The Centurian 1850

The Centurian Immigrant Ship

A copy of the Centurian Immigration Ship records show the delivery of Terence Greenan, along with Catherine Smyth's children (John {Irish John}, Owen and Bridget).

Small 1850 Manifest - enlarges picture on the right.

Large 1850 Manifest - shows all 290 passengers

So lets learn a little about the Centurian.

Brig (Norw: Brigg)

The brig was usually a much smaller vessel than the bark and ship rigged vessels. The brig is a vessel with two masts (fore and main), both of which are square rigged. The foremast is made in three spars and square-rigged. On the mainmast there is a standing gaff to which is rigged a small fore-and-aft sai

While we don't have an actual picture of the Centurian, we know a few things about her. First of all, she was not a large ship. Records show that she was a brig or brigg, which is typically a two-masted vessel, much like the one pictured on your right.

Other records also note that the Centurian was relatively small in size. For example in 1851, a New York manifest indicates that the Centurian had a burden of 740 tons (cargo carrying capacity). Remember this number because we'll be coming back to it shortly.

The Centurian brought many Irish immigrants to New York City, including immigrants from the Netherlands. It is surprising (even today) that such a small vessel was able to carry 290 passengers at one time, among them four of our family members.

The Centurian was among a number of ships which the William Tapscott Company sold prepaid passages to established immigrants who now wished to bring over loved ones. Unfortunately "they fleeced the unsuspecting in the grand fashion of laissez-faire businessmen."

The Tapscott's were "systematic villains, whose frauds began with their advertisements. For example, they flagrantly exaggerated the tonnage of the Centurian in August 1849 to be 2000 tons. It is likely that our ancestor, Catherine Smyth, believed she was paying pre-paid fares for her children to sail on a larger more stable sea-faring ship...and must have been surprised to see them embark from the small brigg, Centurian.

How Bad were the Tapscott's? This Irish poem says it all....

TAPSCOTT (We're all Bound to Go)

As I walked out one morning, all down by the Clarence Dock,
Heave away, aye, me Johnnies! Heave away!
'Twas there I spied an Irish girl conversing with Tapscott.
And away my Johnny boys! We're all bound to go!

"Good morning, Mr. Tapscott." "Good morning, me dear," says he.
Heave away, aye, me Johnnies! Heave away!
"Oh do you have a packet ship to bear me over the seas?"
And away my Johnny boys! We're all bound to go!

"Oh, yes, I have a packet ship. She's a packet of note and fame.
She's lying at the Waterloo Dock and the Henry Clay's her name."

"Bad luck unto the Henry Clay and the day that she set sail.
For them sailors got drunk and broke into me bunk and they stole me clothes away."

"'Twas at the Castle Garden they landed me on the shore
And if I marry a Yankee boy I'll sail them seas no more."