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1892

The Dominion Ocean liner log books show the family of Thomas and Maria Pott with their ten children listed as “steerage additional” passengers, departing Liverpool, England on a ship by the name of S.S. Oregon. The duration of the voyage was to be 34 days for the ship to travel to Canada and back to Liverpool. They departed Liverpool Thursday Feb. 4^th 1892 with a destination to arrive in Portland Maine, USA. The ship arrived in Halifax on Sunday the 14^th 1892 which began the journey for the family to Manitoba.

S.S. Oregon, Dominion Line 1890, Liverpool Harbor

On page 3 of the manifest they are listed with their destination as Dominion City, Manitoba and beside that it is marked CPR indicating that they would have traveled to Winnipeg and then on to Dominion City via CPR rail lines. CPR kept no records of passenger travel. Upon their arrival in Winnipeg on March 10^th 1892, Maria had to stay in Winnipeg because the children had measles. Thomas went by train onto Dominion City where he was met by his brother Frank who had come to homestead a few years earlier. When the children were better, Maria and the family joined her husband at Plankey Plains (now known as Roseau River) on the homestead on SW 2-35-5E1 in the Municipality of Franklin.  Part of that homestead is now known as Roseau River Community Park. Three more children were born to Thomas and Maria here in Canada. 

According to the log books there were a total of 73 steerage passengers of which there was only 1 married couple so that would have been Thomas and Maria. This would have meant that their family had to share a common space with 61 other passengers.              

The family was listed as “Steerage additional” which would indicate that they paid the lowest fare price to board the ship. The accommodations are not know exactly but from research of typical vessels for that time period, the family would have been given a bunk to sleep in and the bare necessities for hygiene and food. This would explain the reason for the children having been exposed to measles.

1892 ocean liner log books show a departure leaving Liverpool, England to arrive in Portland Maine, USA.

Last name	First name	Year of birth		Departure		Destination country	Destination port
			Sex	year	port
POTT	Thomas	1854	M	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	Maria	1854	F	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	Elizabeth	1875	F	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	Alice	1878	F	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	Mary	1879	F	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	John	1881	M	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	Thomas	1882	M	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	Jane	1885	F	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	Frank	1886	M	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	George	1888	M	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	Sarah	1889	F	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland
POTT	Edmond	1890	M	1892	Liverpool	USA	Portland

The following link will take you to the Collections Canada site that carries the passengers’ lists for immigrants coming to Canada.

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/passenger/001045-119.02-e.php?sisn_id_nbr=8119&page_sequence_nbr=1&interval=20&page_id_nbr=102477&&&&&PHPSESSID=4ueru7915lntcri1bnmsn3bgs7