Immigrants on the S. S. Wisconsin in 1870

I always find it interesting and fun learn more about immigrant ancestors' travel experiences, including learning about and seeing photos of the ships that brought them to America. 

This is the S. S. Wisconsin, a ship built in England in 1870.  It is the ship on which my g-great-grandmother, Elizabeth (Laws) Doyle and four of her children, including my great-grandfather, William Doyle, travelled from Liverpool to New York City in October, 1870.  William was the oldest, at 8 years; the other children were ages 2, 4, and 6 years. 

Information about this ship comes from Tyne Built Ships and the article below comes from the March 21, 1870, issue of Shields Daily Gazette. 

"LAUNCHES ON THE TYNE.—On Saturday, there
was launched from the shipbuilding yard of Messrs
Palmer and Co., at Jarrow, an iron screw-steamer,
287 feet in length.  The steamer, which is named
the Wisconsin, is built for the Guion line of
steamers between Liverpool and New York, and
measures 380 feet over all; 365 feet between per-
perpendiculars; 43 feet wide; 28 feet deep; with a
7 feet 6 inches spar deck.  She has saloons and
berths to accommodate about 100 first-class pas-
sengers, and on the main deck there is room for
about 1,500 emigrants, while a lower deck
is set apart for cargo.  The Wisconsin is built on the
flush-plate plan, which was first introduced in the
building of the Nevada and Idaho last year by
Messrs C. M. Palmer and Co., for the same
owners.  The engines, which are ready to be fit-
ted into the vessel, are compound engines, of 600
horse-power nominal, with a cylinder of 120 inches
in diameter and a smaller one."

This ship was obviously very large.  What must the children have thought when they first saw it towering over them, and when they first stepped onto the ship, probably tipping slightly side to side!?  What an adventure for those little ones.  And what a challenge for Elizabeth to travel as the only adult with four young children.  I think she must have been strong-willed, determined, and courageous.

I had questions about some of the information above and other details at the Tyne Built Ships website.  For example, 

• The ship was launched on March 19, 1870, but it wasn't completed until June, 1870.  I assumed that a ship was launched after it was completed.  Not so.  The launch is when a ship is first transferred to water.  After the launch there is some work yet to be is finished on the inside of the ship.
• The Wisconsin's physical measurements were 366' long by 43.2' wide by 26.6' deep.  So, longer than a football field; a little wider than a narrow city lot for a home or about one quarter the width of a football field; and about as deep as a 3-story building is high.  The children would probably have been acquainted with places and buildings of that size but perhaps not in the context of a ship.
  
• The GRT was 3220.  GRT, or gross register tonnage, is the internal volume of a ship.  One register ton equals a volume of 100 cubic feet.  If that volume were filled with fresh water, it would weigh about 2.83 tons. Which means that the internal volume of the S. S. Wisconsin was over 9100 tons!
  
• The NRT was 2060.  NRT, or net register tonnage, is a ship's cargo volume capacity, equal to nearly 6,000 tons.
  

Elizabeth and her children travelled in steerage class.  I didn't count the number of passengers on the voyage with her but there could have been up to 1595 other passengers.  What a mass of people in the space of half a football field. 

Considering that the S. S. Wisconsin was launched in March, 1870, was completed in June, 1870, Elizabeth and her children travelled in October, and that a voyage from Liverpool to New York City took 3 weeks (according to information with Elizabeth's passenger list at FamilySearch), the ship couldn't have taken too many round trips from Liverpool to New York City and back by the time Elizabeth and her family travelled on it.  It was a new ship, but it might also have been an unseasoned ship.

You can see Elizabeth's and her children's names on the passenger list here (with a free FamilySearch account).  Below is a section of the page with her and her children listed.  The headings on the columns are Number / Name / Age (years, months) / Sex / Occupation / Country to which they belong / Country to which they intend to become inhabitants / Died on the voyage / Part of the vessel occupied during the voyage

This is how Elizabeth and her family were recorded.
   38  Elizabeth Doyle, 28 years, female, wife, England, United States, [blank], Steerage
   39  Robert Doyle, 4 years, male, child, England, United States, [blank], Steerage
   40  William Doyle, 8 years, male, child, England, United States, [blank], Steerage
   41  Elizabeth, 6 years, female, child, England, United States, [blank], Steerage
   42  Martha Doyle, 2 years, female, child, England, United States, [blank] Steerage

I can't help but wonder what the weather was like on the voyage, whether friends travelled with them, whether Elizabeth or her children were seasick, and so much more.

You can learn more about the S.S. Wisconsin, as well as other ships, at Norway Heritage.

Do you, too, love learning about the ships on which your ancestors travelled?

-–Nancy.

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