The British mercantile marine has been regulated by the state from an early date. Since 1873, the General Register and Record Office of Shipping and Seamen has maintained the registration of seafarers and of vessels. The majority of the records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, which are selected for permanent retention, are transferred to the British National Archives, but some of the record series are in other repositories. The list below provides a brief description of the major record series. The list is organized in series. Each series lists the year covered by the records; a brief description of the holdings; the record series number; the location of the documents. Abbreviations are given at the end of this page.
Crew Agreements and Official Logs, Merchant Ships:
|
1747-1860 All surviving papers
1861-1938 10% sample of each year 1861-1862 90% 1863-1913 Small selection at County Record Offices 1863-1938 Remaining (70%) Crew lists 1865-1935 90% of the years ending in '5' 1902-1919 Official Logs 1939-1950 All papers 1951-1994 10% sample each year 1951-1976 Remaining (80%) Crew lists 1955-1985 90% of the years ending in '5' 1861-1938 Records pertaining to Celebrated Ships |
TNA TNA NMM MHA NMM TNA TNA TNA MHA NMM TNA |
BT 98 BT 99 BT 99 BT 99 BT 99 BT 99 BT 165 BT 99, 380, 381 BT 99 BT 99 BT 99 BT 100 |
In order to do research on an individual, the researcher must provide the name of the vessel that he/she sailed on and the approximate year of the voyage.
For information on ordering copies of crew agreements from the Maritime History Archive please go to the Ordering Crew Agreements page.
Registers of Seamen:
|
1835-1836 *Registers of Seamen, Series 1
1835-1844 Alphabetical index to the Register of Seamen's Tickets in BT 112 1835-1844 *Register of Seamen: Series II 1845-1854 Alphabetical Index to the Register of Seamen's Tickets in BT 113 1845-1854 Register of Seamen's Tickets 1845-1854 Alphabetical Register of Mates 1854-1857 *Register of Seamen: Series III 1918-1940 *Fourth Register of Seamen (The Central Indexed Register) (Originals held at the Southampton Archives) 1941-1972 Fifth Register of Seamen 1913-2002 Seamen's Pouches 1851-1948 **Lloyd's Captains Registers |
TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA MHA |
BT 120 BT 119 BT 112 BT 114 BT 113 BT 115 BT 116 BT 348, 349, 350, 364 BT 382 BT 372 |
*Also available online at www.findmypast.co.uk/search/merchant-navy-seamen.
**Originals available at London Metropolitan Archives.
Registers of Apprentices:
|
1824-1953 Index of Apprentices
1845-1962 Apprentices' Indentures 1895-1935 Apprentices' Indentures for Fishing |
TNA TNA TNA |
BT 150 BT 151 BT 152 |
Registers of Certificates of Competency and Service Issued to Merchant Seamen:
| 1845-1849 Registers of Certificates of Competency and Service: miscellaneous
1845-1894 Indexes to the Registers of BT 122, BT 126, BT 128 1845-1906 Registers of Certificates of Competency: Masters and Mates - Foreign Trade 1881-1890 Registers of Certificates of Competency: Masters and Mates of Steamships, Foreign Trade 1845-1921 Registers of Certificates of Competency: Masters and Mates - Home Trade 1850-1888 Registers of Certificates of Service: Masters and Mates - Foreign Trade 1854-1888 Registers of Certificates of Service: Masters and Mates - Home Trade 1861-1921 Indexes to BT 139, BT 140 and BT 142 1861-1921 Registers of Certificates of Competency: Engineers 1861-1921 Registers of Certificates of Service: Engineers 1870-1921 Registers of Certificates of Service: Engineers - Colonial 1870-1921 Registers of Certificates of Competency: Masters and Mates - Colonial 1880-1917 Indexes to the Registers of BT 129 and BT 130 1880-1921 Registers of Certificates of Competency: Skippers and Mates of Fishing Boats 1883-1922 Registers of Certificates of Service: Skippers and Mates of Fishing Boats 1889- Masters and Mates Home Trade 1896- Masters and Mates Foreign Going -------------- Surviving Certificates from the 19th Century |
TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA/ MHA TNA TNA TNA TNA RSS RSS NMM |
BT 143 BT 127 BT 122 BT 123 BT 125 BT 124 BT 126 BT 141 BT 139 BT 142 BT 140 BT 128 BT 138 BT 129 BT 130 |
References to Births, Marriages and Deaths:
|
1837-1930 Marine Register Book - Births
1837-1965 Marine Register Book - Deaths 1852-1889 *Registers of Wages and Effects of Deceased Seamen 1853-1889 Indexes to Seamen's Names 1854-1890 **Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages of Passengers at Sea 1855-1889 Indexes to Ships' Names 1857-1972F Records of Marriages at Sea 1875-1888 **Registers of Deaths of British Nationals at Sea 1875-1891 **Registers of Births of British Nationals at Sea 1882-1888 *Registers of Seamen's Deaths classified by cause 1886-1890 *Monthly Lists of Deaths of Seamen 1891-1964 Registers and Indexes of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Passengers and Seamen at Sea 1914-1919, Deaths at Sea - Returns of Deaths 1939-1964 1920-1938 Casualties and Deaths Lists (C&D) 1939-1945 Daily Casualty Registers 1939-1946, Inquiries into causes of Deaths at Sea 1964 1939-1950 Casualties and Deaths Lists (C&D) 1965-to date Deaths at Sea - Returns of Deaths 1965-to date Registers of Births and Deaths at Sea 1973-to date Records of Deaths on Oil Installations |
GRO GRO TNA TNA TNA TNA RSS TNA TNA TNA TNA TNA NMM NMM TNA TNA RSS RSS RSS RSS |
BT 153 BT 154 BT 158 BT 155 BT 159 BT 160 BT 157 BT 156 BT 334 BT 347 BT 341 |
*Also available online at Ancestry.
**Also available online at BmdRegisters and Ancestry.
Transcripts of Registers and Transactions Thereon:
| 1786-1800 Certificates of vessel registry 1786-1907F Index to ships registries 1812-1889 Certificates of vessel registry, Colonial Ports 1814-1889F Certificates of vessel registry 1890-1920 In respect of closed registries only, Colonial Ports 1890-1955 In respect of closed registries only 1890-1978 In respect to open registries 1956-1978 In respect of closed registries only |
NMM TNA MHA TNA MHA TNA RSS RSS |
BT 111 BT 107, 108 BT 107-109 BT 110 BT 110 |
Registration of Fishing Boats:
| 1893-1938 Statistical register 1939-1978 Statistical register 1938-1978 Transactions on the register |
TNA RSS RSS |
BT 145 |
Annual & Quinquennial List of Ships Registered:
|
1786-1955 Annual lists of ships registered 1786-1955 Colonial ports only Registers 1956-1978 Annual list of additions and deletions only |
NA MHA RSS |
BT 162, 163 BT 162 |
Abbreviations
Addresses:
National Archives
Kew,
Richmond,
Surrey, TW9 4DU
ENGLAND
E-mail: enquiry@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Web: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
National Maritime Museum,
Park Row,
Greenwich,
London, SE10 9NF
ENGLAND
E-mail: nmmweb@nmm.ac.uk
Web: http://www.nmm.ac.uk
Registry of Shipping and Seamen
Anchor Court/Keen Rd
Llanishen,
Cardiff, CF24 5JW
WALES
Guildhall Library,
Aldermanbury,
London, EC2P 2EJ
ENGLAND
The General Register Office
ENGLAND
E-mail: overseas.gro@ons.gsi.gov.uk
Web: https://www.gov.uk/general-register-office
For further information on genealogical research, we recommend My Ancestor Was a Merchant Seaman by Christopher T. and Michael J. Watts and Tracing Your Ancestors in the Public Record Office by A. Bevan & A. Duncan.
