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NOTICE BOARD
This notice board is to highlight recent additions without you having to trawl through the entire site. I hope this will be of help. It will also enable me to give you information as to why sometimes you do not receive a reply to your emails as quickly as you should.
If you have emailed me and either had no reply or not seen any action on the web site please will you contact me again. It would also be of great help to me in keeping track of my emails (the U-C file now contains some 200 or so correspondents) if you would on the header put your own name and that of the person you are emailing about. My sincere apologies to all of you who have either not heard from me or have had to wait overlong for a response. O.G.K.
CREW LISTS, AGREEMENTS, OFFICIAL LOG BOOKS, SHIP'S LOG BOOKS
15th march 2008 Dear Mr Keen We do not hold any crew lists here at the Reference Library Our colleagues in City Archives city.archives@southampton.gov.uk have crew lists for Southampton registered vessels 1863-1913, and for some vessels built in Southampton or using Southampton regularly. This includes, in some cases (but not all) the Official Ships Log As you may know, holdings for crew agreements are held in several repositories. A good introduction to where crew agreements and log books might be held is provided by the National Archives Research Guide, Merchant Seamen: Agreements and Crew Lists after 1861 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=129 You might also like to have a look at the CLIP crew list index project website http://www.crewlist.org.uk/ , especially their finding aids page http://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/data.html, which offers a search by name of ship. Most crew agreements later than 1913, apart from those held by the National Archives and the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, have been deposited at the Maritime History Archive, Memorial University of Newfoundland http://www.mun.ca/mha/index.php. They have an on-line index, searchable by the ship's official number http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/searchcombinedcrews.php For a list of County Record Offices, see Archon http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/ . Yours Vicky Green Information Assistant Southampton Reference Library Southampton City Council Tel +44 (0)23 8083 2205
THE MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY, HALIFAX N.S. The Library Archives web site is the first port of call for anyone wanting to find crew agreements (the 'ship's articles') and log books. There is just one problem, the index is not by ship name but by the Official Number. This however for Union-Castle people is not a problem as Peter Newall in his wonderful book Union-Castle Line 'A Fleet History' gives each vessel's official number. The web address is: www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/searchcombinedcrews.php
NEWS
I have had so many emails asking for details of ships and photographs that I have compromised. If the ship was lost at sea or for any other reason the story is out of the ordinary I am creating a link, e.g. H.M.H.S. "Glenart Castle" click on this for more information. I am also introducing links to other web sites. Hope all this will add to the usefulness of the site.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS WEB SITE I started this web site in the hope of capturing as much about the past as possible before it is too late. It only takes a third generation before even a name is forgotten. Please read the story of Captain Aasenius Nyrerod of the S.S. "Gaika". most of the photographs posted on this web site were taken by professional photographers or at times when the person was looking their best. Below is one of the crew of the "Gaika", 'a good picture is worth a thousand words' says it all!
and:
**** Due to technical problems have not yet included this diary but it will be published shortly.**** Mr. Geoff Crome told me about his great uncle who was with the Company, then when sorting out old papers as one does he struck gold dust! Bernard Castle Stubbs worked in the Fenchurch Street office, he died from wounds in June 1915. Like so many others with the CWGC logo, he was until this week just a name, his story forgotten. Well, no longer for Bernard kept a diary covering the last days of his life - and this is what Mr. Crome found. The full diary will shortly be published and the original given to a suitable archive. This is what the web site is about.
BRITISH & COMMONWEALTH When I started this website I had in mind only Union-Castle people. This has been impossible to keep to as so many people who strictly speaking were British & Commonwealth have contacted me. It goes further because there are many Clan Line personnel who 'crossed over'. Similarly there were 'Union', 'Castle', 'Bullard & King' and 'King Line' people. I therefore propose to include anyone who worked for 'The Company', the 'parent' company house-flag preceding the name. There was of course intense rivalry and not a little unhappiness during amalgamations, Clan Line mates held Union-Castle mates almost in contempt claiming (maybe with occasional justification) that U-C men didn't know what a cargo hold looked like. Of course Union-Castle mates held that Clan Line mates had to be taught what a knife and fork were for, and so it went on. This rivalry was very much alive between other companies. There is the famous story (I rather doubt it's authenticity) of the P&O convoy commodore in WW2 who began his briefing of master's with, "Gentlemen of the P&O, officers of B.I (British India Co.) and men of the merchant navy." It was said that Orient Line wanted their officers to wear swords, Orient men were well above their counterparts in P&O. In Southampton where each company had its favourite pub, Union-Castle's being the Red Lion near the Post Office in the High Street, Union-Castle was very much the poor man amongst the exalted company of Royal Mail and Cunard! I remember well my father's old friend, Captain Holms of the White Star Line speaking in highly disparaging tones of Cunard. I seriously thought about editing out some of John Canner's remarks (see his book) about the amalgamation but then realised I would be editing out something very much alive at the time, and that is what this web-site is all about.
************************ I have found it impossible to add all names from crew lists published in the Company magazines 'Clansman' and 'Review' and other crew lists that have been sent to me. A number of correspondents have written asking about crew lists so in order that those I have may be made available I have added the new 'page' for CREW LISTS.
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EMAIL ADDRESS Unless specifically requested I have always adopted the policy of keeping email addresses off the website. However recently I have had emails from those who want old shipmates to contact them and so, should you wish your address to be published I will do so if requested.
WOULD LIKE TO CORRESPOND WITH SHIPMATES
Cliff Bragg address brace@netactive.co.za
CAN ANYONE HELP?
21.08.08 I am trying to trace my maternal grandfather William Wenborn. He was a trimmer/fireman on a number of Union Castle ship including SS Gildford Castle, SS Grantully Castle, SS Garth Castle and SS Dunluce Castle dring the 1920s up to and including 1932. His Merchant Seaman's book number is 964198. regards Lynn Hayes
George Baker 14.09.07 Hello Owen, Firstly may I say how good it is to find such an excellent website. I wonder if you can help. I am in possession of a menu dated June 11th 1948 for the R.M.M.V. Stirling Castle. This was passed to me by my mother together with other historical family documents. My Grandfather, George Baker was a saxophonist in a number of orchestras and bands, and I have reason to believe that the menu is connected. Did the aforementioned ship have a resident orchestra or band. If so, I am trying to discover whether he was a member of such a band or orchestra. Can you assist in any way. Thank you for your time, and keep up the good work. Regards Stephen Durbridge
John Collins 12.05.07 Was referred to your site by Tom Harrison, I was totally amazed as I was just telling my brother that i couldn't seem to find a site that listed union castle staff. I am so happy to see that there is one. The vns site lists all crew lists so wasn't hard to trace someone we were looking for on that site. If this is all your hard work, i must congratulate you for doing this. I would appreciate your help please, I am trying to locate a gentleman who we think may have been on the Rustenburg castle or Edinburgh Castle in 1969 which stopped in Durban. The vessel name may be wrong but he definitely was with the union castle line ( well this is what i have been told ). He came from a town called Caernarvonshire, now Caernarfon in Wales. His name was John Collins. Could you perhaps put a request on this site for any ex Union-Castle crew that may remember a gentleman by this name. Your help would be appreciated. Kind regards KERRYN REID-THOMSON
12.05.07 Many thanks for a lovely site. With your vast experience I was wondering if you could give me a few pointers with my research from a merchant marine point of view. My late Dad Evan Franklin (born 5 Dec 1906 London) was orphaned in Nov 1918 at age 12 in England and was placed in the Bernado Home with his brother. I have now discovered that the Bernado Home established and provided boys to be trained for the navy and mercantile marine at a naval school at North Elham near Norwich. It was called Watts Naval Training School and it closed in 1949. At around 14-16?(1920 – 1928) he worked on merchant ships traveling between Britain and South Africa (appears to me as a deck hand as referred to the tough life scrubbing etc) and eventually got off in Cape Town and settled in South Africa. I am researching this period of his life. I am also researching my GG Grandfather James Orchard born 1833 and died at Agulhas on 22 Oct 1880. He was the Chief Lighthouse Keeper at Agulhas from 19 Sept 1875 to 30 October 1879. Source “Southern Lights, Lighthouses of Southern Africa by Harold Williams” Died on the job. I am trying to find out where he was born and when he came to South Africa? Story goes he and a cousin were shipwrecked off Cape Agulhas but have been unable to verify this. My Gandfather and G and GG Grandfather were all buried at Bredasdorp. Any pointers will be greatly appreciated, Kind regards Evan Franklin
Furber E-mail 22.08.07 Hi Harry White E-mail 15/09/97 I am trying to trace my grandfather, Harry White. I have his American draft registration card from 1917 that states he was a seaman (AB Merchant Marine) employed by the Union Castle Line in Boston Mass. Do you know where I could find out which ship(s) he served on and where he may have left the service? Thank you, Gail Lewis Courtenay, BC Canada
'Casi' Cavaleski E-mail 20/07/07
Hello Owen,
I am trying to
gain information about my grandfather’s brother & sister both of
whom worked for the
Thanks for any
help….
Regards,
Sue Whiteside
30/09/07 GEORGE S. COCHRANE, master. Information is requested
Beryl Turner Nursing Sister Capetown Castle 1957 I have had a request for information.
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