While researching the ancestry of my great-grandfather, Percy Henry Daniels, I was surprised to learn that a farmer who died at the age of 59 in Cortland County, New York, could have had such an interesting past. To find out he kept an address at South Street Seaport in New York City and had been to Gibraltar, Copenhagen and Argentina made me wish I had a chance to know him and more know about him. If only the ship manifests contained stories.
Below are some of the ship manifests I found so far, containing the name Percy Daniels.
Research note: There was another man named Percy Daniels who is easy to confuse with our Percy. He did a lot of traveling between England and America. Fortunately, most ship manifests included the person's eye color, height and/or weight. Our Percy H. Daniels was almost always recorded as being 5'10", weighing 180 lbs., having brown eyes, and being born abt. 1880. The other Percy Daniels was born abt. 1876, was abt. 6'2" and had blue eyes.
1907
S.S. Oscar II sailing from Copenhagen, March 7, 1907, arriving at Port of New York on March 21, 1907. The last passenger on this ship's manifest is Percy Henry Daniels, age 25, male, single, sailor, American, U.S. Citizen, Residence at 27 1/2 W South Street, New York, Consuls passenger. I'm not sure what exactly this means. Perhaps there is a document somewhere with the story.
1918
On the Schooner Maryland, arriving at New York October 5, 1918, from the Port of Buenos Aires, Argentina September 15(?). The fourth passenger on the manifest is Percy H. Daniels, 3rd Mate, departed from Port Arthur on April 20, 1918. He was 37 and his race is given as "Scot." Nationality: "U.S.B." He was 5'10" and weighed 180 lbs.
1920
On the S.S. Italia, sailing from Gibraltor on the 5th of March, 1920, arriving at the Port of New York fifteen days later, on March 20, 1920. Percy H. Daniels, age 37 years, 2 months, single, born on December 5, 1881, in Olympia, Washington. Seaman's Card 12857 NY, address: 542 St Peter St. New Or, La. Also, 27 South Street, New York. His is the only name on the manifest page titled "List of United States Citizens".
Click here to see the location of his home in New Orleans.
1921
On the vessel Western Queen, arriving at New York in August 1921, from Buenos Aires. Percy is the 2nd person listed on this manifest containing members of the crew. Percy Daniels was 1st Officer (12857 K), under the Captain, Lars Huitfeldt. They shipped from Mobile on April 28, 1921. He was 40 years old, American, 5'10", 180 lbs.
1922
On the S.S. Clearwater, arriving at New York on July 24, 1922, from the port of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Percy H. Daniels was captain of the ship. He is listed first on the manifest of members of the ship's crew with his position given as "Ch. Mate". They engaged from Mobile on April 11, 1922. Percy's height is given again, 5'10".
1922
Again, on the S.S. Clearwater, arriving at the Port of New York on December 25, 1922, from the Port of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Percy Daniels was the first person on the list of crew members, with the position "1st Mate". They engaged from New York on August 10, 1922. His height was given as 5'11", and weight 180 lbs. with no visible physical marks or peculiarities.
1927
At the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, on September 8, 1927, a crew of 38 seamen from the S.S. Coahoma County from the port of Philadelphia, arrived and was expected to depart for Antwerp, Belgium, via "Norfolk, Newport News, N.Y." First port of call in United States this voyage was New York. "P. Daniels", age 47, was on the list. The S.S. Coahoma County was a cargo ship that was renamed S.S. Empire Hawk. It is said to have been torpedoed by an Italian submarine in 1942. (wrecksite.eu)
The next record we find of Percy, was on April 22, 1929, when he married Vena Dykeman in Cortland, New York. The marriage certificate is posted here.
See the Daniels page for more on this family.