Genealogy Chat

Hi Carole I think in your case the local records office really is your best bet. You could try contacting them to ask what they have. If they are like the Somerset Records Office then they would have a lot of shipping details. I've seen books full of lists of journeys with names of ships and mariners. I've got mariners on connecting branches of one of my Somerset families and found some information about a couple of them for a contact. Good luck Sue

thanks Sue, I need to look for a lot of things at the local record office and this is one more thing to add to my list! Lots and lots of trips needed! And thanks Heather, I'm going to try that site now. I have to get as much tips etc as I can and to do as much frantic surfing as I can. I don't have a computer and I'm using my mum's at the moment, and I go home tomorrow morning! Carole

If you are looking for photos/pictures and general info, try PortCities website.

Susan just spent ages typing reply, hit a button and the whole thing got sent off goodness knows where! Unfortunately I don't come from a 'shipping family' I come from the slums! William Fenton b c1805 in Scotland. Family was living at Whitburn St in Monkwearmouth (Shore). Was a Mariner away in 1841 William Fenton b 1834 in Monkwearmouth (Shore). living also in Whitburn St (his father was the above William). was a Sea apprentice in 1861 Zachariah Mann Adey b1871 Monkwearmouth (Shore) living in Henry St, Hendon was a Steam ship Stoker in 1898. Robert Hall Campbell b 1825 in Sunderland. living in Robinson Lane. Was in the seaman merchant service. Do you think googling would help me find any information? If so any hints on what phrases would be helpful! Carole

I find googling gets me surprising results. I try names plus places in every combination I can think of which might get me my ancestors. I have descent from a couple called Anthony Hickman and Rose (nee Locke, who later married a second husband called Simon Throckmorton). The Hickman and Locke families were Merchant Adventurers in Tudor times and I have turned up a lot of information using search engines. I've also used variations of spellings for the names. I hadn't realised until I started hunting(and I have spent many hours over weeks on these so far) that Anthony was a wealthy shipowner with important connections. I also discovered that his widow Rose wrote a brief autobiography in her old age which is in the British Library. I haven't seen that because they wanted to charge me £40 for a copy but I have discovered that the University of London has an article based on it. They are sending me a copy of the article for £3. I am really excited about that and can't wait. My best tip is to just keep digging and trying different variations of words and phrases. I only discovered two nights ago, by using a new phrase, that John Knox used to be a friend of the Hickmans and stayed with them in London also that John Locke (the philosopher on whose works the American Constitution was based) was a relation. I don't know a huge amount about seagoing records but I do know that there's an enormous amount of general information online and it isn't always easy to find. You should also find a lot of information in a local records office. I know my one in Somerset has shipping records which are very detailed. What names are you looking for in the Sunderland area? I know there was a shipping family called Culliford from around there who originated in Somerset. Good luck Sue

Hi Susan, I haven't checked for myself yet, but there should be a wealth of information about their careers, ships served on, journeys undertaken, promotions and I think disciplines, at the National Archives in Kew. I haven't found anything online but I am still stubbornly trying, just in case. Good luck Duncan

thanks Gwyneth, I hadn't thought of that. I do know that in Sunderland (where my ancestors were from) there used to be a club for ex-navy and seamen. I think it may be an idea for me to see if its still there and contact them. They may be able to help me. Most of my lot weren't in the navy, but were mariners dating between the late 1700's and late 1800's and I did wonder if any records existed. Carole

Duncan My mariners were from West Sussex, Littlehampton area. The cards I saw were not 'Record Cards' as such, but handwritten cards filed alphabetically by surname. They may have been copied from official records by a family history group, ( Chichester does house quite a few indexed parish records etc too ) I found them in my early days of searching and unfortunately didn't fully note the source, as I would now. Gwyn

I have several mariners in my tree from Sussex. I found index cards for them in the Record Office in Chichester, listing ships and dates of service. These were not Royal Navy or Merchant Navy, but mainly making coastal journeys in the south. Gwyn

Hi Gwyneth from Kent, I'm from Kent too. Chichester - isn't that the West Sussex records, because my wife has mariners and shipwrights from Shoreham, Sussex. Is Chichester a better bet than the National Archives?

Hello everyone, I have a large amount of mariners and shipwrights in my family. Is there any way I could find more out about these people? All I have is their names, year of birth and place of birth. I don't know which ships they were on etc. Thanks Carole