My Limerick born ancestor, Michael William SHANAHAN, traveled on the Ship "Rock Light" from Liverpool to New York City and I'm trying to ascertain if there were any folks on the ship that were known to him from his home town. Here's a newspaper account of some of the events that happened aboard the ship: " MARITIME INTELLIGENCE. Port of New York, September 29, 1856. C LEARED [snip!] ARRIVED. [snip!] Ship Rock Light, Drummond, Liverpool Aug 31, with mdse and 513 passengers to C Grinnell*; had two deaths on the passage. Sept 21, Lat 43, L on 47, exchanged signals with the ship Victoria Reed; Sept 19, on the banks of Newfoundland, George Clarkson, of New York, a seaman, fell from maintopgallant yard and was instantly killed. [snip!] Miscellaneous and Disasters. A Card. -- SHIP ROCK LIGHT, at SEA, Sept. 28, 1856. -- We the undersigned, passengers on board the ship Rock Light, from Liverpool, about to leave the vessel which has safely brought us, we trust, to our future happy homes, cannot part without making this small manifestation of our grateful feelings to our worthy captain E. B. Drummond, and his excellent and efficient first officer, Mr. Alexander J. Day, a truly "noble tar," may he live a thousand years and his memory never grow less in our recollection, and to the other officers of the ship generally, for their humane and kind treatment to us all during our voyage from Liverpool, and for the cleanliness of our noble ship. Long may they all live and all their efforts to please the emigrating public be crowned with that success they so justly merit. Respectfully, William H. JONES, Job JAMESON, John POWELL, John Thomas WELLS, Hugh MOORE, David ROSE, O. J. GILL, Wm. EDGAR, John EDGAR, David KELLEY, Lavis NICHOLS, Thomas VINCHY, Thomas FENETHESTON, on behalf of the passengers. [snip!] SHIP LIGHT ROCK -- Mr. Benj B Chase, of the pilot boat Geo Steers, requests us to state that the ship Rock Light refused a pilot from that boat on the 26th inst, in Lat 40 28, Lon 69. " * *that would be Grinnell's line of "Swallow Tail" packet ships All 13 of those passengers who wrote that card of thanks to Captain Ezekial Drummond were Irish born. I'm slowly working my way around trying to gather info on what happened to them when they landed in NYC and where they were from in Ireland. The two passengers who died aboard the ship (from the manifest records) are (1) John KIRBY age 54 born c 1802 Ireland - died at sea 24 Sep 1856. (2) George BLACKBURNE , born c 1856 Ireland - died at sea 23 Sep 1856, George was the infant son of Fanny BLACKBURNE (born c 1832 Ireland) . John KIRBY was traveling with his family: (all of them born Ireland) Wife: Margaret Kirby born c1802 Children: Thomas Kirby born c 1834-36 Elizabeth Kirby born c 1834 John Kirby born c 1836-42 Miner Kirby or Michael Kirby born c 1841-43 Hannah Kirby born c 1843 Looking at IFHF records it appears that the kids may have been baptized in St. Michael's RC Parish in the city of Limerick and that John Kirby and Margaret may have marred in 1833 in Ballybricken & Bohermore RC parish? If anyone on the list has KIRBY family from the city or that parish (or is working on any of the other surnames of the various passengers mentioned here) can enlighten me on this particular KIRBY family I'd be grateful as I'm having trouble locating the widow Margaret and her kids in any of the USA census records. Also was wondering if anyone can assist me in determining the actual date the ship Rock Light LEFT Liverpool? The newspaper article mentions the ship being at Liverpool on 31 Aug 1856... but it didn't arrive in New York City until 30 Sep 1856. Seems to me that if it left on the 31 of Aug that it would have arrived way before 30 Sep 1856! Did it really take a whole month for a steam ship to cross the Atlantic? Or does that date indicate that it was just sitting in Liverpool on 31 Aug 1856 taking on cargo and provisions? If anyone has a subscription to English newspapers that might be able to check the Maritime reports for Aug and Sep of 1856 for this ship to look up the actual date the Rock Light departed Liverpool, I'd be very grateful. Thanks! Kathy