Ship Passenger Lists and Immigration Lists
Before 1820, the arrival of immigrants was not documented. Very few
authentic records of passenger arrivals in Virginia exist. The list of headrights
mentioned above constitutes a record of immigrants but does not give the
date or place of origin or arrival or the name of the ship. Not all
headrights were immigrants, and some arrived long before the patentee entered the
claim for the land.
Coldham, Peter. The Complete Book of Emigrants. 4 vols. (Ref. E 187.5 C7).
These four volumes covering 1607–1776 contain virtually every reference to
English emigrants of the colonial period that can be found in England.
They identify only 100,000 emigrants, a small fraction of the total number.
Coldham, Peter. The Complete Book of Emigrants in Bondage, 1614–1775 (Ref.
E 187.5 C6 1988). Lists names of approximately 50,000 Englishmen who were
sentenced by legal process to be transported to the American colonies
between 1614 and 1775.
Coldham, Peter. More Emigrants in Bondage, 1614–1775 (Ref. E 187.5 C61
2002). Lists 9,000 additions and amendments to the earlier work, compiling
names of Englishmen sentenced to be transported to the American colonies.