General Chat

Sorry couldn't find the blessed thing. What are you doing undressed at 11.14 am. I'm not talking to you while you are in a state of undress.

Do it later if you wish. The look see. Not the dressing!!

Edit. And I think the boakins will look really cute out on the ground at half time.......

They have been practising very hard!!

Gimme an A Awful
Gimme an R Rotten
Gimme an S Football

Hmm I suppose they will need a bit more learning before we can risk it.

Aunty, do you know how to search for a seaman in 1851? I've got one that I can't find at that time.

I've got to go out now but I'll be back later today.

Is anybody having trouble with this site? It's going a bit strange.

Hah hah!! Pauline you've come to the right place.

The ministry of misinformation. See I've hung my shingle outside my office. Come in take a seat. Let me tell you hoooooooooowwwwwwww!!!!

Sob, sob, grizzle, grizzle.

I can tell you how to search but not that you will find any information.

Just a moment and I will post my momentous info on here.

And that should really wave the red and white flag at Her Maj so we'd better hide in the padded cell. I've been helping her with a chant for the boakins!!

Here it is Pauline. How to search for a merchant seaman. I think it would be easier to go down to the London docks and find one yourself!!!

I have removed any real names. If you would like those I will PM them to you.

This is the Southampton search.

Thank you for your e mail. We have the Central Index of Merchant Seamen here in the Office. It covers all seamen who served on British registered ships 1918-1941.

You can order a search the fee is £15, payable in sterling and in advance. You can pay by cheque, or money order in sterling. They also accept credit card and will tell you the details. Orders can take up to 20 working days to complete in busy times.

Collections (Access and Care) Manager,
Arts and Heritage,
Southampton City Council, Civic Centre, Southampton SO14 7LP
tel 023 8083 2631
fax 023 8083 2156
e mail address ************@southampton.gov.uk

Southampton Archives is open Tuesday 12.30-4.30, Wednesday 9.30-4.30 and Thursday 9.30-4.



This is the Newfoundland Canada search.

They were unable to find any records after searching.

The best chance you may have is searching through the Central Index Register of Merchant Seamen, 1918-1941. This collection contains information from CR1, CR2 and CR10 cards.

The CR10 cards are especially informative, providing info like date & place of birth, nationality, physical description, discharge #, and name & address of next of kin. This collection is held at the Southampton Archives.

The National Archives in Kew also holds a copy on microfiche. Southampton offers a research service, 15 pounds per surname.
Some seafarers cannot be found in the Register. There are different reasons for this, but the two most common explanations are:

- If a seaman continued to serve after 1941 his records have usually been transferred to the next register (the 5th Register of Merchant Seamen) which is held at the National Archives, Kew

- The seaman's records may be amongst the cards which were destroyed in the 1960s

Archival Assistant
Maritime History Archive
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, NL
A1C 5S7

Tel: 709-737-8428
Fax: 709-737-3123

Website: http://www.mun.ca/mha


This is the reply back from Southampton with the hints for further research.

I searched all the card series for him – both the 2 alphabetical series (CR10 and CR1) and the 2 numerical which I searched under his discharge number (CR2 and Combined Series).

Although the Central Index Register was started in 1913, the pre 1921 CR1 and CR2 series of cards were weeded out and destroyed back in the 1960s while they were still at the Registry of Shipping so his records have very likely been destroyed.

The CR10 series still survives dating 1918-21 to partially fill the gap but it looks as if it’s too late for your search.

The only suggestion that I can make if you want to track his service back before 1915 is to locate the crew list of the Orontes for the first voyage you know about. A seaman signed a crew list and agreement when he signed on and had to provide personal information including the name of his last ship, so you can work backwards from a known point.

Crew lists are difficult to locate because they are dispersed in various repositories as follows:

The National Archives at Kew www.nationalarchives.gov.uk have a 10% sample of all lists, including all for the two world war years, so they are likely to have the 1915 voyages. They will not carry out a search for you but if you cannot get there yourself they can supply a list of specialist paid researchers.

The National Maritime Museum, Manuscripts Dept., Greenwich, London SE10 9NF have lists for years ending in a –5, but I think not 1915

Anything remaining of post 1913 lists went to the Maritime History Archive, Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada.

http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/searchcombinedcrews.php This is a searchable database by official number of ship

1863 - 1913 lists were offered to local record offices and when they had taken what they wanted for their own area ports (we have Southampton) the rest went to Newfoundland

Collections Access Officer
Arts & Heritage
Southampton City Council
Tel: 023 8083 2251 Fax: 023 8083 2156



There you go. I hope you have as much fun as I have. Although I must tell you everyone I have been dealing with have been so obliging and helpful and have gone out of their way to assist.

Ooooooooo Aunty I can't half go off people. Just loaded up the catapult with all the mouldy stuff I have found laying around. Mole stew at least 6 months old, rissotto with it's own bacterial colony,a few mushroom omellets a bit green and smelly and scum coated pink custard from the bottom of the vat.Weighted down a bit with a couple of large stones,aim,fire >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> a pressy for you Aunty catch LOL.

booo i am here been out to have lunch before i get the rooms swapped beds made for daughter arriving while i am at youth tonite frog gone home but will meet at the weekend so not too bad .I have the chippy here working on my loo again so done upstairs but a shame will have to wait until later to finish off
i have made gallons of lentil soup so i will replace the the mouldy stew plenty of garlic and windpower lol

Thank you Aunty, if I send an email to the unnamed person (obviously I would need the name) will I be able to find out where the records are for 1851/61? I don't know the name of the ship he was on. He's missing from those 2 census records and his wife is just down as seaman's wife. On other census records he's at home and down as seaman or mariner.

I've copied all the info so it's OK if you don't want to leave it on the thread. I'd hate to see you covered in all the gunk LG's sending your way.

Forgot to say, we've had snow today. It snowed all morning and it was about 4 inches deep by the time it stopped. Needless to say I've spent the afternoon clearing it away so my son could get home. It didn't start until he was already on the bus going out to the centre. After I'd finished clearing it away - the sun came out and melted the parts I didn't need to do.

Aunty, I love the chant!! Can't wait till you have finished it!!

Maz, you haven't let frog on here yet to wind up his sense of humour!!!

No snow here Pauline, but very cold!!!

DET, shame on you, still in jim jams at 11.14am!!

LG, what are you up to sending all that mouldy, bacteria filled rubbish to Aunty! Naughty!!

No not naughty she deserved it LOL.

Awww we missed the frog why did he not pay us a visit Maz.
Pauline just keep the white stuff to yourself.

Goood morning all.

OH is out in the garden, still dark outside.

He is busily digging all the lovely compost into the garden beds. Very bemused he is. Keeps shaking his head and muttering, "Where did all this compostible material come from??"

He knows nothing about Nut Lodge, and nothing about mole stew or mushroom rissotto.

So I'm just keeping quiet.

Your aim was off by just a fraction LG. Was it something I said??

It was the chant wasn't it. Not the family history offering. Oh well you have to take the good with the excellent sometimes.

Come on boakins, practice time. You really need a bit more oomph in the delivery. And by the way it is, "Gimme an S - soccer", What? yes of course you can giggle afer that one!!

Pauline correct email addresses on their way.

LOl Aunty I will get you this time the ark is loaded up and ready to go. Will do a flypast or over rather and be warned it will be a direct hit LOL

Pauline, I have no idea what records they can search. I have a notion that the earlier the records the easier it is to find them, but I could be wrong.

Good luck.

Hmmm yes that might pose a problem. And my yard will be easy to see with twenty or so red and white clad boa constrictors galloping around the place singing the Arsenal chant. They are quite difficult to keep under control.

Might have to invoke the virtual camoflague net over the area. Or ask Sweetpea to sabotage google maps.

YG. The rest of the chant is on post at 0920. That must have been before you were awake. What is it August Bank Holiday Day over there or something??

We have had a few practise sessions. Much better now.

LOL Yg would have been at work, possibly asleep ???? She wishes LOL. Have a high class radar fitted and a top notch satnav so no escape for you my girl LOL

I wish it was August Bank Holiday!! It would be a lot warmer than it is at the moment!!

But, we would be a lot closer to Christmas too!!!

So, on second thoughts ..................................................

My humblest apologies deputy regal HRH of Nut Lodge! I did read the 09.20 post and no I wasn't asleep at work, but I was almost asleep when I got home tonight!

evening all we had snow too here
frog has read all the post and think you look lovely in your outfits fscinators very frugal way to decorate those peacock feathers in the corner need a good dust yg for your hat too thought sweetpea has been training Gizmo to be naughty as he loves the wires on here .my daughter is due in soon they are stuck in wetherby as traffic is bad so waiting up for them now

Evening Maz, well now thw frog knows we are quite quite nutters LOL!!! We all look so lovely don't we,all dressed up and nowhere to go (YET!! HINT HINT) LOL.

WAKEY WAKEY YG it will soon be time for bed LOL

hello LG
u can keep it lol save it for a cyber pet wedding lol
lol yg we havnt had the summer yet

Bloomin cold here tonight. I have just turned up the heating a notch and put the kettle on for hot cuppa.