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[[Category:General Reference]][[Category:Military and Maritime History| ]]
 
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<br><br>
 
'''Sailors'''
 
 
The term sailor is commonly used to describe any man who went to sea, whether in the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy, Coastguards, Lifeboat Service, fishing fleet or as a pilot, privateer or a single boatman. If a man went to sea he was a sailor.
 
 
'''Mariners'''
 
 
The term mariner can be synonymous with sailor but is more likely to mean that the man was concerned with the navigation of the vessel. Master mariners were those skilled in navigation. A Master Mariner would probably have a Mate or Master's ticket and be on the Seaman's Register at the National Archives. Mariners would come under the umbrella heading of the Merchant Navy.
 
 
The main source for tracing details of merchant seamen and shipping, especially from the 18th century onwards, are the archives of the Registry of Shipping and Seamen (RSS). These records are held in a number of places. Some are with the RSS in Cardiff, some with the [http://www.nmm.ac.uk/index.php National Maritime Museum] at Greenwich and [http://www.nas.gov.uk/default.asp National Archives of Scotland and Ireland]. However, the majority are held in The National Archives in Kew. These records are broken down into categories and an explanation of how these can be viewed can be found on [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=257&j=1 The National Archives].
 
 
Organised service records do not commence until 1835 when The Merchant Shipping Act of that year required masters of all ships to file Agreements and Crew Lists with the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen.
 
 
For those researching mariner ancestors who are experiencing difficulty locating them on the England and Wales census, [http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKCensuses.html Seamen on British Censuses] contains a good explanation of the requirements regarding enumeration and may assist in helping you to locate those missing people!
 
 
The [http://www.nmm.ac.uk/memorials/Index.cfm National Maritime Museum ~ Maritime Memorials] is another good source of information for those researching this field.
 
 
'''Also see [[Military Research]]'''
 
<br><br>
 
==General Information==
 
 
*[http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.2594 National Maritime Museum's Guide to Researching Family History from Maritime Records]
 
 
*[http://www.mariners-l.co.uk Researching the Mariners and Ships of the Merchant Marine and the World's Navies]
 
 
*[http://www.angelfire.com/de/BobSanders/Site.html Tracing British Seamen & their ships]
 
 
*[http://rmhh.co.uk/mariners.html UK Mariners Site - All Things Nautical]
 
 
*[http://www.boat-links.com/index.html  John's Nautical and Boatbuilding Pages]
 
 
*[http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Nautica.html The Maritime History Virtual Archives]
 
 
*[http://rmhh.co.uk/mariners.html Merchant Navy and Royal Navy Information]
 
 
 
*[http://www.reach.net/~sc001198/Lloyds.htm Lloyds Register of Ships 1764-2003]
 
 
*[http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/capintro.htm Index to Lloyds Captains' Register]
 
 
*[http://www.eogen.com/CensusRecordsUK Vessels & Enumeration in Census Records]
 
 
*[http://www.hotkey.net.au/~jwilliams4/mariner9.htm Index of Ships' Captains] Australia and New Zealand
 
 
*See also [[Emigration_and_Immigration|'''Emigration and Immigration''']] for Shipping Lists and more Maritime Resources.
 
 
 
*'''[[World War One]]'''
 
 
*'''[[World War Two]]'''
 
 
 
 
*[http://www.lewcock.net/index.php?option=com_magazine&func=show_edition&id=15&Itemid=90 Family Tree Forum Online Magazine ~ Volume Two: April 2008] had a nautical theme.
 
<br><br>
 
 
==The Royal Navy==
 
 
*'''[[The Royal Navy]]'''
 
<br><br>
 
==The Merchant Navy==
 
 
====Merchant Navy Records====
 
 
*'''[[Military_Research#Merchant_Navy_Research|Records of Merchant Seamen]]'''
 
 
 
*[http://www.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.00100p005004 How to trace Merchant Navy personnel]
 
 
*[http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.569 How to trace Merchant Mariners, mates and engineers who served in the Merchant Navy]
 
 
*[http://www.crewlist.org.uk/Merchant seafarers on British registered ships between 1861 and 1913]
 
 
*[http://www.irishmariners.ie/ Irish Merchant Seamen 1918-1921]
 
 
*[http://www.merchant-mariners.co.uk/ The Federation Of Merchant Mariners]
 
 
*[http://www.mightyseas.co.uk/Merchant sailing ships of the North West of England]
 
 
*[http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/WWI%20LOSSES%20INDEX.htm British Merchant Ship Losses in World War I]
 
 
*[http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/merchant_navy_losses.htm Merchant Navy Losses in World War 2]
 
 
<br><br>
 
 
==Coastguards and Coastal Defences==
 
 
The Coastguard began as Customs Officers whose job was to apprehend smugglers trying to import goods without paying duty. As early as the 17th century there were small fleets of customs boats patrolling local waters in an effort to prevent smuggling.
 
 
A detailed history of HM Coastguard and Records can be found at the [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=54 National Archives ~ Coastguard] and in County Record Offices.
 
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_Majesty's_Coastguard HM Coastguard]
 
 
*[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Coastguards/ British Coastguards 1841 - 1901 ]
 
 
*[http://www.hansonclan.co.uk/coastguards_1.htm History of The Coastguard With Particular Reference to Wick and Newbiggin-by-the-Sea]
 
 
*[http://www.nazeman.fsnet.co.uk/page3.html History of Walton on the Naze Coastguard 1851-1901]
 
 
*[http://www.coastguard.ukf.net/history.html A Brief History of The Tenby Coastguard Service]
 
 
*[http://www.isleofbarra.com/for-mariners/coastguard/history.html History of The Isle of Barra Coastguard]
 
 
*[http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/cgi-bin/fullrecord.pl?handle=PORT1060946625 The Irish Coastguard Service From The 18th Century to The Early 20th Century]
 
 
*[http://www.martello-towers.co.uk/ The South Coast Martello Towers]
 
 
*[http://www.landguard.com/ Landguard Fort, Felixtowe]
 
 
*[http://www.theneedlesbattery.org.uk/ The Needles Battery]
 
 
*[http://www.newhavenfort.org.uk/history.htm Newhaven Fort]
 
 
*[http://www.btinternet.com/~palmiped/pillboxes/pillboxes.htm WW2 Coastal Defences Salthouse, Kelling & Weybourne, North Norfolk  ]
 
 
*[http://www.nothefort.org.uk/ The Nothe Fort, Weymouth]
 
 
*[http://www.palmerstonforts.org.uk/ The Palmerston Forts Society] Forts in Portsmouth Area
 
 
*[http://www.shorehamfort.co.uk/ Shoreham Fort]
 
 
*[http://www.whitstablescene.co.uk/forts.htm The Maunsell Sea Forts, Whitstable]
 
<br><br>
 
==The Fishing Industry==
 
 
Deep sea fishing was the most dangerous occupation of the 19th Century and is still high on the list today. Men signed on at a fixed rate per voyage or for a share of the catch.
 
 
The fishing fleet was part of the Merchant Navy. Coastal County Record Offices sometimes house extensive collections of information about the fishing fleets based in their ports.
 
 
Details of these may be found in [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/ A2A - Access to Archives] or, more likely, on individual County Record Office websites.
 
 
*[http://www.hullwebs.co.uk/content/l-20c/conflict/ww1/trawlers/intro.htm Hull Trawler Losses of World War One]
 
 
*[http://www.brixhamsailingtrawlers.co.uk/ The Brixham Sailing Trawlers Database]
 
 
*[http://www.burtonbradstock.org.uk/History/History%20of%20Fishing/History%20of%20Fishing.htm History of Fishing at Burton Bradstock]
 
 
*[http://www.nelincs.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/6BB72BF2-D1E3-4B8C-A3B7-DF8A7A30925A/0/FamilyHistoryFishingArchives.pdf A Guide to Family History in Hull and Grimsby Fishing Archives] (pdf file)
 
 
*[http://www.hastingsfish.co.uk/index.htm The Fishing Industry in Hastings]
 
 
*[http://www.polperro.org/fishing.html The Polperro Fishing Industry]
 
 
*[http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/ws1923/index.htm Irish Sea Herring Fisheries in the 18th and 19th Century]
 
 
*[http://www.scotfishmuseum.org/history.html A History of the Scottish Fishing Industry]
 
 
*[http://www.mearns.org.uk/stonehaven/genfish.htm The Stonehaven Fishing Industry]
 
 
*[http://www.mcaorals.co.uk/Fraserburgh%20Boats.htm The History of Fraserburgh's Fishing Fleet]
 
 
*[http://www.buckieheritage.org/ Buckie and District Fishing Heritage]
 
 
*[http://www.milfordtrawlers.org.uk/ Milford Haven Trawlers]
 
 
*[http://www.c-e-n.org/herringgirls.htm Herring Girls]
 
 
 
'''Articles from Family Tree Forum's Online Magazine:'''
 
 
*[http://www.lewcock.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=226&Itemid=90&ed=15 The call of the sea]
 
 
*[http://www.lewcock.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=141&Itemid=81 Herrings and vegetables]
 
 
*[http://www.lewcock.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=115&Itemid=81 William Christmas Capps and son]
 
 
*[http://www.lewcock.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=215&Itemid=81 Toot]
 
<br><br>
 
 
==Lifeboats==
 
 
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity and lifeboats are manned by volunteers.
 
 
The RNLI grew out of the loose groups of salvagers which could be found in most ports.
 
 
When vessels were in trouble at sea salvers, often sailors or fishermen, would go to the rescue and claim salvage rights of the vessel and its cargo.
 
 
Many local branches of the RNLI have records of volunteers and rescues but do make a charge for searches. Some records can also be found in County Record Offices and local newspaper archives are another useful source.
 
 
*[http://www.rnli.org.uk/who_we_are/the_heritage_trust/grace_darling_museum Grace Darling Museum]
 
 
*[http://www.rnli.org.uk/Shorething/Youth/Crew/archives.aspx Shore Thing. Crew Member Archives of the RNLI]
 
 
*[http://www.whitby-yorkshire.co.uk/lifeboat/lifeboats.htm A Site Dedicated to The Lifeboat Men of Whitby Who Lost Their Lives in 1861]
 
 
 
'''Article from Family Tree Forum's Online Magazine:'''
 
 
*[http://ftfmagazine.lewcock.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46:the-john-mewse-mug&catid=35:august-2008 The John Mewse Mug]
 
 
 
Many other Lifeboat stations have their own history sites, often with old Crew Lists and Photographs - these include:-
 
 
*[http://www.aberystwythlifeboat.org.uk/ Aberystwyth]
 
 
*[http://www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/east/stations/BurnhamonCrouch/ Burnham-on-Crouch]
 
 
*[http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/rnli/ Burnham-on-Sea]
 
 
*[http://www.dover-lifeboat.org.uk/ Dover]
 
 
*[http://www.falmouthlifeboat.co.uk/ Falmouth]
 
 
*[http://www.cantabgold.net/users/ctm28/ Gravesend]
 
 
*[http://www.lymeregis.com/lifeboat/ Lyme Regis]
 
 
*[http://www.mumbleslifeboat.org.uk/history.html Mumbles]
 
 
*[http://portpatricklifeboat.co.uk/text/the_archives.htm Portpatrick]
 
 
*[http://www.ramsgatelifeboat.org.uk/ Ramsgate]
 
 
*[http://www.sheernesslifeboats.org.uk/ Sheerness]
 
 
*[http://www.shorehamlifeboat.co.uk/history.html Shoreham]
 
 
*[http://www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/southwest/stations/StPeterPortGuernseyCI/history St Peter Port]
 
 
*[http://www.swanagelifeboat.org.uk/ Swanage]
 
 
*[http://www.thurso-lifeboat.org.uk/History.htm Thurso] 
 
 
*[http://www.waltonfrintonlifeboat.co.uk/ Walton and Frinton]
 
 
*[http://www.wellslifeboat.org/history.htm Wells-next-the-Sea]
 
 
*[http://www.whitstablelifeboat.org.uk/ Whitstable]
 
<br><br>
 
 
==Trinity Pilots and Lighthouses==
 
 
All ports need sea pilots to guide vessels safely through local hazards and into harbour. Historically these used to be local men who knew the seas around their home ports. Pilots were also needed on large navigable rivers. Samuel Pepys had concerns about the quality of Port of London Pilots and was given permission to devise a test and the Pilots were brought under the aegis of Trinity House.
 
 
Trinity Pilots were licensed by the [http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/ConNarrative.64/chapterId/1414/Trinity-House.html Corporation of Trinity House]. When a Pilot applied to be licensed, he had to have British nationality, have several years' experience as a watch-keeping officer of a ship, hold a foreign-going Master Mariner's certificate (or Naval Certificate of Service) and be under 35 years of age.
 
 
Records are held at The Guildhall Library, although these suffered from fire in 1666 and 1714 and from bombing in 1940. Some court minutes survive from 1660, but the majority of other records in the series are only present from the 19th century. Staff employed at the Guildhall Library are unable to undertake personal searches. The functions of Trinity House, as well as surviving records and how to access them is explained on the website at [http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/thouse2.htm Guildhall Library Manuscipts Section - Trinity House Family History Sources].
 
 
Qualified pilots could claim a set fee so unofficial local pilots continued to thrive up until the 20th Century. In Lowestoft, for example, these men were know as Brumigen Pilots. Registers of Pilots can usually be found in County Record Offices.
 
 
*[http://www.gloucesterdocks.me.uk/people/pilotage/channelpilots.htm Bristol Channel Pilots]
 
 
*[http://www.liverpoolpilots.com/ Liverpool Pilots]
 
 
*[http://www.thamespilot.org.uk/ixbin/hixclient.exe?a=file&p=thames&f=thames.htm Thames Pilot]
 
 
*[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/Lighthouses/ Lighthouse Personnel in England, Wales and The Channel Islands c. 1790-1911]
 
 
*[http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/interactive/gallery/index.html Trinity House's Gallery of Lighthouses]
 
 
*[http://www.pbenyon1.plus.com/RN/Lighthouse_Maps/Lighthouses_North.html Map of UK Lighthouses in 1900, Scotland, Northern England and North of Ireland]
 
 
*[http://www.pbenyon1.plus.com/RN/Lighthouse_Maps/Lighthouses_South.html Map of UK Lighthouses in 1900, Southern England, The Channel Islands and South of Ireland]
 
 
*[http://www.nlb.org.uk/historical/historical.htm History of Scottish Lighthouses]
 
 
*[http://www.bellrock.org.uk/ Bellrock Lighthouse (off the Angus Coast)]
 
 
*[http://www.oldhigherlighthouse.com/history.html History of the Older Higher Lighthouse, Portland Bill]
 
 
*[http://www.happisburgh.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=31 A Brief History of Happisburgh Lighthouse]
 
<br><br>
 
==Shipbuilding==
 
 
*[http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/Shipbuilding.html The Shipbuilding Industry of North East England 1790-1899]
 
 
*[http://www.berwickshipyard.com/ Berwick on Tweed Shipyard]
 
 
*[http://www.clydesite.co.uk/articles/index.asp Clydeside Shipbuilding History]
 
 
*[http://www.lakestay.co.uk/shipbuild.html The Whitehaven Shipbuilding Industry]
 
 
*[http://www.chdt.org.uk/Discover/The_Dockyards_History/History.html Chatham Dockyard]
 
 
*[http://www.titanicinbelfast.com/welcome.aspx Titanic in Belfast ~ Harland & Wolff]
 
 
*[http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~handwapprentices/ Harland and Wolff Apprentices]
 
<br><br>
 
 
==Shipping Companies==
 
 
*[http://www.oceanlinermuseum.co.uk/ The Ocean Liner Virtual Museum]
 
 
*[http://www.shawsavillships.co.uk/index.htm The White Star, Shaw Savill and Albion Lines]
 
 
*[http://www.shipsofcalmac.co.uk/cmbhistory.asp The Caledonian Macbrayne Fleet]
 
  
*[http://www.unioncastlestaffregister.co.uk/ The Union Castle Line - Staff Register]
 
  
*[http://www.dpandl.co.uk/dpl_mainintro.html?shipping_history.html=dpl_history.html The Dundee Perth and London Shipping Company]
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*[http://www.seaview.co.uk/cruiselines/pando/PandO_History.html History of the P & O Shipping Company]
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'''The content of this page has been moved to a new location in the Reference Library which can be accessed via the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.familytreeforum.com/content.php Home Page]</span>  of the forum.'''
  
*[http://www.manchesterliners.co.uk/index.htm Manchester Liners Old Shipmates Association]
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'''Click <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.familytreeforum.com/content.php/312-Military-and-Maritime here]</span>  to be redirected to the new location.'''
  
*[http://www.steam-packet.com/SteamPacket/About-Us/ The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]
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<br><br>
 
<br><br>
==Shipwrecks==
 
 
*[http://www.titanicarchive.com/History.aspx The Titanic]
 
 
*[http://www.shipwrecksofscotland.com/ Great British Shipwrecks]
 
 
*[http://www.divingweymouth.com/mainpages/wrecks.htm Dorset and Portland Shipwrecks]
 
 
*[http://www.theheritagecoast.co.uk/historyfile/portland_and_weymouth/wrecks/chesil_beach_shipwrecks.htm Chesil Beach Shipwrecks]
 
 
*[http://www.theneedlesbattery.org.uk/shipwrek.shtml Shipwrecks off The Needles, Isle of Wight]
 
 
*[http://www.gov.im/mnh/heritage/countryside/sound/shipwrecks.xml Isle of Man Shipwrecks]
 
 
*[http://www.corkshipwrecks.net/ Shipwrecks of Cork Harbour]
 
 
*[http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/shipwrecks/ Early Australian Shipwrecks]
 
 
 
'''Articles from Family Tree Forum's Online Magazine:'''
 
 
*[http://www.lewcock.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=219&Itemid=90&ed=15 R.M.S. Titanic]
 
 
<br><br>
 
 
==Smuggling==
 
 
*[http://www.smuggling.co.uk/history.html A History of British Smuggling]
 
 
*[http://www.dorsetsmugglers.co.uk/ A History of Smuggling in East Dorset]
 
 
*[http://www.heritagepress.polperro.org/smuggling.html The History of Smuggling in Polperro]
 
 
*[http://www.burtonbradstock.org.uk/History/Smuggling/Smuggling.htm Smuggling in and around Burton Bradstock]
 
 
 
'''Articles from the Family Tree Forum Online Magazine:'''
 
 
*[http://ftfmagazine.lewcock.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=232:watch-the-wall-my-darling&catid=48:may-2009 Watch the wall my darling]
 
 
*[http://ftfmagazine.lewcock.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=228:turncoat&catid=48:may-2009 Turncoat]
 
 
*[http://ftfmagazine.lewcock.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=235:were-you-born-in-yapton&catid=48:may-2009 Were you born in Yapton?]
 
<br><br>
 
 
==Ports and Harbours==
 
 
*[http://www.portcities.org.uk/london  Maritime London]
 
 
*[http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/alpha_lists/pierlist.htm Piers of England]
 
 
*[http://www.portcities.org.uk/ Port Cities uk, Bristol, Hartlepool, Liverpool, London & Southampton]
 
 
*[http://www.brixhamsailingtrawlers.co.uk/ Brixham Heritage Sailing Trawlers Archive]
 
 
*[http://www.helendoe.co.uk/ Tales of the Maritime Heritage of Cornwall]
 
 
*[http://www.plymouthdata.info/Royal%20Dockyard.htm Royal Dockyard Devonport]
 
 
*[http://www.grantontrawlers.com/index.htm Granton and Leith Trawlers]
 
 
*[http://www.societe-jersiaise.org/alexgle/JMSBS.html Jersey Seaman's Benefit Society]
 
 
*[http://www.mersey-gateway.org/ The History of Maritime Liverpool]
 
 
*[http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/ Merseyside Maritime Museum]
 
 
*[http://www.old-merseytimes.co.uk/logbook.html Merseyside Shipping Snippets]
 
 
*[http://www.seayourhistory.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=113 History of Portsmouth Dockyard]
 
 
*[http://www.swmaritime.org.uk/ South West Maritime History Society]
 
 
*[http://www.bargetrust.org/ The Thames Sailing Barge Trust]
 
 
*[http://www.cardiffmariners.org.uk/ Cardiff Mariners]
 
 
*[http://www.anglesey.info/Holyhead_Maritime_History.htm The Maritime History of Holyhead]
 
 
*[http://www.rhiw.com/y_mor/hanes_llongau_llyn/hotmap/hotmap.htm Maritime Llyn and the Sea.The Men, Ships and Ports of Llyn, Wales]
 
 
*[http://www.swanseamariners.org.uk/ Swansea Mariners]
 
<br><br>
 
 
 
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