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*Tracing Your Roots > South Asian > Migration Records
* Outgoing Passenger Lists 
 
The National Archives holds the outgoing passenger lists in record series (PRO) BT27 for the period 1890-1960. The lists are arranged under the names of the ports of departure and give:

  • Names of all passengers leaving the UK
  • Their last addresses in the UK
  • Port at which passengers have contracted to land
  • Profession/occupation
  • Age
Many Asian students, Ayahs (nannies), servants and nurses travelled back to South Asia after their time of service or education in Britain, and so would be worth looking for in these records.

According to National Archives document (PRO) MEPO2/1803, in 1921 the India Office requested and gave responsibility to the British and Foreign Sailors' Society to repatriate the Adenese and Indian seamen who were destitute. They were located in London, Cardiff, South Shields, Sunderland, Newport, Barry, Liverpool, Blyth, Middlesbrough, Glasgow, Wishaw and Motherwell and other places.

Most were British subjects and asked voluntarily to repatriate. On 21 October 1921 150 distressed coloured seamen from Plymouth left from Cardiff and Shields and repatriated to the East Indies and Aden on the SS Dryatalawa and also on the SS Rhinefels in the middle of December 1921. The relevant outgoing passenger list is in the National Archives series BT 27/956.


Creators: Abi Husainy

 
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