MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com) has added the surviving incoming and outgoing UK Board of Trade registered passenger lists from the late 19th to mid-twentieth centuries, which may be of interest if your Scottish and Irish ancestors emigrated or returned back to the UK or Ireland in this period.
From MyHeritage:
United Kingdom and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878–1960
This collection includes 15.7 million records of passengers arriving in the United Kingdom (and Ireland until independence in 1922) from ports around the world between 1878 and 1960. Each record documents an individual’s arrival into the country and typically includes the passenger’s full name, date of birth, current residence, intended residence, date and place of arrival, place of departure, and the name of the ship.
While the collection begins in 1878, many of the earliest records from 1878 to 1888 were destroyed by the Board of Trade in 1900. The surviving records from this early period are especially rare and valuable.
In addition to immigrants and returning residents, the collection also captures short-term visitors and transit passengers. Because ships were required to submit passenger lists at every U.K. stop, even those not intending to stay often appear in the records.
This collection is particularly useful for locating individuals who may not appear in other sources — such as those who fell between census years, left home temporarily, or migrated in stages. Whether your ancestors were arriving for work, travel, or to begin a new life, these records provide valuable insights into their movements and circumstances.
Search the incoming passenger lists at https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-20991/united-kingdom-ireland-incoming-passenger-lists-1878-1960
United Kingdom and Ireland, Outgoing Passenger Lists, 1890–1960
This collection contains 23.5 million records of individuals departing from ports in the United Kingdom (and Ireland until independence in 1922) between 1890 and 1960. Records typically include the passenger’s name, date of birth, current and intended residence, date and place of departure, place of arrival, and the name of the ship.
These lists are a vital resource for understanding emigration patterns from the U.K. and Ireland, particularly to destinations such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. For many families with ancestors who left the British Isles in the late 19th or early 20th century, these records may contain the only surviving documentation of their departure. These passengers include many continental Europeans, especially Scandinavians, who commonly passed through the U.K. en route to destinations like the United States and Canada.
Together, the incoming and outgoing collections represent the entire surviving set of U.K. and Ireland passenger lists for this time period, offering a comprehensive view of travel into and out of the country across 8 decades. They provide detailed, global context for millions of family journeys.
Searc the outgoing passenger lists at https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-20989/united-kingdom-ireland-outgoing-passenger-lists-1890-1960.
The company has also added some nonconformist English and Welsh parish records - for details of the full release visit https://blog.myheritage.com/2026/01/now-live-4-major-u-k-and-ireland-collections-passenger-lists-and-nonconformist-vital-records/.
(With thanks to Daniel Horowitz)
Chris
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