# Ships log books



## John Dryden (Sep 26, 2009)

Is it possible to get copies of the log books of ships I was on between 1969 and 73?I can,t seem to fathom out if they are available or not,
thanks in advance.JD


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## OLD STRAWBERRY (Jan 20, 2006)

Try The National Archives at Kew http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.htm


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

I think you will have some difficulty, John. Are you looking for the official logbooks (the narratives) or the crew agreements? I should maybe explain a little better, the official logbooks include the crew agreements/lists but not many have survived beyond WW2 and most in the time period you quote will probably be held in Canada. 
Regards
Hugh


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## John Dryden (Sep 26, 2009)

Thanks Tony for the link.i have been there before but no luck..wouldn,t even recognise the IMO of the ships.
Yes Hugh,I agree with you,it is difficult for that particular time scale and I remember on a previous search I was led to a Canadian archive and hit another dead end.It was the official log books I was interested in.
I really should step up a gear and send a few e mail enquiries to the relevant holders of such do***ents but thank you for your replies.


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Hello John,

We know that 10% of crew agreemnets are held a Kew for the period you are interested in and that 10% of crew agreements for the years ending in 5 are held at the National Maritime Museum, the remainder are held at the Maritime History Archive in Newfoundland. Also, when you consider that crew agreements would normally be included in the official logbooks it would be reasonable, therefore, to assume that the official logbooks for the period you are interested in are held in the places that I have mentioned above. However, not all crew agreements have their parent official logbook present - I would say most do not.

The Maritime History Archive have not indexed the time period you are interested in so an email with the specific ships you require would be worthwhile unless of course you have already been down that road.

Regards
Hugh


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## dave beaumont (Jul 2, 2005)

John, i got photo copies of the log and Agreement and List of the crew from Memorial, University of Newfoundland, Maritime History Archive, St Johns, N I Canada AIC 5S7. Has all ports, daily inspections, list of all crew, rates of pay for each member of crew, address of crew, loggings, pretty well everything. Got this a few years ago and cost about $80 Aus then but well worth it. Particular voyage was from March 1972 to August 1972. Cheers Dave


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## Tony the pilot (Nov 9, 2013)

I was under the impression that all MN ship records (Official log books, articles etc) went to the RGSS in Cardiff?
Just had a quick look- Try this link, its got all the information relating to shipping & seafarer records.
www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga07-home/workingatsea/mcga-trainingandcert/dops_-_west-newpage-22.htm


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Tony the pilot said:


> I was under the impression that all MN ship records (Official log books, articles etc) went to the RGSS in Cardiff?
> Just had a quick look- Try this link, its got all the information relating to shipping & seafarer records.
> www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga07-home/workingatsea/mcga-trainingandcert/dops_-_west-newpage-22.htm


If only this were true Tony. The MCA only hold for after 1996.

Official logbooks and crew agreements are for the time period that John is looking for are held in the locations that I have already indicated in my previous post.

Regards
Hugh


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## kypros (Feb 13, 2010)

Can anyone explain why British MN log books would be held in Canada with no disrespect to the Canadians what was the point.KYPROS


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Why are these records in Newfoundland?

Basically no one else wanted them. During the fifties and early 60's Lots of invaluable paper do***ents, not just Maritime related, were destroyed by the then Public Records Office simply because there was no physical space to accommodate them. For example The individual WW2 RAF pilots flying logbooks took up over 8 miles of shelf space, so they were burnt. What a resource for historians! Of course today these do***ents would have been digitally recorded.

In 1966 the National Archives in London [Public Record Office] took the decision to discard part of the “Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, the Agreements and Account of Crew and Official Logbooks” for British Empire vessels from 1861 to1913. The decision met with considerable opposition from archivists and maritime and labour historians; these records were considered to be a valuable and largely untapped source of information on seafaring labour and the shipping industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Eventually, through the co-operative effort of a number of individuals, the disposition of the Crew Agreements was settled, with the bulk of the records being transferred to the Memorial University of Newfoundland's Maritime History Archive .
Just to confirm. The information in the posts made by Hugh would be correct. With the exception of most of the Crew agreements for years ending in "5" and for the years 1861, 1862 are held at NMM and for the years 1915 and 1945, these are held in The National Archives at Kew. Logbooks and Crew Agreements before 1861 back to 1835 in some cases, are stored at Kew in the series BT98. Catalogued by POR. Understandably many have been lost or destroyed.

regards
Roger


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## kypros (Feb 13, 2010)

Beaurocratic vandalism.KYPROS


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