Morning all.  I am trying to help a friend with her research and we've come across a brick wall fairly early on in her research.  One of her relatives was a merchant seaman, not at home on 2  census nights and died in 1860.  The couple married in 1831 so marriage details porbably won't help. One of the records I am hoping might shed some light on his POB and DOB are the merchant's seamen records held at Kew.  If anyone is going there in the near future I would certainly appreciate a look up.  I have the relevant catalogue numbers. Many tia's. ttfn Trish ex Hull lass on central coast of NSW

The NRA have made a useful podcast on tracing merchant seamen. http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/tracing-merchant-seamen-1857-1918/ there is also a useful book in the My Ancestor Was... series on merchant seamen. The records for merchant seamen at Kew are difficult. The Kew staff are aware that they hold a lot, but it is not accessible easily so are seeking to digitalise the records. Chris ________________________________ From: Trish Michael <gosford17@yahoo.com.au> To: YORKSGEN@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, 29 September 2012, 23:22 Subject: [YORKSGEN] Is anyone going to Kew soon? Probably not Yorkshire connected. Morning all.  I am trying to help a friend with her research and we've come across a brick wall fairly early on in her research.  One of her relatives was a merchant seaman, not at home on 2  census nights and died in 1860.  The couple married in 1831 so marriage details porbably won't help. One of the records I am hoping might shed some light on his POB and DOB are the merchant's seamen records held at Kew.  If anyone is going there in the near future I would certainly appreciate a look up.  I have the relevant catalogue numbers. Many tia's. ttfn Trish ex Hull lass on central coast of NSW ..... Ancestors in Yorkshire? http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/index.html; www.ryedalefamilyhistory.org; www.wharfedalefhg.org.uk; www.yorkshireparishregisters.com; www.yorkshireroots.org.uk; ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to YORKSGEN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message