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The Dominion Line was founded in 1870 as the Liverpool & Mississippi Steamship Co. In 1872 the name official name of the company was changed to Mississippi & Dominion Steamship Co Ltd. The sailings were advertised under the name "Dominion Line". In 1873 the line was represented in Norway by a general agent in Kristiania (Oslo) by the name of M. R. Raffel. He was authorized to convey emigrants by steamship via Hull - Liverpool to Quebec or New Orleans and to the final destination in America. The authorization was not renewed for 1874, and the line seams not to have been represented in Norway again before in 1880. The agent from 1880 was J. Krantz of Kristiania. Authorization was to convey emigrants by steamship via Hull - Liverpool to Quebec or New Orleans and to the final destination in America. In Thorndheim the line was represented by head agent A. O. Helland from 1881.

In 1883 the line was represented by the following head agents in Scandinavia:
Joh. Krantz, Jernbanetorvet no. 11, Christiania (Kristiania - Oslo)
A. O. Hellan, Fjordgaten no. 10, Trondhjem (Trondheim)
Caspar Dreyer, Bergen
H. Hauge, Stavanger
J. E. Furo, Christiansund (Kristiansund N)
F. A. Nielsen, Christiansand (Kristiansand S)
J. E. Sørenson, Sillgatan No. 41, Göteborg
P. Christiansen, No. 7 Nyhavn, Kjøbenhavn (Copenhagen)

In Chicago the line was represented by O. Svenson, he was the general agent for the Western states. The main office was at 68 La Salle Street, Chicago. In the years from 1867 to 1871 O. Svenson was the general agent of the National Line in Kristiania. The great transatlantic companies had wide networks of agents all over Norway, and of course in America. An estimated 50% of the tickets used by Norwegian emigrants was prepaid in the USA.

Advertisement for the Dominion Line, from a 1883 booklet

The fleet in 1883 consisted of:
The S/S Vancouver - 5,700 Tons
The S/S Sarnia - 3,850 Tons
The S/S Montreal - 3,284 Tons
The S/S Dominion - 3,200 Tons
The S/S Texas - 2,700 Tons
The S/S Oregon - 3,850 Tons
The S/S Brooklyn - 3,600 Tons
The S/S Toronto - 3,284 Tons
The S/S Ontario - 3,176 Tons
The S/S Quebec - 2,700 Tons
The S/S Mississippi - 2,680 Tons

In 1894 Francis Bennett became the new general agent in Kristiania. To find out more about agents and routes you can go to our search page: Agents & Shipping lines

In 1902 the Dominion Line was absorbed by the International Mercantile Marine Co. From 1908 the service was operated under the name name "White Star-Dominion Line" and in 1926 it was renamed "White Star Line Canadian Service".

Articles:
The sinking of the Dominion Line steamship "Scotsman" in 1899 (The Saint John Globe 1899 - transcribed By Børge Solem 2004) Eleven of the Scotsman's Passengers lost - WHILE LEAVING THE WRECKED STEAMSHIP - ALL WERE WOMEN AND CHILDREN. Vessel is a Total Loss - Particulars of the Disaster - Great Suffering Endured. A transcript from the Saint John Globe, bringing the story about the sinking of the Scotsman and the drowning of 11 passengers

Fin more images in the Dominion Line picture gallery

Fleet list:
 TypeName of ship  SortYear Built   SortConstruction Shipyard   SortTonnage (burthen)   Sort
  S/SAngloman1892 Laird Bros 4 892 gross 
  S/SBavaria1856 Caird & Co. 2 405 gross 
  S/SBelgian1855 Caird & Co. 2 026 gross 
  S/SBorussia1855 Caird & Co. 2 131 gross 
  S/SBritish Prince1882 Harland & Wolff 3 871 gross 
  S/SBrooklyn1868 Tod & McGregor 2 911 gross 
  S/SCalifornian1901 Caledon Shipbuilding & Eng. Co. 6 223 gross 
  S/SCambroman1892 Laird Bros 6 059 gross 
  S/SCanada1896 Harland & Wolff 8 806 gross 
  S/SCity of Dublin1864 Smith & Rodger 2 138 gross 
  S/SColonian1901 R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie Co. Ltd 6 440 gross 
  S/SColumbus1903 Harland & Wolff 15 378 gross 
  S/SCommonwealth1900 Harland & Wolff 12 097 gross 
  S/SCornishman1891 Harland & Wolff 4 749 gross 
  S/SDerbyshire1897 Harland & Wolff 6 636 gross 
  S/SDominion (1)1873 A. McMillan & Son 3 176 gross 
  S/SDominion (2)1894 Harland & Wolff 6 618 gross 
  S/SEnglishman1891 Harland & Wolff 5 257 gross 
  S/SHamilton1868 Palmer‘s Shipbuilding & Iron Co. Ltd. 3 617 gross 
  S/SHaverford1901 John Brown & Co. Ltd. 11 635 gross 
  S/SIrishman (1)1898 Harland & Wolff 8 001 gross 
  S/SIrishman (2)1899 Harland & Wolff 9 510 gross 
  S/SKensington1893 J. & G. Thomson & Co. 8 669 gross 
  S/SLabrador1891 Harland & Wolff 4 737 gross 
  S/SLord Clive1871 R. & J. Evans & Co 3 386 gross 
  S/SManxman1888 Harland & Wolff 4 639 gross 
  S/SMayflower1902 R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie Co. Ltd 13 508 gross 
  S/SMemphis1871 A. McMillan & Son 2 485 gross 
  S/SMerion1901 John Brown & Co. Ltd. 11 621 gross 
  S/SMississippi1871 A. McMillan & Son 2 159 gross 
  S/SMissouri1855 Caird & Co. 2 259 gross 
  S/SMontreal1879 Charles Connell & Co. 3 308 gross 
  S/SNeera1858 A. Leslie & Co 2 167 gross 
  S/SNew England1898 Harland & Wolff 11 394 gross 
  S/SNorseman1897 Harland & Wolff 9 546 gross 
  S/SOntario1874 A. McMillan & Son 3 175 gross 
  S/SOregon1882 Charles Connell & Co. 3 672 gross 
  S/SOttawa (1)1880 Charles Connell & Co. 3 712 gross 
  S/SOttawa (2)1875 Harland & Wolff 5 071 gross 
  S/SOttoman1890 Laird Bros 4 843 gross 
  S/SPalestine1858 Robert Steele & Co. 2 867 gross 
  S/SQuebec1864 Smith & Rodger 2 138 gross 
  S/SRegina1918 Harland & Wolff 16 313 gross 
  S/SSarnia1882 Charles Connell & Co. 3 728 gross 
  S/SScotsman1894 Harland & Wolff 6 041 gross 
  S/SSicilia1871 A. McMillan & Son 2 159 gross 
  S/SSouthwark1893 William Denny & Co. 8 607 gross 
  S/SSt. Louis1870 R. Clover & Co. 1 827 gross 
  S/STeutonia1856 Caird & Co. 2 693 gross 
  S/STexas1872 A. McMillan & Son 2 327 gross 
  S/SToronto1880 Charles Connell & Co. 3 315 gross 
  S/STurcoman1892 Harland & Wolff 5 610 gross 
  S/SVancouver1884 Charles Connell & Co. 5 141 gross 
  S/SVicksburg1872 A. McMillan & Son 2 484 gross 
  S/SWelshman1891 Harland & Wolff 5 728 gross 
  S/SYorkshire1889 Harland & Wolff 4 269 gross 

Note:
You can click the Sort icon icon to sort the table by different parameters.
 
Some companies may have had additional ships in their fleets to those mentioned above. They might not have been included if the ships were not engaged in the conveyance of emigrants. Some ships mentioned in the fleet lists may have been chartered from other companies, see the ship's description and history for more details.

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Articles
A selection of articles dedicated to help you in your genealogy search for your Norwegian ancestors. Transcripts and pictures of historic documents in connection with the ships and emigration. Also including articles about Pioneers & Norwegian Settlements Around the World
Articles about selected ships ships and special events in their history. Descriptions of some of the great maritime disasters involving emigrant ships, like the wrecking of the steamer Atlantic of the White Star Line, sinking of the ocean liner Empress of Ireland and the Thingvalla line steamer Norge disaster. Check this section if you have an interest in shipwrecks.
This section contains articles describing the transatlantic voyage, the condition of the steerage accommodations and the experience of an ocean travel on an emigrant ship. You will find in-depth studies concerning the emigration process, statistics and facts, and information about the immigration processing centers line Castle Garden and Ellis Island.
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