Catalogue description Board of Trade and Ministry of Transport and successors: Marine, Harbours and Wrecks (M, H and W Series) Files

These are predominantly 'M' (Marine) files, but there are also some 'W' (Wreck) files and 'H' (Harbour) files.

Items within pieces have 1-747 have been distinguished using the original Marine Department file numbers. The last two digits of these reference represent the year when the file was registered.

The Marine Department of the Board of Trade was set up in 1850 to carry out supervision of the personnel of the merchant service required by the Mercantile Marine Act 1850 in addition to existing functions of the Board in connection with nautical matters and the inspection and survey of passenger steamers.

Subsequent legislation extended state supervision of merchant shipping and much of the work fell on the Marine Department. In 1867 it absorbed the Wreck Department of the Board which had been formed in 1864 to deal with wreck, salvage and a variety of mercantile marine matters. In 1919 the department took over functions of the dissolved Harbour Department of the Board not transferred to the Ministry of Transport, principally relating to navigation, pilotage and foreshores.

In 1921 the department was renamed the Mercantile Marine Department and took over work of providing for the Government's direct shipping needs. After 1939 this work was carried out by separate Sea Transport and Shipping Divisions. In 1923 the department took over from the Admiralty control of the Coastguard Service, though between May 1940 and October 1945 control was restored to the Admiralty.