£75.00 EBook Add to Basket >>

£90.00 DVD Add to Basket >>

Add this eBook to your basket to receive access to all 68 records.

Our indexes include entries for the spelling whitburn. In the period you have requested, we have the following 68 records (displaying 21 to 30): 

These sample scans are from the original record. You will get scans of the full pages or articles where the surname you searched for has been found.

Your web browser may prevent the sample windows from opening; in this case please change your browser settings to allow pop-up windows from this site.

National ArchivesBritish merchant seamen (1835-1836)
At this period, the foreign trade of ships plying to and from the British isles involved about 150,000 men on 15,000 ships; and the coasting trade about a quarter as many more. A large proportion of the seamen on these ships were British subjects, and so liable to be pressed for service in the Royal Navy; but there was no general register by which to identify them, so in 1835 parliament passed a Merchant Seamen's Registration Bill. Under this act this large register of British seamen was compiled, based on ships' crew lists gathered in British and Irish ports, and passed up to the registry in London. Each seaman was assigned a number, and the names were arranged in the register by first two letters of the surname (our sample scan shows one of the pages for 'Sm'); in addition, an attempt was made to separate out namesakes by giving the first instance of a name (a), the second (b), and so on. But no effective method was devised to prevent the same man being registered twice as he appeared in a second crew list; moreover, the original crew lists were clearly difficult for the registry clerks to copy, and some of the surname spellings appear to be corrupted. A parliamentary committee decided that the system devised did not answer the original problem, and this register was abandoned after less than two years: but it is an apparently comprehensive source for British merchant seamen in 1835 to 1836. The register records the number assigned to each man; his name; age; birthplace; quality (master, captain, mate, 2nd mate, mariner, seaman, fisherman, cook, carpenter, boy &c.); and the name and home port of his ship, with the date of the crew list (usually at the end of a voyage). Most of the men recorded were born in the British Isles, but not all (for instance, Charleston and Stockholm appear in the sample scan). The final column 'How disposed of' is rarely used, and indicates those instances where a man died, was discharged, or deserted his ship during the voyage.
Sample scan, click to enlarge
British merchant seamen
 (1835-1836)
Bankrupts (1837)
Bankruptcy notices for England and Wales: bankruptcy often caused people to restart their lives elsewhere, so these are an important source for lost links
Sample scan, click to enlarge
Bankrupts
 (1837)
The queen's tradesmen (1841)
The Lord Chamberlain's Department, the Lord Steward's Department and the Department of the Master of the Horse maintained separate lists of approved tradesmen to supply the royal household.
Sample scan, click to enlarge
The queen's tradesmen
 (1841)
National ArchivesLondon Policemen (1830-1842)
The Metropolitan Police Register of Joiners (MEPO 333/4) lists policemen joining the force through to 31 December 1842 (to warrant number 19892). The register is alphabetical, in so far as the recruits are listed chronologically grouped under first letter of surname. It is evidently a continuation of a similar earlier register, not closed until its alphabetical sections were filled: consequently, there are no entries in this register for the initial letters N, O, Q, U, V, X, Y or Z; and the sections of this register start at different dates - A 18 April 1840 (warrant number 16894); B 11 December 1830 (5570); C 7 September 1830 (4988); D 27 May 1833 (8445); E 15 December 1838 (14476); F 30 March 1832 (7372); G 1 December 1835 (11,184); H 25 April 1832 (7457); I and J 13 February 1837 (12449); K 2 January 1838 (13457); L 3 October 1834 (9905); M 15 November 1832 (7999); P 4 October 1831 (6869); R 4 September 1837 (13021); S 30 March 1835 (10366); T 6 April 1840 (16829); W 30 December 1833 (9096). The register gives Date of Appointment, Name, Number of Warrant, Cause of Removal from Force (resigned, dismissed, promoted or died), and Date of Removal. Although the register was closed for new entrants at the end of 1842, the details of removals were always recorded, some being twenty or more years later. Those recruits not formerly in the police, the army, or some government department, were required to provide (normally) at least two letters of recommendation from persons of standing, and details of these are entered on the facing pages: the names in these are indexed separately - this index refers only to the police constables. Where a recruit was only recently arrived in the metropolis, the names and addresses of the recommenders can be invaluable for tracing where he came from.
Sample scan, click to enlarge
London Policemen
 (1830-1842)
National ArchivesPersons of standing recommending London police recruits (1830-1842)
The Metropolitan Police Register of Joiners (MEPO 333/4) lists policemen joining the force through to 31 December 1842 (to warrant number 19892). The register is alphabetical, in so far as the recruits are listed chronologically grouped under first letter of surname. It is evidently a continuation of a similar earlier register, not closed until its alphabetical sections were filled: consequently, there are no entries in this register for the initial letters N, O, Q, U, V, X, Y or Z; and the sections of this register start at different dates - A 18 April 1840 (warrant number 16894); B 11 December 1830 (5570); C 7 September 1830 (4988); D 27 May 1833 (8445); E 15 December 1838 (14476); F 30 March 1832 (7372); G 1 December 1835 (11,184); H 25 April 1832 (7457); I and J 13 February 1837 (12449); K 2 January 1838 (13457); L 3 October 1834 (9905); M 15 November 1832 (7999); P 4 October 1831 (6869); R 4 September 1837 (13021); S 30 March 1835 (10366); T 6 April 1840 (16829); W 30 December 1833 (9096). The register gives Date of Appointment, Name, Number of Warrant, Cause of Removal from Force (resigned, dismissed, promoted or died), and Date of Removal. Those recruits not formerly in the police, the army, or some government department, were required to provide (normally) at least two letters of recommendation from persons of standing, and details of these are entered on the facing pages: the names in these are indexed here (the police recruits are indexed separately and not included here). Recruits transferred from other forces or rejoining the force did not normally need recommendations - in the latter case, former warrant numbers are given - but some recommendations are from police inspectors, even other constables. Recruits coming from the army sometimes have general military certificates of good conduct, but most often have a letter from their former commanding officer; recruits recommended by government departments (most often the Home Office) similarly have letters from the head of department. But the great majority of the names and addresses in these pages are of respectable citizens having some sort of personal acquaintance with the recruit. Where more than two recommendations were provided, the clerk would only record one or two, with the words 'and others'. Tradesmen are sometimes identified as such by their occupations; there are some gentry. Although the great bulk of these names are from London and the home counties, a scattering are from further afield throughout Britain and Ireland.
Sample scan, click to enlarge
Persons of standing recommending London police recruits
 (1830-1842)
Masters of English Merchantmen at Antwerp (1845)
The custom house at Antwerp issued daily reports of ships entering (aenkomsten) and departing (vertrekken) the harbour. For entrances the information recorded is the precise date, the nationality of the ship (eng./engelsch=English/British), the type of ship (bark=barque, brik=brig, goelet=galliot; jagt=yacht, stoomboot=steamer), the surname of the captain (k./kap.), whence, and brief note of the cargo. The departure information is much the same, but usually stating only whether in ballast or with a cargo (met lading). English ships formed a large part of the traffic, and almost all the steamers plying between Antwerp and London or Hull were registered in England. The reports, published in the newspaper Het Handelsblad der Stad en Provincie Antwerpen, and presumably based on handwritten originals, show a wide variation in spelling of the English names of both ships and masters.
Sample scan, click to enlarge
Masters of English Merchantmen at Antwerp (1845)
Deaths, Marriages, News and Promotions (1847)
Death notices and obituaries, marriage and birth notices, civil and military promotions, clerical preferments and domestic occurrences, as reported in the Gentleman's Magazine. Mostly from England and Wales, but items from Ireland, Scotland and abroad. July to December 1847
Sample scan, click to enlarge
Deaths, Marriages, News and Promotions
 (1847)
Inhabitants of Kirriemuir (1847)
This alphabetical directory gives full names, occupation and address.
Sample scan, click to enlarge
Inhabitants of Kirriemuir (1847)
Masters of Merchantmen (1852-1853)
Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping was issued annually, listing ships that had been surveyed preparatory to being insured. This is the register issued 1 July 1852 and then annotated as ships were re-surveyed through to 30 June 1853. The ships were numbered by the first letter of their name, and then by number alphabetically through the ships' names and within ships of the same name alphabetically by surname of the master. After the name of the ship there is the type of vessel (Bk, barque; Bg, brig; Bn, brigantine; Cr, cutter; Dr, dogger; G, galliott; H, hoy; K, ketch; Lr, lugger; Pol, polacre; S, ship; Sk, smack; Sp, sloop; Sr, schooner; St, schoot; Stm, steamer; Sw, snow; Yt, yacht), master's name (as at the time of the last survey); tonnage; place and year of build; owners; port belonging to; destined voyage; number of years first assigned; and character for hull and stores (e. g., A 1), with the year or month (e. g., 50 for 1850, or 2 for February 1852) of inspection. Underneath some entries details were given of construction and repair, with year - s., sheathed; d., doubled; C., coppered; I. B., iron bolts; c. f., copper fastened; M., sheathed with marine metal; Y. M., sheathed with yellow metal; G., sheathed with galvanised iron; Z., sheathed with zinc; F., felt; C. lm., coppered to light water or ballast mark; C. T., copper bolts substituted for treenails; Cl., clincher; len., lengthened; lrp., large repairs; trp., thorough repairs; Drp., damage repaired; ND., new deck; N TSds., new top-sides; W. C., wales cased; NW., new wales; NB., new bottom; NK., new keel; plk, Plank; N Klsn, new kelson; alm. rb., almost rebuilt; pt O. M., part old materials (timbers or plank); Srprs, some repairs - and, in italics, the timber of the ship is described - A, ash; B B, black birch; Bh, beech; C, cedar; E, elm; F, fir; G, gum; Ght, greenheart; Hk, hackmatack; Hm, hemlock; L, locust; Lh, larch; L O, live oak; M, mahogany; P, pine; P P, pitch pine; R P, red pine; Y P, yellow pine; S, spruce; T, teak; Tam, tamarac; W H, witch hazel; W O, white oak. The sample scan is from the main list. The third column, reserved for masters' names, is not particularly wide; with short surnames, an initial will be given; but longer surnames omit the initials, and even longer surnames are abbreviated. This is the index to masters in the main list. Often new masters had been appointed by the time of re-survey, and their names are added in slightly smaller type under the original master's names in the third column. These new masters are also included in this index. It should be borne in mind that the masters in the main list are those at the time of the respective previous survey for each ship, not necessarily as of 1 July 1852.
Sample scan, click to enlarge
Masters of Merchantmen
 (1852-1853)
Owners of Merchantmen (1852-1853)
Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping was issued annually, listing ships that had been surveyed preparatory to being insured. This is the register issued 1 July 1852 and then annotated as ships were re-surveyed through to 30 June 1853. The ships were numbered by the first letter of their name, and then by number alphabetically through the ships' names and within ships of the same name alphabetically by surname of the master. After the name of the ship there is the type of vessel (Bk, barque; Bg, brig; Bn, brigantine; Cr, cutter; Dr, dogger; G, galliott; H, hoy; K, ketch; Lr, lugger; Pol, polacre; S, ship; Sk, smack; Sp, sloop; Sr, schooner; St, schoot; Stm, steamer; Sw, snow; Yt, yacht), master's name (as at the time of the last survey); tonnage; place and year of build; owners; port belonging to; destined voyage; number of years first assigned; and character for hull and stores (e. g., A 1), with the year or month (e. g., 50 for 1850, or 2 for February 1852) of inspection. Underneath some entries details were given of construction and repair, with year - s., sheathed; d., doubled; C., coppered; I. B., iron bolts; c. f., copper fastened; M., sheathed with marine metal; Y. M., sheathed with yellow metal; G., sheathed with galvanised iron; Z., sheathed with zinc; F., felt; C. lm., coppered to light water or ballast mark; C. T., copper bolts substituted for treenails; Cl., clincher; len., lengthened; lrp., large repairs; trp., thorough repairs; Drp., damage repaired; ND., new deck; N TSds., new top-sides; W. C., wales cased; NW., new wales; NB., new bottom; NK., new keel; plk, Plank; N Klsn, new kelson; alm. rb., almost rebuilt; pt O. M., part old materials (timbers or plank); Srprs, some repairs - and, in italics, the timber of the ship is described - A, ash; B B, black birch; Bh, beech; C, cedar; E, elm; F, fir; G, gum; Ght, greenheart; Hk, hackmatack; Hm, hemlock; L, locust; Lh, larch; L O, live oak; M, mahogany; P, pine; P P, pitch pine; R P, red pine; Y P, yellow pine; S, spruce; T, teak; Tam, tamarac; W H, witch hazel; W O, white oak. The sample scan is from the main list. The third column, reserved for masters' names, is not particularly wide; with short surnames, an initial will be given; but longer surnames omit the initials, and even longer surnames are abbreviated. This is the index to owners in the main list. Often a ship would have changed hands by the time of re-survey, and the new owners' names are added in slightly smaller type under the original owners in the seventh column. These new owners are also included in this index. It should be borne in mind that the owners in the main list are those at the time of the respective previous survey for each ship, not necessarily as of 1 July 1852.
Sample scan, click to enlarge
Owners of Merchantmen
 (1852-1853)
Previous page1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7Next page

Research your ancestry, family history, genealogy and one-name study by direct access to original records and archives indexed by surname.