiring the information needed to search for passenger lists. The annotated bibliography is excellent, though the book still lacks an index. Researchers in the ship passenger list and immigration field should read this book, along with Michael H. Tepper's American Passenger Arrival Records (Genealogical Pubs., 1988). Essential.
- Judith P. Reid, Lib. of Congress
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"If you are, as I was, baffled by the maze of microfilm and sources involved in trying to track down your ancestors' ships lists, you need this book!! I read this book cover to cover twice, then tackled the library, and finally accomplished something! I recommend it VERY highly."

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: Ancestry.com; Revised ed. edition (October 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0916489426
• ISBN-13: 978-0916489427
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,674,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable Genealogical Tool!, August 23, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: They Came in Ships (Paperback)

If you are, as I was, baffled by the maze of microfilm and sources involved in trying to track down your ancestors' ships lists, you need this book!! The author very clearly explains the how the films are indexed, the exceptions to the rules, etc. Perhaps the most useful aspect of this book is the way the author walks you through various examples of how to take whatever information you have about your ancestor and how to use the indexes to track down where to start searching for your ancestor's ship. I read this book cover to cover twice, then tackled the library, and finally accomplished something! I recommend it VERY highly. Since it's out of print, you may need to work to hunt down a copy, but you will be very glad that you did!

80 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They Came In Ships, April 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: They Came in Ships (Paperback)

There is an unbelievable amount of information packed into this book and it is organized in a way that works for both the experienced and new genealogist. I had almost given up finding my immigrant ancestors in several lines I'm researching until I discovered this gem. By following the step by step information given here, I was able to find them all! Don't overlook the bibliography. The information in it alone is well worth the price of the book. Thank you, Dr. Colletta!

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Information, July 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: They Came in Ships (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for find passenger lists that are not at the National Archives.A must have for finding them.