Since joining find my past and searching through the pages of Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette I have found many instances of H D Dennis and ships. This is often mentioned as `Coasters Cleared`, the name of the Ship and a persons name. This doesnt mean the named person actually owned the ship,(although in some instances they may do) but are acting as a ships broker. These are the people responsible for looking after the needs of the crew and ensuring the ship has a cargo loaded or taken off etc, they work on behalf of the actual ship owners. The digitized newspapers are a mine of information and I do recommend them to anyone looking for a bit more detail about their ancestors and their trades.
