Andy, My bad, a slip of the tongue!! The ship Rock Light was indeed a 2,000 ton sailing ship built in Bath, Maine, NOT a STEAMship. The term packet-ship simply meant that they departed on a regular schedule and they often carried the mail. (Grinnell's Swallowtail line started out in early days leaving on a monthly basis from England to the USA but at this particular period, their ships were leaving on a weekly basis from Liverpool). The sail-packets were were eventually replaced by steamships, and the phrase "steam packet" became common in the mid-1800s (guess this is why I slipped up - too much reading fine newsprint late at night-lol!) Still, it seems to me a little much that a crossing took an entire month, particularly as I know that some of Grinnell's ships (for ex. the "Patrick Henry" made the east bound passage from Liverpool to New York often in 14 days or less). Just trying to get a feel for what it was like for my ancestor on his particular trip; find it odd that the passengers wrote that rather "glowing" card of thanks about a voyage where 3 people died - not sure I'd have thought a voyage where you lost three people was all that terrific! Kathy A few of the Surnames of Irish born immgrants on the Sep 1856 voyage of the ship "Rock Light" from Liverpool to New York City: JONES, JAMESON, POWELL, WELLS, MOORE, ROSE, GILL, EDGAR, KELLEY, NICHOLS, VINCHY, FENETHESTON, KIRBY, SHANAHAN, BLACKBURNE. ====================== Kathy: What makes you think the "Rock Light" was a steamship? In 1856??? A seaman even fell from the maintopgallant yard. Isn't that a yard-arm for a sail? Andy,