Many of our ancestors came to Canada in the 1840s and 1850s before the advent of steam ships. Either before OR after, most were poor and travelled in a category called steerage, basically configured like swine pens, a totally enclosed area below the real passenger cabins and above the cargo hold and bilge, and carrying 600 or so souls in this category on each voyage.
Life on board (in steerage) was pretty deplorable in either case, but the steam ships completed the journey in 7 to 12 days compared to 21 days up to 42 days in the sailing ships. All the steerage passengers had to share a tiny galley and try to cook food for their own family, often while the ship was being buffeted by winds and waves. Bathroom facilities were a cruel joke, and steerage passengers could only take turns for a few brief minutes each day to go on deck for fresh air, if seas were rough or weather was stormy they were confined below deck.
This composite is of sketches that appeared in newspapers during that time frame.
Life on board (in steerage) was pretty deplorable in either case, but the steam ships completed the journey in 7 to 12 days compared to 21 days up to 42 days in the sailing ships. All the steerage passengers had to share a tiny galley and try to cook food for their own family, often while the ship was being buffeted by winds and waves. Bathroom facilities were a cruel joke, and steerage passengers could only take turns for a few brief minutes each day to go on deck for fresh air, if seas were rough or weather was stormy they were confined below deck.
This composite is of sketches that appeared in newspapers during that time frame.
