In checking the passenger and crew that were on the Quaker City, there seem to be some obvious lists to check. For passengers, there are three published lists I’m aware of:
NY Times, June 9, 1867
- This list has at least 10 names of people that were not on the ship, such as Maggie Mitchell and her mother.
The Bermuda List, Mid November, 1867
- This would seem to be the most accurate list, being printed at the end of the journey by the passengers. Is there more known about the how and why this list was created?
NY Herald, November 20, 1867
- This was printed in the paper right before the letter written by Twain about the journey which was repurposed in Ch. 61 of IA. It only includes those who returned on the ship to NY, and leaves out those who departed earlier.
There are obviously also many references to passengers in the many journals and letters written during the trip, including some partial lists like the signatories of the letter to Daniel Leary thanking him for arranging the meeting with the Russian Emperor which includes 28 names.
Are there other full passenger lists besides these?
For the crew, there is a list of 5 crew members in the NY Daily Tribune published on June 8, 1867, but at least two of the names are incorrect (I’m not clear if they are mistakes or bad typos). That article lists:
Duncan, Charles C. Captain
*Bussby, Capt. John Sailing-Master and Executive Officer
Jones, William Second Officer (Chief Mate in Chapter 3)
Burdick, Benjamin F. Third Officer
*Hums, John Chief Engineer
Duncan and Jones are mentioned in the book. Ira Bursley is listed as the Sailing Master/XO in both the book and in Duncan’s journal. Robert Vail is mentioned as the purser by both Fairbanks and Severance.
In the MTJ article on William E. James’s Stereoscopic Views, it lists the crew without known photos as:
Ira Bursley
William Jones
Benjamin Burdick
Robert Vail
William Pratt
Ganzel mentions Pratt is named in an unidentified newspaper clipping in MTP, but doesn’t explain where he is identified as the Quartermaster of the ship. Elsewhere I’ve seen John Harris listed as the Chief Engineer, although I’m not sure where he is identified.
That would see to make the list of known crew as:
Duncan, Charles Captain
Bursley, Ira Sailing Master/XO
Jones, William Second Officer/Chief Mate
Burdick, Benjamin Third Officer/Steward
Harris, John Chief Engineer
Pratt, William Quartermaster
Vail, Robert Purser
I’m guessing there are many references to the crew in the MTP where they are identified? Does my final list include all the known crew? If not, what are sources for identifying more? Is there a record of those crew members that Moses Beach helped after the crew wasn’t paid? Is the name of the crew member that died known?
Thanks,
Philip Trauring
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