Thread: german ships - passenger lists- lists for early 1800's

I need to try to find an acccess point for passenger listings for ships leaving Germany in the early 1800's. I have really been struggling with my Kavanagh ancestors. The family story is that they got into trouble in Ireland and snuck out of the country and went to Germany. The family lived in Germany for several years and then some of the family members moved to the U.S. in the early 1800's. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Hi Jjulie and welcome to the forum.

Do you have any Kavanagh christian names and approximate dates?

The Kavanagh's that I am looking for left Germany for the U.S. between 1795-1800. I do not have the first names or even info on how many family members. One of the problems is that they got into trouble with the law when they left Ireland. The family story is that they did something wrong and the whole family snuck out of the country because they had to. They didn't use the family name again until they made it into Germany. They lived in Germany for a few years and then came to the U.S. I don't even know for sure if they used their real name when they took the ship into the U.S. or if they used a fake name again. I know that they settled in TN and started farming and ranching (which is what the family had always done). I am hoping that if I can find passenger lists for German ships bound for the U.S. during that short 5 year period, that it will help me narrow down the first names. Any help or advice would be appreciated because this family has been difficult from the start. I had an easier time with my native american ancestors research than I have had with this family.

If it helps, this is what I know of my Kavanagh's. My GG Grandfather was William Francis Caldwell, Born1852 in Tenn. His parents were William Caldwell and Margaret McMurtrie. It is Margaret McMurtrie Born in 1830. Her parents were James McMurtrie Born 1809 in Ireland and Kavanagh (both families originally from Ireland). But my Kavanagh's went to Germany before they came to the U.S.

Thank you Jjulie.

Although that well known subscription site A******* has details of a number of Kavanaghs arriving in the US in the early 19th c., it does not give details of their origins or port of departure.

The work below however is quoted as a source, and it seems further details are contained in it. Could be worth seeing if a copy is available at a library.

British Aliens in the United States during the War of 1812. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co (1979) Author Kenneth Scott.