Voyages from the Past

A History of Passengers at Sea

Simon Wills

• Publisher: Pen & Sword History
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781783036363
• eBook ISBN:
  9781473842731
• Topic: Tecnología e ingeniería
• Subtopic: Historia militar y marítima

From the days of sail to the majestic ocean liners of the twentieth century, this is a history of British sea travel from a passenger's point of view.

Each chapter narrates one traveller's voyage based on their first-hand description, and the day-to-day details of their experience. Their stories, some previously unpublished, illustrate the evolution of journeys by sea, exploring three and a half centuries of maritime travel. Simon Wills transports readers from Elizabethan times to the eve of the Second World War, on voyages to destinations all over the world.

The passengers featured in this book came from all walks of life, and travelled for many different reasons. There were emigrants seeking a new life abroad, such as the pilgrims on the Mayflower, and others hoping to be reunited with their families like Phoebe Amory on the ill-fated Lusitania in 1915. The author Henry Fielding travelled to improve his health, whilst the wealthy George Moore crossed the Atlantic on Brunel's Great Western to do business.

Yet, whether travelling in steerage or first class, every passenger could experience trials and tribulations at sea – from delayed sailing schedules and poor diet, to the greater hazards of disease, enemy action, and shipwreck.

This engaging collection of stories illustrates the excitements, frustrations, and dangers of sea travel for our forebears. Family historians will perhaps identify with a voyage taken by an ancestor, while those with an interest in maritime or social history can explore how passenger pursuits, facilities, and experiences at sea have developed over time.

Table of contents

• Coverpage
• Dedication
• Titlepage
• Copyright
• Content
• Preface
• Chapter 1 A Queen’s Gift for the Sultan
• Chapter 2 Early Emigrants to America
• Chapter 3 Voyage to India
• Chapter 4 Health Trip to Europe
• Chapter 5 Visiting the Caribbean
• Chapter 6 Trading Interests in South America
• Chapter 7 Early Steamship Across the Atlantic
• Chapter 8 Death and Disease Under Sail
• Chapter 9 Christian Missionary to Africa
• Chapter 10 A Tragic Storm in the Bay of Biscay
• Chapter 11 Emigration to New Zealand by Clipper
• Chapter 12 Steamship to Australia with P&O
• Chapter 13 A Steerage Passenger to New York
• Chapter 14 An Infamous Casualty of War
• Chapter 15 World Cruise in Luxury
• Chapter 16 Honeymooners in the Great Depression
• Chapter 17 Taking an African Holiday
• Bibliography
• Lifeboatmen