The Ship George Washington

The Good Ship George Washington

The George Washington was 1534 tons, 198' x 41' x 29', was built 1851 by John A. Taylor at Chelsea, Massachusetts. Square-rigged with 3 decks, square stern, and a billethead, she was owned by William Bramhall and others in the Boston area and sailed in the Williams & Guion Line, Train's Line, and Warren & Thayer's line of Liverpool and Boston Packets. On his return home to England, Charles Dickens preferred this sailing craft rather than undergo another experience on a British steamer. In 1867, the ship's registration was surrendered with no reason given.

British ports used in 1840 – 1900:

Liverpool, England 1840 – 1894, 1900
Glasgow, Scotland 1894 – 1900
Boston as a destination port: 1852, 1856–1861, 1864

The Voyage:

In 1857, the George Washington sailed under Captain Josiah S. Comings (or Cummings), bringing 827 Mormons from Liverpool to Boston in 23 days. [Ed. Note: The ship carrying the ill-fated Willie company the previous year took 42 days for the journey.] The saints left from the Waterloo dock, at Liverpool, England where all the American sailing packets were stationed.

During the period of highest immigration, the Mormon Church often chartered an entire ship. While it is not stated as such in my source, Ships, Saints and Mariners by Conway B. Sonne (University of Utah Press, 1987), this appears to have been the case here. [E-mail from Myrl Pardee - January 4, 1998]

	Ship name:	George Washington
	Port of Departure:	Liverpool, England
	Date of Departure:	25 (28?) March 1857
	L.D.S. Source:	These rosters are indexed in the European Emigration Card Index--025,691
	Company Leader:	J. Park
	Port of Arrival:	Boston, U.S.
	Date of Arrival:	20th April 1857
	U.S. Source:	These rosters are indexed in the Native Social History Index--419.943

At the time of the voyage, the Jarvis family consisted of:

	Name	Age
	George	34
	Ann	27
	George F.	10
	Ann Catherine	9
	Brigham	6
	Amelia	4
	Samuel	1

The George Washington’s passengers were approximately as follows:

	Adults	696
	Children	95
	Infants under 1 year	36
	Total	827

References:

A bibliography of the voyage “ Mormons on the high Seas” Film 1,592,752 Item 5. (General Washington.)

“Ship, Saints and Mariners”, 973 W2ss. (George Washington)

Uath Immigration Card Index 1847 – 1868, Film 298,441

European Emigration Card Index 1849 – 1925, Film 298,43

Bashore by Melvin Lee, 1946, Film 1,592,752 Item 5

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints European Mission, Films 025,690 – 025,695

Emigration Records from Liverpool Office of the British mission 1856 – 1860, Library #1046, Film 025-691, and Family History Department.

Patriarchal Blessings 1833 – 1963, Film 392,662

Reformatted by Mark Jarvis, June, 2007