Catalogue description Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Register of Seamen, Central Index, Numerical Series (CR 2)

This series contains a microfiche copy of the CR 2 Central Index cards to the register of Seamen which was kept by the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen.

Since the series was accessioned it has become apparent that some of the original records were missed during the original filming process. A comprehensive check is under way to rectify this omission.

Each card typically gives the following information:

• discharge A number;
• certificate of competency number;
• name of seaman;
• year and place of birth;
• rank or rating;
• name and official number of ship;
• date of engagement of service.

Frequently a list of the vessels on which the crewman served can be found on the reverse of the card.

CR 2 cards formed part of the Central Index Register which initially comprised three separate card indexes: CR 1 cards, completed when a certificate of discharge was issued; CR 2 cards were completed for all merchant seaman when an engagement on ship service was initiated, and; a third special index (CR 10 index cards) created by order of the Defence of the Realm Act 1918.

A fourth index was added to the Central Index later on and can be found in BT 364. This fourth index comprises cards extracted from this series (BT 348), BT 349 and BT 350; it is organised in numerical order.

This index was formed after the register was replaced by the later Fifth Register in BT 382.

PLEASE NOTE: Electronic images of these records can be searched online through our partner website.

Cards dating from 1913 to 1921 were destroyed in 1969 for unknown reasons.

Microfiche copy available on open access at The National Archives

Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992

from 1998 Registry of Shipping and Seamen