The Artificial Intelligence tools (like ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, Gemini, Grok, Meta, Grok, and Perplexity) can provide much useful and nearly instant information about subjects in a concise format, especially when they have been pre-trained on a large volume of information about the subjects.
After writing ABC Biography of #20 James Richman/Richmond (1821-1912) of Wiltshire and New England, I wondered if the FREE AI tools could provide me with more information about how James Richman traveled from Wiltshire to Liverpool, and about the ship Calhoun in 1855.
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The first prompt for Google Gemini 2.5 Flash is: "How would someone travel between Trowbridge, Wiltshire and Liverpool, England in 1855?"
The Gemini response was:
In 1855, traveling between Trowbridge, Wiltshire, and Liverpool, England, would have primarily involved a combination of train and possibly some coach travel, given the rapid expansion of the railway network in Great Britain during that period.
Here's a breakdown of how someone might have made that journey:
1. Trowbridge to a Major Railway Hub (e.g., London or Bristol):
- Train: By 1855, the Great Western Railway (GWR) would have connected Trowbridge to major centers. Trowbridge itself had a railway station. The GWR was a prominent railway company serving the West Country, including routes to Bristol and London. A traveler from Trowbridge would likely have taken a GWR train from Trowbridge to either Bristol or London.
2. From the Hub to Liverpool:
- Train (most likely): By 1855, the railway network was extensive enough that the vast majority of the journey from a major hub like London or Bristol to Liverpool would have been by train.
- From London: If the traveler went via London, they would then connect to a major northern railway line. The London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR), which later became part of the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), connected London (Euston Station) to Birmingham, and from there, the Grand Junction Railway (also part of the LNWR) would have taken them to Liverpool.
- From Bristol: While not as direct as London, it's possible a traveler from Bristol could have connected to lines heading north, eventually linking up with the main routes to Liverpool.
- Coach (less likely for the long haul, but possible for local connections): While railways were dominant for long-distance travel by 1855, stagecoaches still existed, particularly for connecting smaller towns to railway stations or for routes not yet served by rail. However, for a journey of this distance, relying solely on coaches would have been significantly slower and more expensive. Mail coaches, though being phased out, might have been an option for certain legs, but their primary purpose was mail, not passenger comfort or speed over long distances compared to trains.
Considerations for the 1855 Traveler:
- Journey Time: A multi-leg train journey like this would still have taken a significant amount of time, likely many hours, if not a full day. Trains in 1855 traveled slower than modern trains, and multiple changes and waiting times would have been common.
- Cost: Train travel was becoming more accessible but still represented a considerable expense for many.
- Comfort: While trains were generally more comfortable than coaches for long distances, conditions were still basic by modern standards. Carriages would vary in class, with third-class often being exposed to the elements.
- Luggage: Managing luggage would have been a factor, especially with multiple changes.
- Schedules: Train schedules existed, but delays and changes would have been more frequent than today.
In summary, the most efficient and common way to travel from Trowbridge to Liverpool in 1855 would have been almost entirely by rail, likely involving a change or two at major railway junctions.
The second prompt was: "Can you tell me about the ship Calhoun that sailed from Liverpool to New York City arriving in October 1855? How long was the trip, how many passengers, what was life liek aboard ship?"
The Gemini response was:
The ship "Calhoun" that arrived in New York City in October 1855 from Liverpool was a significant vessel with a notable history, particularly regarding its later role in the American Civil War.
The Ship "Calhoun"
- Type: The "Calhoun" was a side-wheel steamship, built in New York City in 1851.
While sailing ships were still common for transatlantic voyages in 1855, the "Calhoun" was a steam-powered vessel, which generally offered more reliable and often faster passage than purely sail-powered ships, as they were less dependent on favorable winds. She was originally named "Cuba" but was renamed "Calhoun" before entering service. - Master: The master (captain) of the "Calhoun" for its October 1855 voyage to New York was Daniel H. Truman.
- Later History: The "Calhoun" gained further prominence during the American Civil War. She served as a Confederate privateer and then a Confederate Navy gunboat (CSS Calhoun).
After being captured by Union forces in January 1862, she was commissioned into the Union Navy as USS Calhoun and later served the U.S. Army as the steamer "General Sedgewick." She returned to civilian employment as "Calhoun" after the war and was finally broken up in 1883. Journey Length (Liverpool to New York, October 1855)
The "Calhoun" arrived in New York on October 22, 1855.
To determine the exact length of this specific trip, one would need to find the departure date from Liverpool. However, we can approximate based on general voyage times for 1855:
- In the mid-1850s, the average duration of emigrant voyages from Liverpool to New York by sailing ship was around 40 days.
- However, the "Calhoun" was a steamship. While early steamships weren't as fast as later ones, they significantly reduced travel time.
By 1855, with the transition from sail to steam, voyage times were generally decreasing. Some faster sailing ships (clippers) could make the journey in less than 3 weeks, and steamships were aiming for even quicker times. Given it was a steamship, it's reasonable to estimate the voyage took closer to 2-4 weeks (14-28 days), significantly less than a purely sail-powered vessel. The exact duration would depend on weather conditions encountered during that specific crossing.
Number of Passengers
A passenger list for the "Calhoun" arriving on October 22, 1855, does exist.
One specific record indicates that a James Richman (36 years old, laborer from England, intending to reside in the U.S.A.) traveled in steerage along with a "Saml Richman" (likely Samuel Rich, his brother-in-law). Passenger lists typically detail each individual. To know the total number of passengers, one would need to view the complete manifest for that voyage. These manifests often listed hundreds of passengers, especially for ships carrying emigrants.
Life Aboard Ship in 1855
Life aboard a ship, even a steamship, in 1855 was a challenging experience, especially for those in steerage (the cheapest class).
Accommodation:
- Steerage: This was the most common and least comfortable class for emigrants. Passengers were housed in the lowest decks, often below the waterline, in cramped, communal spaces. Berths were typically narrow bunks, and privacy was almost non-existent. Ventilation was poor, leading to stale air and unpleasant odors. Conditions were often dark, and in bad weather, "battening down the hatches" meant confinement without fresh air or light.
- Cabin Passengers: A small minority of wealthier passengers could afford private cabins, which offered more space, better food, and greater comfort.
Food and Water:
- Steerage: Food for steerage passengers was often basic, monotonous, and preserved. Common fare included salted meat, ship's biscuit, flour, oatmeal, and dried potatoes. Passengers were typically divided into "messes" and would either cook their own food in common galleys or have it cooked for them in large pots. Water was also rationed and could deteriorate in quality during the voyage.
- Cabin: Cabin passengers received better quality food, often including fresh meat (from live animals kept onboard) and milk.
Hygiene and Sanitation:
- Poor hygiene was a significant issue. Fresh water for washing was scarce, and salt water was unpleasant. Latrines were basic and often overflowed. Overcrowding, combined with poor sanitation, created ideal conditions for the rapid spread of diseases like cholera, dysentery, typhus, and smallpox. Deaths during voyages were not uncommon.
- Vermin, such as cockroaches and rats, were pervasive.
Daily Life and Activities:
- Days were often regimented, with set times for waking, meals, and returning to berths.
- There was little in the way of organized activities for steerage passengers. Some might try to fish or snare seabirds. Leisure time was often spent chatting, mending clothes, or writing letters (though mail services at sea were limited).
- Children, if eligible, might attend some form of informal schooling.
- The journey could be incredibly boring for many, punctuated by the excitement or terror of storms.
Dangers:
- Storms: Bad weather was a constant threat, leading to severe seasickness, discomfort, and even damage to the ship or loss of life.
- Disease: As mentioned, disease was a major killer on immigrant ships.
- Fire: The combination of timber, straw mattresses, and restricted light sources meant fire was a constant danger.
- Shipwreck: While not common, shipwrecks did occur, and with few lifeboats and limited swimming abilities, survival rates were low.
Despite the hardships, thousands of emigrants made these voyages, driven by the hope of a new life and opportunities in America.
In this case, I used the AI tool Gemini as a "search engine" and it provided the answers quickly without me having to click many web links or find books about the query answers. Gemini provided sources for the Calhoun query (which I didn't include above). They are:
- United States Navy.mil (www.history.navy.mil) Calhoun - Naval History and Heritage Command Ship Histories. » Confederate Ships. » Calhoun. Calhoun. (SwStr: t. 509; cpl. 85; a. 1 18-pdr., 2 12-pdr., 2 6-pdr.) CSS Calhoun, built at New York in 1851 as ...
- Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) USS Calhoun - Wikipedia. USS Calhoun was a captured Confederate steamer and blockade runner acquired by the Union Navy from the prize court during the American Civil War. USS Calhoun. ...
- Genea-Musings (www.geneamusings.com) Treasure Chest Thursday - Post 200: 1855 Passenger List for James Richman. ... Daniel H. Truman master, which sailed from Liverpool and arrived in New York on 22 October 1855, is: And a snippet of the entry for James Richman: The ...
- CivilWar.com (www.civilwar.com) Calhoun (1862-1864) - Civil War. USS Calhoun, an 508-ton side-wheel gunboat, was built in 1851 at New York City as the civilian steamer Calhoun. She became a Confederate privateer in May 1861 ...
- Ibiblio (www.ibiblio.org) Civilian Ships--Steamship Calhoun (1851-1883) - Ibiblio. She was transferred to the U.S. Army the next month and spent the rest of the Civil War as the Army steamer General Sedgewick. Sold by the Government in 1865, ...
- HowStuffWorks (science.howstuffworks.com) The Origins of the Steamship - Science | HowStuffWorks One of the first successful steamships was the PS Comet. It first set sail in 1812 as a paddle steamer and got an upgrade with new technology by 1819. ...
- GEOCITIES.ws (www.geocities.ws) Ships' Passenger List Port of New York 1820-1865 -. ... Mary. 40. Laborer. Ireland. Liverpool. Scargo. Oct. 12, 1850. 211. Foy, Mary Ann Michael Kate Thomas. 45 18 16 - -. Widow Servant Laborer Servant Infant. ...
I tried using Google's actual Search engine for the first prompt and received the same results, plus web links to railway information. A Google Search for the second prompt provided a similar response to the Gemini response, but did not include information about specific passengers. Google Search told me that the distance from Liverpool to New York City was over 3,300 miles; and that the travel speed in open water was probably 8 to 14 miles per hour depending on sea conditions. Also, that the Calhoun was designed for river and coastal travel - it may have been a difficult crossing in 1855!
Note that Gemini "remembered" my James Richman queries in weeks past, and that he was a passenger on the Calhoun. I checked the passenger list on Ancestry.com and found that there were 164 passengers on the ship, and that James Richman and Samuel Rich (and his wife and infant) were the last-named passengers on the list. Did they just barely make the boat?
Information like this is very helpful to add historical events and social history content to a person's biography.
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