Embarking in Southampton - Migration Institute of Finland · Embarking in Southampton “The city...

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Embarking in Southampton “The city gave altogether a better im- pression than the larger Hull. The sea air blowing from the English Channel keeps the city fresh, the streets and buildings are comparably cleaner, the crowd on the streets less hazardous. - - - As everywhere else, the Jewish sales- men and bankers are a nuisance in Southampton. The shops of these off- spring of Abraham fill the streets near the emigrant hotels, and the owners nearly force the emigrants inside to change money and to buy all kinds of junk. The salesmen make quite sure they don’t lose a profit, and their suc- cess can be seen on board the ocean steamers, where the young Finnish la- dies, among others, have managed to exchange their modest scarves for the most glaring, scarecrow-looking hats.” Newspaper Karjala August 18, 1909 Approximately as many Finnish emigrants departed from Southampton as from Liver- pool. Trans-Atlantic service from Southamp- ton started in 1893 with the American Line. In 1907, the White Star Line moved to South- ampton. The port’s importance increased even more in 1919 when the Cunard Line moved its operations from Liverpool to Southampton. Emigrants Home Before 1894, Southampton did not have enough hotels for all the emigrants, and many had to stay overnight in London. In 1894, Emigrants Home opened on Albert Road, and it was officially opened by the may- or in 1895. The Emigrant Home had a kitch- en, pantry, washrooms, drying and ironing rooms, and three floors of sleeping quarters for a total of 400 people. Between 1908 and 1916, the establishment was called the At- lantic Hotel. Many of the Titanic’s steerage passengers stayed here before their fateful voyage. Even the hotel owner’s wife and sis- ter were on Titanic: both were lucky enough to survive. The Unknown Child A fair-haired baby boy was pulled from the ocean by the recovery ship CS Mackay-Ben- nett a week after the accident, and the boy was buried, along with the others, in Fair- view Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Before 2002, he was known simply as "The Un- known Child". Initially, he was believed to be a two-year-old Swedish boy, Gösta Pålsson; or a two-year-old Irish boy, Eugene Rice. In 2002, the body was identified as Eino Viljami Panula, a 13-month-old Finnish baby, based on DNA testing of three teeth and a small, weathered bone. However, with the im- proved DNA testing available in 2007, Cana- dian researchers made a new test, and it did not match the Panula family. DNA extracted from the exhumed remains and DNA provid- ed by a surviving maternal relative helped positively match the remains to a 19-month- old English boy, Sidney Leslie Goodwin. The Finns on the Titanic When the White Star Steamer Titanic set out from Southampton on her maiden voyage on the 10th of April 1912, she was carrying a to- tal of 2,227 people from more than 25 coun- tries. At least 63 of them were from Finland, and only twenty of them would ever reach America. The rest of them met an untimely death when the Titanic sank in the North At- lantic on April 15th. Entire families of Finns were travelling together, like Maria Panula and her five children and Helena Rosblom and her two children. Eight of the Finns were second-class passengers; the rest travelled in steerage. During the First World War, Ameri- can soldiers had their camp next to the London–Southampton rail- way line, around 6.5 km northeast of Southampton. After the war, the ocean liners, White Star Line, Cu- nard and CPR established a tran- sit camp on this site for the trans- migrants travelling to America. In 1921, the hangars were convert- ed into dormitories, kitchens and dining rooms. Due to the US im- migration laws passed a few year later, many emigrants were stuck in Southampton for a long while. Atlantic Park had a school, a li- brary and a synagogue and the res- idents formed their own football teams. The use of the hostel was at its height in 1928, when 20,000 passengers passed through it, but after that the numbers began to drop until the hostel was finally closed in 1931. Atlantic Park Hostel Company Institute of Migration - Sirkku Wilkman 2008 Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage Institute of Migration Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage 1900 Map Collection, discusmedia.com Library of Congress, Digital Collections Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage Cornish Hotel Emigrants Home ”The Ditches” (emigrants areas) Titanic sailed from here Alliance Hotel Atlantic Park and Hotel, 4 miles north-east of S. (now airport) Railway Station

Transcript of Embarking in Southampton - Migration Institute of Finland · Embarking in Southampton “The city...

Page 1: Embarking in Southampton - Migration Institute of Finland · Embarking in Southampton “The city gave altogether a better im- ... When the White Star Steamer Titanic set out from

Embarking in Southampton

“The city gave altogether a better im-pression than the larger Hull. The sea air blowing from the English Channel keeps the city fresh, the streets and buildings are comparably cleaner, the crowd on the streets less hazardous. - - - As everywhere else, the Jewish sales-men and bankers are a nuisance in Southampton. The shops of these off-spring of Abraham fill the streets near the emigrant hotels, and the owners nearly force the emigrants inside to change money and to buy all kinds of junk. The salesmen make quite sure they don’t lose a profit, and their suc-cess can be seen on board the ocean steamers, where the young Finnish la-dies, among others, have managed to exchange their modest scarves for the most glaring, scarecrow-looking hats.” – Newspaper Karjala August 18, 1909

Approximately as many Finnish emigrants departed from Southampton as from Liver-pool. Trans-Atlantic service from Southamp-ton started in 1893 with the American Line. In 1907, the White Star Line moved to South-ampton. The port’s importance increased even more in 1919 when the Cunard Line moved its operations from Liverpool to Southampton.

� Emigrants HomeBefore 1894, Southampton did not have enough hotels for all the emigrants, and many had to stay overnight in London. In 1894, Emigrants Home opened on Albert Road, and it was officially opened by the may-or in 1895. The Emigrant Home had a kitch-en, pantry, washrooms, drying and ironing rooms, and three floors of sleeping quarters for a total of 400 people. Between 1908 and 1916, the establishment was called the At-lantic Hotel. Many of the Titanic’s steerage passengers stayed here before their fateful voyage. Even the hotel owner’s wife and sis-ter were on Titanic: both were lucky enough to survive.

� The Unknown ChildA fair-haired baby boy was pulled from the ocean by the recovery ship CS Mackay-Ben-nett a week after the accident, and the boy was buried, along with the others, in Fair-view Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Before 2002, he was known simply as "The Un-known Child". Initially, he was believed to be a two-year-old Swedish boy, Gösta Pålsson; or a two-year-old Irish boy, Eugene Rice. In 2002, the body was identified as Eino Viljami Panula, a 13-month-old Finnish baby, based on DNA testing of three teeth and a small, weathered bone. However, with the im-proved DNA testing available in 2007, Cana-dian researchers made a new test, and it did not match the Panula family. DNA extracted from the exhumed remains and DNA provid-ed by a surviving maternal relative helped positively match the remains to a 19-month-old English boy, Sidney Leslie Goodwin.

� The Finns on the TitanicWhen the White Star Steamer Titanic set out from Southampton on her maiden voyage on the 10th of April 1912, she was carrying a to-tal of 2,227 people from more than 25 coun-tries. At least 63 of them were from Finland, and only twenty of them would ever reach America. The rest of them met an untimely death when the Titanic sank in the North At-lantic on April 15th. Entire families of Finns were travelling together, like Maria Panula and her five children and Helena Rosblom and her two children. Eight of the Finns were second-class passengers; the rest travelled in steerage.

During the First World War, Ameri-can soldiers had their camp next to the London–Southampton rail -way line, around 6.5 km northeast of Southampton. After the war, the ocean liners, White Star Line, Cu-nard and CPR established a tran-sit camp on this site for the trans-migrants travelling to America. In 1921, the hangars were convert-ed into dormitories, kitchens and dining rooms. Due to the US im-

migration laws passed a few year later, many emigrants were stuck in Southampton for a long while.

Atlantic Park had a school, a li-brary and a synagogue and the res-i dents formed their own football teams. The use of the hostel was at its height in 1928, when 20,000 passengers passed through it, but after that the numbers began to drop until the hostel was finally closed in 1931.

� Atlantic Park Hostel Company

Institute of Migration - Sirkku Wilkman 2008

Southampton City Council Arts & HeritageSouthampton City Council Arts & Heritage

Southampton City Council Arts & HeritageSouthampton City Council Arts & Heritage

Institute of Migration

Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage

1900 Map Collection, discusmedia.com

Library of Congress, Digital Collections

Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage Southampton City Council Arts & Heritage

Cornish Hotel

Emigrants Home

”The Ditches” (emigrants areas)

Titanic sailed from here

Alliance Hotel

Atlantic Park and Hotel, 4 miles north-east of S. (now airport)

Railway Station