Steamship Herman May 1849

This article is part of Project/Emigrants(Landverhuizers) from Drenthe, Friesland and Groningen

From: A NARRATIVE OF THE EMIGRATION OF THE FAMILIES OF MRS. IDSARDI, MR. J. H. ZUIDEMA, MR. J. G. DYKSTRA, MR. H. T. KOOPMANS, MR. W. VAN PEYMA, MR. J. W. VAN PEYMA, AND MR. R. W. VAN PEYMA, FROM: FRIESLAND, KINGDOM OF NETHERLANDS, to THE STATES OF NEW YORK IN THE YEAR 1849, by Mr. T. E. Idsardi.

The following is a list of persons' names who left their homes in Friesland, Kingdom of the Netherlands, on the 8th day of May, 1849.

This company, consisted of twenty-eight persons who went by steamer Herman, from Bremer Haven, Germany, to New York, U. S. of America. There were also others who went, but the same went by sailing vessel, intending to go as servants. At least, they were brought for that purpose, it being then understood that help was not as plentiful in the new country as in the old.

The names of the persons so emigrating are as follows:

the last two came on a sailing vessel with, the barrage as far as Bremer Haven, where they also went aboard the steamer "Herman."

Also on the shipslist but apparently not belonging to the "Peyma group""

May 8th, 1849: On this day, twenty-eight persons left Their homes end all met at Groningen. I cannot say as to the others, but the Idsardi families and Mr. Zuidema came by private carriage, through the kindness of their uncle, J.W. Idsardi, starting early in the morning, arriving at Groningen at one o'clock in the afternoon. The same day we went by boat to Delfzyl, arriving there at nine o'clock in the evening. The day being cold and raining most of the time, with departing of friends, leaving of native land, no doubt that was a day always remembered with sadness.

May 9th: In the afternoon at one o'clock, we took ship for Emden, arriving there soon after two o'clock. After; half hour delay, we sailed on to Leer, where we arrived at six o'clock in the evening, remaining there during the night.

May 10th: This morning at nine o'clock, the twenty eight persons were all stored in two stage coaches, or omni buses, destined for Oldenburg, where they arrived at ten o'clock in the evening.

May 11th: At six o'clock this morning, we went aboard a small steamer to proceed to Bremer Haven, in Germany, arriving there at eleven o'clock in the forenoon. In the harbor we also saw the steamer "Herman" on which we were to sail to America.

May 14th: Having remained here for three days, in the evening of this day we went aboard the steamship "Herman" with the intention of starting on the ocean voyage the next day.

May 15th: At three o'clock this morning there was great rejoicing on account of the arrival of the small steam­ship which carried W. Van Peyma, Mr. Koopmans and the Idsardi families' baggage, and the last two named passengers, namely S. de Boer and his wife. They had been delayed on account of the high seas and contrary winds, arriving just in time to transfer the baggage on board the steamer, for at five o'clock the steamer weighed anchor and we were on our way.

May 16th: Our course was west in the North Sea, passing the north coast of England, arriving at Southampton on the morning of the 17th.

May 20th: Today is the Queens Birthday. Having remained here for three days to take on a supply of coal for the ocean voyage, at nine o'clock we again took leave, and proceeded on our way to New York. Not anything happened out of the usual course of a sea voyage, only the number of days we were on the ocean. The 6th day of June, we completed our journey, arriving in the City of New York, having been sixteen days coming from Southampton, part of two days from Bremer Haven to Southampton, three days at the City of Southampton, making in all twenty-one days we were aboard the steamship 'Herman'.

The memoranda I copied from is at an end. I will proceed from memory, and what I have obtained from others older than myself. After arriving in the City of New York, the difficult; part was the people all speaking English. None of us could understand what they said. On going to an hotel end being nicely settled, the rumor came to us that not long previous a person bad died of the cholera. Whether this was true or not, I cannot say. We moved to other quarters at once, to hotel number two.

I have no way of knowing how long we remained in the City of New York. Some of the heads of families went prospecting in close proximity to the City, such places as Long Island, Staten Island, Plainsfield, New Jersey, etc. It was: finally determined to go further inland, or west. Mr. W. Van Peyma and wife, Kr. J. D. Dykstra and family, remained at Staten Island, awaiting the arrival of their baggage, which they expected on the next steamer. All of the others went by steamer as far as Albany. From there the Koopmans and Idsardi families, with Mr. Zuidema, came from Albany to Buffalo by canal boat, while the others went by railroad, ar­riving there a number of days sooner than we did by boat.

I can eell recollect our arrival on Commercial Street in the City of Buffalo, our first stopping place was on Seneca Street one door east of the Soutern Hotel, corner of Michi­gan end Seneca. The person's name was Baker where we boarded until we went to Lancaster. Our people became acquainted with a man by the name of Isaac V. Vanderpoel, from near Albany. He called himself a Mohawk Dutchman. He could speak the English language and he proved to be very helpful in helping our folks make thier purchases.

From here they went again prospecting, going as far west as Kalamazoo, also Meadville, Pennsylvania, Grand Island and different townships in the vicinity of Buffalo. The choice was finally made in the Town of Lancaster, where they bought farms in different parts of the town. I think sometime during the month of August they settled on their farms, having bought the farms including the growing crops, stock and implements, and taking possession at once.

After a certain length of time, Mr. and Mrs. Worp Van Peyma and J. C. Dykstra end family, also came on from New York, being disappointed in the arrival of their baggage. The other families having settled, they concluded to cast their lot with them,. Mr. Worp Van Peyma buying a house in town, and Mr. Dykstra a farm east of the Village, The lost baggage referred to came by way of Philadelphia some time after.

References

• Passenger list of the U.S. Mail S.S. Hermann, in New York City, New York, United States. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, 1820-97. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M237), roll 80, list 668, p 3, ln 134, list dated 6 June 1849

• Emigrants on Familysearch:[1]

• (for the Groninger members of the group, see Groninger Emigranten 1849)