New York was a major port of destination for many Irish emigrants, especially in the famine years with many searching for a better life. There was an Irish Emigrant Society which in 1850 established the Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank. This was to allow newly arrived Irish emigrants to save their money. The Bank even had an office on Dublin to allow poor relatives back home access to money earned.

As many of the early account holders where illiterate, the bank established 'Test Books' containing detailed personal information about each Customer; such as birth location (sometimes in Ireland), and if applicable the Ship on which the sailed to America

These books are a good source of information if you are trying to find a location from which a relative holding an account may have come.

Details included in the Test Book;
Name of Account Holder
Account Number
Place of Birth (can sometime give town/village and county in
Ireland)
Occupation (may be of use, as same occupation may have been held
while living in Ireland)
Relatives
Date account was opened


Below we've provided a sample of some Accounts held by people who sailed from Ireland in the mid 1800's. One interesting entry is Catherine Austin who is recorded as having sailed on the George Washington in 1842. The is the same ship on which John F. Kennedy's grandfather sailed!

Searches on accounts and more information on the Emigrant Savings Bank in New York can be found at http://www.genexchange.org/esb/   at the Genealogy Exchange and Surname Registry.