Seaman record book

[zion]

Hi Would anyone know what year these 2 books   Seaman Record Book started from  R 561990  and R 562162 belonged to Andrew Lindsay from Donaghadee
  Thanks

[HMac]

Hi,
None of those two numbers belonged to him. I presume you think his number is held in that range of numbers?
Seamen's discharge book numbers were allocated in blocks to Mercantile Marine Offices (MMO) and the take up of books would relate to the size of the MMO. Some ranges would move quickly in a large MMO while other ranges may move slower in smaller offices. So it is difficult to pin down dates without checking further records.

I would say around very late 1940's to early 1950's as a guess.

I presume this is the man you are looking for BT 372/1499/65 - https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8368957 - this file would probably tell you when he first went to sea.

Regards
Hugh

[zion]

hi you say the 2 numbers did not belong to Andrew Lindsay but i have this

[HMac]

Hello,
Sorry, but the question you asked was if anyone knew which year those two books started from,  R 561990 and R 562152 and then you said they belonged to Andrew Lindsay. Those two books do not belong to him as he had R 562064.

It would have been easier to have just posted that Andrew Lindsay had discharge number R 562064 and when was it issued?

My answer still stands - it depends on how busy the Belfast MMO was at that time. My guess is between 1949 and 1952. You wont find out how quickly that range of books moved unless you obtain each one of those pouches. If you are just interested in Andrew Lindsay, then obtain the file - it is his seaman's pouch.

Regards
Hugh

[zion]

Hugh , i thought the 2 books did belong to him and that he had on 3 different occasions had left went back left and went back again , why are they listed with his book if nothing to do with him? a bit confusing as i was never Seaman  thanks for replying

[HMac]

No worries, let me try and explain.
So you give two book numbers that you thought belonged to Andrew Lindsay from Donaghadee.

You gave R 561990 and R 562162. Those 'R' numbers by way of explanation are seamen's discharge book numbers, akin to a service number, and usually the number would stay with the seaman for his full career at sea. There were certainly instances of lost numbers and new numbers being issued for the same seaman but in general it was one and the same number for every book that he had. So if he left and later went back, in most cases, he retained his original number.

R 561990 belongs to this seaman named Ellison:  BT 372/1499/1 - https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8368893

R 562162 belongs to this seaman named Oates: BT 372/1499/142 - https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8369034

I do not know what you mean when you say "why are they listed with his book if nothing to do with him"? Could you tell me please why you think they are linked? That is the source of the confusion.

Mr Lindsay's Discharge Book Number would appear to be R 562064, BT 372/1499/65 - https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8368957

I hope that is clearer, if not, please get back, happy to help.

Regards
Hugh

[zion]

Hugh i mean on the post i sent its lists the other 2 numbers with the  one that  is his but thanks again for taking time to reply to me

[HMac]

Thanks, I see the issue, I think.
In your screenshot, it states:
“Discharge A numbers R561990 R562162. R562064 LINDSAY A 20/06/1920 DONAGHADE.”

This is the range of numbers in this file at Kew,  BT 372/1499 i.e. every number between R 561990 and R 562162. It means that R 562064 is contained within that range of files. It is the 65th file in BT 372/1499. So we would find the record for A. Lindsay in BT 372/1499/65.

Does that help?

Hugh
 

[rathmore]

Andrew Lindsay No. R562064 this will be his number it say they are in Pounches if you look at the catalogue a lot of the records have the same numbers within them, they have the number of the person at the top of the page then the other numbers lower down.

Records could be a bit clearer.