The earliest records date from the second half of the 18th century in the form of ships' log books listing crew members. The survival of these records is somewhat patchy. Seamen were registered by the Board of Trade between 1835 and 1857 (see Merchant Seamen: Registers of Service, 1835-57) and since 1913 (see Merchant Seamen: Registers of Service 1913-72). ).

The later records, which the National Archives has up to 1941, are particularly informative, with photographs, personal descriptions and details of ships served on. However, there are numerous other short-lived series of records between 1835 and 1913 that may provide information (see Merchant Seamen: Records of the RGSS, A Guide to Leaflets). It helps to know the individual's rank and his specialism (engineer, deck hand, mate), before you start looking.

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