Captured in Time: The Immigrant Lillicrap Family upon Arrival in America in 1890

A Special Photo Finds It Way Home 130+ Years Later

Mrs. Lillicrap and her nine children

Bessie Lillicrap must have been exhausted when she arrived in New York with her children. The family had left Liverpool on October 7, 1890 and finally disembarked on the 18th. That’s a long time to be at sea with nine children, the oldest of whom was only 12.

U.K. departure passenger entries for Bessie Lillicrap and her nine children (UK National Archives via Ancestry)

So she may have been less than enthusiastic when a man named E.W. Austin approached her about photographing them. Still, it wasn’t an every day opportunity for a poor family like hers, so she agreed. She, Bessie, Susie, Annie, Mary, Dick, Sam, Alice, Emily and baby Thomas were captured for posterity on that day just over 130 years ago.

Mrs. Lillicrap and nine children (colorized and enhanced on MyHeritage)

E.W. Austin had been fortunate enough to gain the money exchange concession to service immigrants arriving in New York in 1890, and while Ellis Island was under construction, he worked at the Barge Office which served as the interim immigrant processing…