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December 30, 2003

Almshouse Records New York City, 1819-1844

In the early 1800's port cities in the USA bore the burden of immigration. By the time they arrived, so many immigrants were tired, hungry and poor they ended up in the City Almshouse.

As far back as the colonial era, New York City assumed responsibility for its citizens who were destitute, sick, homeless, or otherwise unable to care for themselves. The city maintained an almshouse, various hospitals, and a workhouse on Blackwell's Island (now called Roosevelt Island) for the poor.

Part of the information taken Almshouse clerks was the place of birth of each person, the name of the ship they arrived on and where the ship sailed from. Using this online (free) database will allow you to find individuals from many countries and many states within USA.

I have just uploaded new records for NY City Almshouse for 1826 and 1827. This adds to the existing records on Olive Tree Genealogy for 1819, 1820, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1855,1856,1857 and 1858. When this project is finished the records will be complete from 1819-1844 and 1855-1858

1826 Almshouse Registers

There are 180 individuals listed in the 1826 Alms House Registers, along with the following ships they sailed on:

Albion, Ann, Ann Marie, Atlantic, Baltic, Barcelona, Bimmahome?, Boston, Bowditch, Camillons, Carolina Ann, Catherine, Chesapeake, Cincinnatus ,Combine ,Comhand?, Compeer, Constitution, Courier, Cuba, Danube, Diana, Dublin Packet, Edward Bonasse, General Putnam, Gulorace?Gulosase?, Henry, Hibernian, Howard, Hunter, Huskinson, Isaac[illegible], James Cegzar, John & Elizabeth, John & James, Lady Hunter, Laurel, Leonidas, Lord Strangford, Louisa, Maine, Margaret, Orizambo, Panther, Phoenix , Plutarch, Remittance, Reunion, Richmond, Sabina, Salidas , Silas Richmond, Splendid,Superior, Sylvester Haley, Thames, Thompson, Tontine, Two Mary's, United States, Virginia, William, Wilson, Zenophon

Of the 180 individuals listed, 125 were from Ireland.

1827 Almshouse Registers

There are 270 individuals listed with the following ship names in the 1827 Alms House Admission Records:

Albion, Alicia, Amelia, American, Ann Marie, Atlantic, Aurora, Baltic, Blakely, Borneo, Brighton, Brittania, Candis, Carleton, Carolina Ann, Clover, Compeer, Concordia, Constitution, Cortes, Courier, Curlew, Dalhousie Castle,Dancer, Danish Iris, Diana, Dublin Packet, Edward, Edward Bonasse, Eliza, Eliza Baker, Emulous, Fame, Fenwick, Francis Henrietta, Franklin, Ganges, Garland, Gen. Putnam, Gentile, George Clinton, Gridley , Hamilton, Hector, Henrietta, Henry Freeland? Kneeland?, Holbert, Hope & Easter, Hudson, Hunter, India, Ivory, James & Margaret, Java, Jno (John) & Elizabeth, John Adams, Jubilee, Lady Henrietta, Lady Hunter, Lady Wellington, Lark, Leeds, Liverpool,Lord Wellington, Louisa, Lydia, Main, Manchester, Margaret Boyle, Martha , Mary, Mary Howland, Meteor, Michaels, Nelson? Wilson?, New England, New Hampshire, New Orleans, Newry, Peru, Plutarch , Princess Charlotte, Robert Edwards, Robert Fulton, Roman, Sarah George, Silvanus Genkins, St Michael, St. Croix, St. Nichady, Thomas, Thomas & William, Thompson, Torn? Tom?, Traveler, Trident, Trio, Union, Venus, Virginia, Westmoreland, William, William & George, William Byrnes, William Dawson, Wilson, Wm. H. Pantheon

http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/ny_alms1827.shtml

Of the 270 individuals listed, 201 were from Ireland.

Places of birth for these years were "at sea", Canada,England, France, Germany, Glascow, Ireland, Liverpool, London, Long Island, Massachusetts, New York, Newry, Quebec, Sag Harbour, Scotland, St Johns NB, Switzerland, Virginia and Wales

Ports of departure were Belfast, Bremen ,Cork, Dublin,Dundee,Easport, Galway, Greenock, Halifax NS, Havre, Jamaica, Liverpool,London, Londonderry, Marseilles, New Castle, New Haven, Newry, Porto Cabello, Savannah, Sligo, Richmond, Rotterdam ,Sligo, Newfoundland, St. Johns N.B.