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Archiver > NYC-ROOTS > 2000-09 > 0967821941


From: "Barbara Nevens" <>
Subject: RE: [NYC] Soundex Index To Passenger Lists
Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 08:25:41 -0700
In-Reply-To: <005901c01406$ecbc5a20$d6124f0c@newmicronpc>


Dear Nancy,

Thank you for the pointers. I should have mentioned that I had tried K423 in addition to C423. The family came from
Kovno, Russia (according to census reports). I hadn't thought about variations based on one's mother tongue until you
pointed it out. I'll go back and look for some alternative Soundex codes such as C/K 420, C/K 432, etc. The more I
think about it, the more strongly I suspect that a significant name change took place shortly after their arrival. My
gg-grandparents show up as CLUSTER in the 1900 U.S. Census and, according to it, my gg-grandfather arrived in the U.S.
in 1888. Too bad the 1890 Census was destroyed in a fire; it would have been interesting to see if they were on it.
You have certainly given me another approach to searching for them. Again, thank you.

Best regards,

Barbara Nevens
Los Angeles, CA

-----Original Message-----
From: NColeman [mailto:]
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2000 4:13 AM
To: Barbara Nevens;
Subject: Re: [NYC] Soundex Index To Passenger Lists


Dear Barbara:
Here's a VERY good example of a name that you should prepare
to look for alternatives for right from the start. CLUSTER,
which normally would be C423, could have originally been
spelled with a "K," so I would at the very first, try that,
K423. Particularly if they were from Germany or
Northern/Eastern Europe. The given name "Carl" for instance
is, usually, originally spelled with the letter "K." The
"C" is sometimes the Americanized alpha for any name that
originally began with "K." It goes for surnames as well. I
had a client whose family name was Kalischer. I found the
family under Calisher on many occasions in American records.
So, you have to check both.

Second, say the name with a thick accent. You didn't say
what nationality this family was, but if you know, imagine
the person saying their own name. Could they have
pronounced it "Clusser?," which would be C or K 420. Or
"Custer?," which would be C or K 230. Or "Cusser?", C or K
260. This is where you may have to get creative! But,
given that the volume of arrivals for Baltimore is far less
than those of NY, this is not an all consuming task. It
should go relatively quickly.

I would definitely go back and check the Baltimore arrivals
again before moving on to anywhere else. New York records
will not be indexed for that period anyway. But, you do
have some alternatives. If not found in Baltimore records,
check Philadelphia. Also, if they were from the area I
mentioned before, check the "Germans to America" series. If
found in this series, it will tell you what ship they were
on and what port they arrived at.

These would be my top choices for a continued search.

Best regards. Nancy.
NColeman

NYC/Long Island Family History Research Services:
http://www.genealogyPro.com/ncoleman.html
County Coordinator for the Nassau GenExchange:
http://www.genexchange.org/county.cfm?state=ny&county=nassau
Irish Family History Forum - VP Membership
http://www.ifhf.org email:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barbara Nevens" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 7:58 PM
Subject: RE: [NYC] Soundex Index To Passenger Lists


> I realize that my question may be posted on the wrong
list, but Nancy did such a good job of explaining the
variables
> in names on passenger lists that I think that she or
someone else may be able to help me.
>
> Apropos of alternate names, I'm really stumped. According
to various census reports, my g-g-grandfather immigrated to
> U.S. in 1894 and his son in 1888. The family settled in
Baltimore; my gg-grandfather shows up on the 1900 Census in
> Baltimore with wife and some of the kids. My
g-grandfather was the eldest and emigrated from Russia as an
adult (and
> married). The family name was CLUSTER. I am not finding
them on the appropriate Soundex for passenger arrivals in
> Baltimore so all I can think of is that either their point
of debarkation wasn't Baltimore or they changed their
> surname to the point that I'm not using the correct
Soundex code. Anyone have any ideas as to what a
predecessor name
> to CLUSTER might have been?
>
> I have my g-grandfather's Certificate of Naturalization
but neither the Declaration nor the Petition. If I can
figure
> out which court (illegible on the certificate) I'll send
for those. In the meantime, I'm still hoping to find them
on
> an arrival list. Is New York a reasonable alternative to
Baltimore for search purposes, or is there no particular
> connection between where a person debarked and where
he/she settled?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Barbara
>

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