# Helvetica



## tgar

Can anyone tell me anything about the Helvetica? Seems to have sailed between France and the USA in the mid 19th century. I'm trying to help a French friend with her family history...
tgar


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## ray1buck1

tgar
are you sure about the spelling 
there was a "Helvetia" which sailed to the USA from France 
Ray


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## tgar

ray1buck1 said:


> tgar
> are you sure about the spelling
> there was a "Helvetia" which sailed to the USA from France
> Ray


You could be right! I'm working from this guy's memoirs in French and it's appallingly hard to read. The captain's name looks like Marche, if that's any help and the date looks like 28th January 1851. I think it left from Le Havre, stopped off in Dover and arrived in New York in March.
Can you tell me anything about it, please?
tgar


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## gkh151

Hi tgar,

If the ship in question is the Hevetia then the following links may be of interest.

http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=helv1

http://www.explore-gower.co.uk/Content/pa=showpage/pid=21.html

http://www.norwayheritage.com/galle...ryid=&text=helvetia&imageid=130&box=&shownew=

I hope you find them helpfull.

regards

Graham


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## tgar

gkh151 said:


> Hi tgar,
> 
> If the ship in question is the Hevetia then the following links may be of interest.
> 
> I hope you find them helpfull.
> 
> regards
> 
> Graham


Thanks Graham. That's really interesting, but if that date's right, then this can't be the ship, as it was built in 1864 and my man sailed in 1851. Was there an earlier ship of the same name?
tgar


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## ray1buck1

Hi Tgar

There is a ships passenger manifest for the date of 5th July 1851 for the "Helvetia" which arrived in New York from LeHarve the master looks like March?
Ray
P.S.
there is also a manifest dated 21st march 1851


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## tgar

ray1buck1 said:


> Hi Tgar
> 
> There is a ships passenger manifest for the date of 5th July 1851 for the "Helvetia" which arrived in New York from LeHarve the master looks like March?
> Ray
> P.S.
> there is also a manifest dated 21st march 1851


That must be it - the March one, I mean - he says he arrives on 20th March in New York.

Can I access it via internet? How?

This is great, thanks so much! 
tgar(==D)


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## ray1buck1

Tgar
tried to send you an email last night, it keeps being returned as undeliverable 
send it in a Private message and I'll give you the manifests that I have 
Ray


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## tgar

ray1buck1 said:


> Tgar
> tried to send you an email last night, it keeps being returned as undeliverable
> send it in a Private message and I'll give you the manifests that I have
> Ray


Thanks Ray - I've sent the PM... I hope! Looking forward to seeing those manifests.
Tgar(==D)


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## tgar

*Helvetia update*

Well, thanks to Ray, I've seen the passenger lists, but unfortunately the man I'm looking for doesn't seem to be there!

He is Jean Baptiste Artaud or Arteaux, a miller. He sometimes signs himself John B Arteaux. He was born in Burgundy, France, in 1822.

He bought his ticket in Paris from Chrystie, Heinrich & Co for 100 francs. The passage was to have been on the Charlemagne, sailing to New Orleans, but on arriving at Le Havre, he found that it had already sailed, so was offered a place on the Helvetia instead. He travelled "entrepont", which may be 'steerage'.

He says there were 122 passengers on board and the captain was Marche. They set sail on 28 January 1851 at 8.30am. The Hercule towed them out of the harbour. The Helvetia arrived in Dover two or three days later, where she stayed for 36 hours while the captain went up to London.

They then sailed for New York, which they reached on 20 March 1851 at 3pm, a voyage of 52 days. On the way, they met a storm, during which a sailor was lost overboard and a female passenger died of exhaustion.

This is what he says in his memoirs. 

I'd like to find out more about the Helvetia, the Charlemagne and the Hercule, and also Chrystie, Heinrich & Co. What were the ships like? And the ticket he would have bought?

Can anyone help, please?

tgar


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## gkh151

Hi tgar,


found these two links for the Charlemange. there where two ships with the same name one built 1828 the other1843 I hope this is of some help.

http://www.fortunecity.com/littleitaly/amalfi/13/shipc.htm

http://www.geocities.com/mppraetorius/com-ch.htm


I will have a look to see if I can find anything for the Hercule.

Regards

Graham


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## tgar

*Charlemagne*



gkh151 said:


> Hi tgar,
> 
> 
> found these two links for the Charlemange. there where two ships with the same name one built 1828 the other1843 I hope this is of some help.
> 
> http://www.fortunecity.com/littleitaly/amalfi/13/shipc.htm
> 
> http://www.geocities.com/mppraetorius/com-ch.htm
> 
> 
> I will have a look to see if I can find anything for the Hercule.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Graham


Thanks Graham,

I think the 1843 American ship is the one I'm after, by the sounds of it. Pity the pictures are of the earlier ship...

tgar


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## gkh151

I will try to find some more info for you later

Graham


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## tgar

*Helvetia*

Hi there,
Back at this old problem again. I have worked out that the ship in question must have been the 1840 Norwegian built schooner Helvetia owned by Fried, Otto & Son. But try as I may, I can't find a picture or any other information. There seem to be schooners with varying numbers of masts, so what how many did this one have? If no picture of the actual ship exists, maybe there's one of a similar ship....
Can anyone help?
tgar


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