We've recently discussed ships and how hard it is to find when or where your ancestors landed. The following info came from Ancestry.com and I thought I'd pass it on to the list in case it might help someone's research. Glenda Searching for ancestors on ship's passenger lists can either be the most frustrating experience imaginable or the most rewarding. The vast majority of my ancestors arrived in North America between the mid-1600s and the end of the 1700s. The more distant your ancestors' arrival dates are, the more difficult it will be to locate the records. That doesn't mean they no longer exist, but you should not jump to conclusions about what you may and may not find in the way of information in ships' passenger lists and manifests. In this week's "Along Those Lines . . ." let's examine some reasons why you might or might not find records of your ancestors' transport to North America, and an example of why you should never overlook a resource. WHERE ARE THE RECORDS? Record keeping in the shipping industry has been common since ancient times. Cargo manifests were important documents for determining what was scheduled to be transported, what was actually laded, what was actually transported, and what was actually delivered. Sometimes a shipment didn't arrive in time to make the voyage, and sometimes it didn't survive the trip. As passenger travel became a more lucrative business, fares for passage were booked and people were scheduled to make the voyage. Passenger lists or manifests were prepared by the shipping company (or ship's owner). People were checked off as they boarded the ship and the "no-shows" were crossed off. During the voyage, if a passenger died or if another passenger gave birth, the ship's captain, purser or other clerical person noted the fact on the manifest. At the destination, passengers were checked off as they disembarked. Crew members were not always listed on the passenger manifests, especially in earlier years, because it was assumed they were employees of the shipping company engaged for the round trip. In the earliest times, let's say prior to 1820, passenger lists may have ended up anywhere. They may have been maintained by a shipping agent, a court, a governor, or some other person or agency. By the same token, these manifests may be found in museums, archives, courthouses, or in private hands. Worse, they may have been lost or destroyed. It therefore sometimes makes sense to look at the originating end of the voyage for a record of the manifest created and maintained by the shipping company. The Spanish National Archives (http://www.iue.it/LIB/SISSCO/VL/hist-spain/archives.html) and the Portuguese National Archives (Web site currently inactive), for example, are repositories of massive collections of ships' manifests and passenger lists going back a number of centuries. Other countries' national archives may be able to assist you in locating original documents as well. In later times, particularly after 1820, passenger lists may be in existence at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). They may well have been microfilmed by NARA and you may order copies from them. Two of the very best printed references available to help you in your search are John Philip Colletta's excellent book, "They Came in Ships," and William Filby and Paula K. Byers' "Passenger and Immigration Lists Index" and annual supplements. In addition, you can learn much from the NARA Web site at http://www.nara.gov/publications/microfilm/immigrant/immpass.html and you can also refer to the ongoing work in progress at the Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild's site at RootsWeb (http://istg.rootsweb.com).