The Solem, Swiggum & Austheim emigration ship index

Commercial lasts - Burden - Tonnage
Bark
Ship
Brig
Schooner
Between Deck - Steerage

Burden - Commercial lasts - Tonnage

"Kommerselester" or "Commercial lasts", is a measurement for the inside volume of the ship. It was recognized as the ships burthen or burden. 1 Norwegian Commercial last = 2,08 register ton = 165 Cu ft of cut board or I30 cu,ft of round timber.

There were restrictions on how many passengers a ship could carry. This is what the US Passenger Act of 1819 says about this.

SEC.1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled. That if the master or other person on board of any ship or vessel, owned in the whole or in part by a citizens of the United States, or the territories thereof, or by a subject or subjects, citizen or citizens, of any foreign country, shall, after the first day of January next, take on board of such ship or vessel, at any foreign port or place, or shall bring or convey into the United States, or the territories thereof, from any foreign port or place; or shall carry, convey, or transport, from the United [States] or the territories thereof, to any foreign port or place, a greater number of passengers than two for every five tons of such ship or vessel, according to custom house measurement, every such master, or other person so offending, and the owner or owners of such ship or vessels, shall severally forfeit and pay to the United States, the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, for each and every passenger so taken on board of such ship or vessel over and above the aforesaid number of two to every five tons of such ship or vessel; to be recovered by suit, in any circuit or district court of the United States, where the said vessel may arrive, or where the owner or owners aforesaid may reside: Provided, nevertheless, That nothing in this act shall be taken to apply to the complement of men usually and ordinarily employed in navigating such ship or vessel.

And from the British Passenger Act of 1828

...That no Ship shall sail from any Port or Place in the United Kingdom, or in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, or Sark, or in the Isle of Man, on any Voyage to or for any Port or Place in His Majesty's Possession on the Continent or Islands of North America, with more Persons on board than the Proportion of Three Persons for every Four Tons of the Registered Burthen of such Ship....

And here from the Norwegian passenger act of May 23rd, 1863. - Transportation of passengers to foreign parts of the world:

§1
No vessel, that is intended to transport passengers from a Norwegian port, to countries outside Europe, must carry more than one adult passenger, hereunder master crew and cabin passengers included, for each Commercial last of burden,

§2
The available space for each adult passenger must not be less than 12 ft² on the upper between deck, and on the lover between deck not less than 30 ft². If the ship is carrying other cargo in addition to the passengers...

Dimensions like length, beam and depth for ships are most often given in feet.

Ship types - rigging of sailing vessels:

This introduction does not include steamships (S/S). Note: the abbreviation S/S for steamship in English, is often used for sailing-ship (Seilskib or Seilskib) in Norway. The Norwegian abbreviation for steamship is D/S (Dampskib)

Bark - Barque (Norw: Bark)

This vessel is a typical Bark. The reason why this ship is called a bark is the way it is rigged. It has three masts, with the foremast and mainmast square rigged and the mizzenmast fore-and-aft rigged. It wasn't unusual for Barks to be re-rigged as Ships or vice-versa. A "bark" rigged vessel, could sail with fewer crew members than the "ship" rigged.

Ship (Norw: Skib, Skip, Fregattskib, or Fullrigger)

This picture shows a Ship. This Ship is square rigged on all three masts, and it has a gaff sail on the mizzen mast. It was often called a "full rigged ship" or in Norwegian "fullrigger" and "fregattskib". A "ship" is a vessel of at least three square rigged masts, each composed of a lower-mast, top-mast, and topgallant mast. Each is outfitted with a yard and a full complement of square sails. Many ship rigged vessels were converted to barks to reduce the number of crew member, and therefore will appear both as a ship and a bark in the lists.

NOTE: in some cases when working with the different sources the term ship (or skib) can be used in the meaning "vessel", and not actually used to a specify the kind of rigging. This may cause some errors to be made when describing the rigging of ships

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 sail.

Schooner (Norw: Skonnert)

This is a schooner with topsails. It has two masts, the mainmast of which has a fore-and-aft mainsail and gaff topsail identical to those of an ordinary schooner. The schooner was usually smaller than the brig, bark and ship rigged vessels.

Between Deck - Steerage (Norw: Mellomdekk or Mellemdekk)

Between deck, often shortened to 'tween deck, was the deck immediately below the main deck of a ship. It was frequently used for cargo on the homeward journey, given a cursory clean and temporary partitions erected after discharge of cargo and used for steerage accommodation on the outward passage. The origin of the expression "steerage", comes from "steers" (cattle), and indicates that the emigrants traveled on the same decks as was used for transporting livestock. Temporary quarters for passengers were set up in many of the ships. The "steerage" term was used for the lowest price accommodations on ships long time after they stopped using the same quarters for cattle and human passengers. Around the turn of the century it became more common to use the term "3rd class" for the low price accommodation, some ships even had 4th class.

From a passenger traveling on the Anna Delius in 1867 we have the following description of the conditions on the between deck: When we had boarded the ship we were shown our berths, the only place where we could stay while we were between decks. There were two berths on top of each other, and in front of them we had a little space where we could eat our food.

Account from the Atalanta 1871: Now our place as emigrants was in the hold, on the between deck. Everyone had a chest of food, a keg of milk and one of beer, all of what was stored in the mid of the deck, held in place by ropes.

Announcement for the Benedicte 1868: The ship has been classed 1st class with excellence for the last 7 years. The between deck has a height of 8 feet, the ventilation is extremely good, and it is equipped in an excellent way in all matters. It can safely be recommended as a seldom good passenger ship.

Announcement 1866: The Dagmar, 349 Commercial lasts, with a high between deck, with illumination from the sides and roof, like on the steamships.

Drafna 1852: The between deck had to be "scraped" two times a week.

Hanna Parr: On Norwegian emigrant ships which also hauled freight, there were no separate passenger cabins. C.A. described the scene in the between decks of his fictional emigrant ship. "We go below into the room. On both sides two tiers of bunks have been put up from stem to stern. On each bunk, which is marked with its particular number, there is a place for five." He felt sorry for the women, who had to make do in such a place. He could see the blond heads of children sticking out all over from the bunks. The adults were bustling about, arranging their property, pounding in nails and pegs, stuffing straw into the bunks, making the best of things.

Laurvig: The arrangements on board were very primitive and inadequate. On the beams between decks was laid a deck of planks with hatchways down into the hold, where all the baggage was stowed away on top of the cargo. Two rows of bunks of rough boards were built up, one above the other, the whole length of the ship from fore to aft. Between these open bunks there were often put up special berths reserved for emigrants whose demands were greater. Everything else was used in common --- no separate rooms for men and women. Light was admitted through open hatchways and partly through skylights in the deck. There was canvas in the hatchways, but during storms and rough seas these often had to be covered, and if this continued for any length of time the air in the room below occupied by the emigrants often became frightfully bad.

Norden 1866: The crowded ship left Bergen with 403 crew and passengers. The hold had been divided by a between deck, set up of planks. On the between deck there was set up bins fitted with bunks. There was one row along each side, and one along the middle of the ship. There was a narrow passage between the bunks. A primitive toilet on each side of the deck. Over the hatch there was built a hood with an entrance down to the passengers quarters. There was no other ventilation than this, and the only fresh air came trough this entrance. When the weather was rough the entrance had to be closed, and it would be dark as in the night down in the hold.

Nordpolen, announcement 1852: The ships steerage is 7 feet high, and has a permanent between deck.

Rhea 1866: The between deck was 8 feet high

Vesta 1850: The ship is good and solidly constructed, and comfortable equipped for passenger accommodation, with a spacey and 6 feet high between deck.

Kong Sverre 1863: The ship has a 6½ feet high between deck, and will naturally be a good sailor.

This is an example on how many of the sailing ships would be equipped.
The between deck was permanent on some ship, while on others it was just temporary.

[Return to Main page] - [Discussion Forum] - [Guest Book] - [Contact information]