Found this which could help others. Chris and Caroline PORT MARITIME INFORMATION GATEWAY At http://www.port.nmm.ac.uk/research/c13.html "Research guide C13: The Merchant Navy: Tracing merchant seamen: Sources of information in the National Maritime Museum This guide should be used in conjunction with guides C1 and C2 and gives further details of records in the National Maritime Museum relating to merchant seamen useful to genealogists or family historians. The Caird Library is open to everyone free of charge, Monday - Saturday, 10.00-16.45 (Saturday by appointment). Manuscripts can be ordered and viewed in the Library, where there are two morning deliveries and one afternoon delivery. Please note that some material is held at outstations with a retrieval time of 7-28 days. Therefore please telephone, fax or write in advance to view specific material. Contact points are as follows: Library Tel: +44 (0)20 8312 6673/6528 Fax: +44 (0)20 8312 6599 E-mail: library@nmm.ac.uk Manuscripts Tel: +44 (0)20 8312 6691/6669 Fax: +44 (0)20 8312 6599 E-mail: manuscripts@nmm.ac.uk You can search the Library and manuscripts via our online catalogue. Introduction The majority of records relating to merchant seamen are with The National Archives, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU. These include the First, Second and Third Registers of Merchant Seamen's service from 1835-1856. There are no registers between 1856 and 1914. The Fourth Register covers the period 1914-1940 and is on microfiche. The original cards have now been transferred to Southampton City Records Office, Civic Centre, Southampton SO9 4XR. Registers after 1940 are with the Registry of Shipping and Seamen, Ground Floor, Anchor Court, Keen Road, Cardiff CF24 5JW. However the National Maritime Museum has records that will be of use to the family historian although it is worth bearing in mind that, apart from the Marine Society archive (see below ) the Museum has no records relating to merchant seamen before 1860. We hold crew lists for the following years only: 1861,1862, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, 1955, 1965 and 1975. --- All of our outgoing mail is checked and certified Virus Free by regularl updates Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.778 / Virus Database: 525 - Release Date: 15/10/2004