Ceri wrote: I am researching a family member who sailed on the St George > from Bristol to Calcutta in 1838. I believe that he would have gone > round the Cape of Good Hope, possibly calling in to St Helena on the > way - in convoy with other sailing ships, for mutual protection. I > don't know where they might have called after that, before reaching > Calcutta. Was there an established 'normal' route? and if so does > anyone know what the ports of call would have been? FIBIS Volunteers have transcribed and published many thousand entries from the "Arrivals & Departures" announcements in the various presidency directories up to 1858. These are available on the FIBIS Search site at www.search.fibis.org under the 'Maritime Records' section. Unfortunately the records for Bengal are taken from the 'Bengal Directory' which gave fewer details about intermediate ports into which the ship may have called. The 'New Calcutta Directory' which was used after 1855 does give these details. So, the 'Arrival' of St. George in 1838 are given in the Bengal Diectory in the 1839 edition but with no intermediate ports of call. (St. Helena would almost certainly not have been included). Details for the St. George in this list on the web-site indicate the names of 31 passengers who travelled from Bristol to Calcutta, arriving in December 1838. Note that some 'less important' passengers might not have been named! Hope this is helpful Good Hunting! Peter Bailey Chairman Families in British India Society www.fibis.org