An earlier message mentioned "two Callahan microfilms" that had passenger
lists from ships arriving in Boston found by a Washington, DC researcher. I
think these are probably microfilms called Index to Passenger Lists of
Vessels Arriving at Boston 1848-1891 which are at the National Archives.
This alphabetical microfilmed card index is on 282 rolls of microfilm. The
actual passenger lists are on 115 rolls of microfilm called Passenger Lists
of Vessels Arriving at Boston, Massachusetts 1820-1891. The discrepancy in
dates is because Massachusetts required the index to be made as of 1848. You
can see the microfilms at the Archives in Washington or their eight regional
offices (
www.nara.gov). I think you can also get them at your Family History
Center (
www.familysearch.com). Unfortunately, the Boston index is the most
inaccurate I've used. When I've gone from the index to the ship record I've
found the names are wrong, ship is wrong, date is wrong, etc. In addition,
there were so many Irish leaving during the potato famine that there are many
people with the same name. However, it is a place to start. Robin in
Maryland