The British Library

[goldie61]

I've finally managed to track down the documents at The British Library relating to an East India Company ship in the early 1800s, which might shed some light on what looks like a complete change of occupation during the missing 10 years of an ancestor.

I emailed them yesterday to enquire if there was any way I could get some research done there. (They replied within an hour which I thought was very impressive, given there were dire warnings on their website that it might take quite a long time to get a reply, as they are still recovering from the cyber attack in October last year).
They do not have any sort of research service there.
It's aways frustrating living 12 and a half thousand miles away when the only way to look at  documents is to do so in person.

Does any kind person ever visit The British Library, or know of any researcher that does work there?
I'm willing to pay.

I don't think it would be too onerous a task.
Some of the documents involve 'Crew Lists' and 'Pay lists', so picking out his name would be fairly straightforward.
There are also 4 'Ledgers', which I'm, guessing would be the day to day diary of the ship.
He may or may not be mentioned in these, but I wouldn't expect anybody to plough their way through them on the off chance.
I have the actual journeys of the voyages, so it is just to see what information I can find out about this one individual who worked on the ship.

Thank you for any help

[mckha489]

I hired an AGRA genealogist once to look at some things at National Archives for me. It was money well spent as they also suggested other things I hadn’t realised existed.

Anyway these four show up as having British Library experience

https://www.agra.org.uk/membersearch

[AntonyMMM]

Most London/South East based AGRA members will be regular visitors to the British Library and should be able to help

I don't normally recommend a specific AGRA researcher, but for anything East India Company related I would always start with Mike Trenchard. He knows the subject, and the records, inside out.

[GrahamSimons]

I spent a day there some time ago. Staff ever so helpful and I found a few documents. A bit later I hired an AGRA researcher and he found far more information - he was much better value than a rail ticket to London (and far, far better than a plane ticket from Australia!). Mike Trenchard of the Trenchard Partnership - his website shows that he's still in action.

[goldie61]

Thanks everybody for your advice.

I have put out some feelers to several AGRA members, so we will see what they say.

[Kamante]

In late 2022 Mr. Dorian Leveque of the British Library assisted me, via email, with finding details (crew lists; passenger lists) for several East India Company ships. If you want to contact me via PM, I can share an email address with you.

[goldie61]

Thanks for the offer Kamante.
I've sent you a PM.

[12tootsi34]

Reading your blurb. Is the British Library the right place for your investigations. I would have thought it would have been the maritime library at Greenwich.

[goldie61]

Thanks for your comment
These ships' Journals, Pay Books etc are listed on The National Archives Discovery site as being at The British library.

The maritime library at Greenwich also sounds like somewhere to at look though.
Thanks