Addresses for further research
Information guide No.1
This page is approximately a 9 minute read
This guide brings together a curated list of key libraries, archives, museums and specialist institutions that hold rich collections relevant to maritime, engineering and heritage research. From national repositories such as The National Archives and the British Library, to sector‑specific bodies including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Institution of Engineering and Technology, this guide offers a helpful starting point for anyone exploring maritime history, family records, engineering heritage or Lloyd’s Register–related material.
Researchers should check availability, accessibility and opening times with the repositories listed before making a personal visit.
Addresses for further research
Naval Historical Branch or Admiralty Library PP 20, Main Road HM Naval Base Portsmouth PO1 3LU | +44 (0)2392 725297 | Information on all aspects of naval history, including merchant ships requisitioned/lost during both world wars. Enquiries about anything earlier than the Second World War, ships’ badges, flags, etc., are usually dealt with by the Library, 1939 and later by the Historical Branch. |
National Maritime Museum Cornwall Discovery Quay F almouth TR11 3QY | +44 (0)1326 214579 | The collection includes merchant shipping and company histories; extensive run of Lloyd’s Register of Ships; material on construction of small boats; Falmouth Harbourmaster’s records 1880 to 1990 and other items relating to Cornwall’s maritime history. |
| 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB | +44 (0)1937 546060 | A comprehensive collection of over 150 million separate items, which include books, journals, patents, manuscripts, maps, music and stamps. The British Library also has an extensive picture library and is home to the British Library Sound Archive (formerly the National Sound Archive) and the India Office Library. Catalogues are available for view at the Euston Road site and on their website. |
British Library Boston Spa Wetherby LS23 7BQ | +44 (0)20 7412 7353 | Collection of regional, national and foreign newspapers. Excludes London Press prior to 1801. Also hold a collection of magazines and journals. |
Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DG | +44 (0)20 7323 8000 | The British Museum holds a collection of art and antiquities from ancient and living cultures. Housed in one of Britain’s architectural landmarks, the collection is one of the finest in existence, spanning two million years of human history. |
Chatham Historic Dockyard Dock Road Chatham ME4 4TZ | +44 (0)1634 832028 | Artefacts, photographs, models and ships’ badges collected by former Chatham Dockyard employees. Library holds records of naval dockyards, naval vessels and general naval history. Reference sources include Navy Lists, transactions of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects, Lloyd’s Register of Ships and Jane’s Fighting Ships. |
Crown Way Cardiff CF14 3UZ DX 33050 Cardiff | +44 (0)3031 234500 | Company registration records dating from the mid-19th Century. |
One Lime Street London EC3M 7HA | +44 (0)20 7327 1000 | For insurance records on ships insured on the London Market and records of Lloyd’s history and development. |
The Family Records Centre (formerly in Farringdon) has now closed. Births, deaths and marriages enquiries. Services formerly offered by the General Register Office at the FRC. Certificate Services Section General Register Office PO Box 2 Southport PR8 2JD | +44 (0)30 0123 1837 certificate.services@gro.gov.uk Website | The General Register Office holds details of birth, marriage and death certificates dating back to the start of civil registration in July 1837. This includes Births and deaths at sea. Also covers the 1841-91 Census returns, which include crews of ships in harbour on Census night. |
| Office for National Statistics | Website | |
| Census & general enquiries | For services formerly offered by the National Archives at the FRC. Census returns, wills and other sources, are now available at The National Archives in Kew. |
| London SE10 9LS | +44 (0)20 8331 7688 | Online resource Environmental History Guide: Researching the River Thames. A guide to the environmental history and governance of the River Thames and its river basin. |
Temporarily closed Queen Victoria Square Hull HU1 3DX | +44 (0)1482 300300 | Three main sections:
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The IET Library/Archives Savoy Place London WC2R 0BL | +44 (0)20 7344 8460 | The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Archives holds the Institution’s records as well as deposited collections from the 14th Century. The IET Library, founded in 1880, holds over 65,000 publications in engineering, science and technology. Available to IET members and some services to non-members for a fee. |
Heritage Centre 71 Fenchurch Street London EC3M 4BS | Website | In June 2011 the IMarEST historical library was relocated to Lloyd’s Register’s Heritage Centre in London. Subjects covered in the conference proceedings, journal series, technical reports and reference titles include: offshore engineering, energy, turbines, hydrogeology, pollution, fishing, ship management, vibration, naval architecture and marine navigation. |
IMarEST Headquarters Library IMarEST Headquarters Offices 1 Birdcage Walk London SW1H 9JJ | +44 (0)20 7382 2600 info@imarest.org Website | The IMarEST headquarters keep a selection of recent titles published by IMarEST and available to visiting members. |
Lambeth Road London SE1 6HZ | +44 (0)20 7416 5000 | Naval history covering both world wars. |
Custom House St George’s Quay Lancaster LA1 1RB | +44 (0)1524 382264 | Holdings relating to the Lancaster district; local shipping and inshore fishing. Also information on shipbuilding and the 18th Century African slave trade. |
Guildhall Library Aldermanbury London EC2P 2EJ | +44 (0)20 7332 1868 | Collection of Corporation of Lloyd’s marine records including:
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40 Northampton Road London EC1R 0HB | +44 (0)20 7332 3820 | Largest local authority archive in the UK with records covering most aspects of the history of London and Londoners, including parish records. See website for the free London Generations and London Signatures (for wills) databases. |
Philip Robinson Library Jesmond Road West Newcastle University Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 4HQ | +44 (0)1912 087712 | Historical maritime technical documents from the British shipbuilding and related industries. The collection spans the mid-19th century to 2000 with an emphasis on the north east of England and includes the less well documented industries of marine engine building, ship repairing, and shipbreaking. |
Spring Place 105 Commercial Road Southampton SO15 1EG | +44 (0)20 3817 2000 | Historical collection includes material relating to the administration of the British Merchant Shipping Acts from 1856 to date, e.g. wreck returns (mid-19th Century onwards) and reports of official enquiries from 1876. |
Albert Dock Liverpool L3 4AQ | +44 (0)1514 784499 | Marine history of Liverpool. Specialist collection relating to the slave trade and emigration. Good collection of ship plans, including White Star ships; Cunard archive and Customs Registers. |
Wat Tyler Country Park Pitsea Hall Lane Basildon SS16 4UH | +44 (0)1268 550077 | Over 35 motor boats on display dating from 1873. Collections include the Carstairs collection, Ailsa Craig archive and incomplete collection of the Lloyd’s Register of Ships dating from 1911. Reference library is open to the public on an appointment only basis. |
Warehouse No. 1 West India Quay Hertsmere Road London E14 4AL | +44 (0)20 7001 9844 | History of London Docklands |
Ruskin Avenue Kew TW9 4DU | Formed in 2003, the National Archives brings together the Public Record Office and the Historic Manuscripts Commission. Collections include early records of the Registry of Shipping & Seamen, plus Board of Trade, Ministry of Defense documents and other government papers. The National Register of Archives, which contains information on the nature and location of manuscripts and historical records that relate to British history, will also now operate from Kew. |
Park Row Greenwich London SE10 9NF | +44 (0)20 8858 4422 | National repository for books, models, plans, photographs, paintings, etc, covering maritime history from the earliest times. Collections include Lloyd’s Register of Ships 1764 to date, Lloyd’s Register Survey Reports 1840-1968 (incomplete collection), atlases, shipping company records, historical journals covering merchant marine and naval history. For ship plans, which are held offsite, please mark your envelope “Ship Plans” and send to the Greenwich address on the left. |
Caird Library
| +44 (0)20 8312 6516 | |
| See also | Website | For free services provided by the National Maritime Museum for access to quality maritime information and resources via the Internet. |
Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NP | +44 (0)30 0111 2333 |
MCA Cardiff Anchor Court Keen Road Cardiff CF24 5JW | +44 (0)20 3908 5200 | Records of ships registered in the UK and Commonwealth and the careers of British seafarers. Records of births, marriages and deaths at sea. Early records, dating back to 1800s, are held at the National Archives (above). RSS and ship registration in the UK is included on the MCA’s website (left). |
Prince Arthur Road Gillingham ME4 4UG | +44 (0)1634 822839 | Marine history of Liverpool. Specialist collection relating to the slave trade and emigration. Good collection of ship plans, including White Star ships; Cunard archive and Customs Registers. |
13 Thurso Street Glasgow G11 6PE | +44 (0)1413 306767 | Records of many of the major shipbuilders, shipowners, ship repairers and engineers based primarily in the west of Scotland: William Denny & Brothers; A Stephen & Sons; William Simons & Co; Barclay Curle; Lithgows Ltd; Yarrow & Co Ltd; Upper Clyde Shipbuilders; Scott Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd; Ferguson Brothers; Scott & Sons; Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd; Napiers; Anchor Line Ltd; Clyde Shipping Co Ltd; and Ellerman Lines. Photographic and plan collections are well represented, as are various ship publications. Hold Lloyd’s Register of Ships 1834 to date. |
| Archive and Special Collections | Website |
H M General Register House 2 Princes Street Edinburgh EH1 3YY | Scottish equivalent to The National Archives. From 1 April 2011, the General Register Office for Scotland merged with the NAS to become the National Records of Scotland (NRS). |
356 Holloway Road London N7 6PA | +44 (0)20 7251 8799 | The Society of Genealogists’ library is open to non-members on payment of a fee. Collection includes parish register copies and card indexes of family names, marriages and wills. |
Blandford House Blandford Square Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 4JA | +44 (0)1912 772248 | Lloyd’s Register of Ships and other publications concerning maritime history. Very good collection of plans and reports from yards in the Newcastle region. |
The Canal & River Trust (formerly the Waterways Trust) Gloucester Docks Gloucester GL1 2EJ | +44 (0)1513 734378 | Records of many of the major shipbuilders, shipowners, ship repairers and engineers based primarily in the west of Scotland: William Denny & Brothers; A Stephen & Sons; William Simons & Co; Barclay Curle; Lithgows Ltd; Yarrow & Co Ltd; Upper Clyde Shipbuilders; Scott Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd; Ferguson Brothers; Scott & Sons; Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd; Napiers; Anchor Line Ltd; Clyde Shipping Co Ltd; and Ellerman Lines. Photographic and plan collections are well represented, as are various ship publications. Hold Lloyd’s Register of Ships 1834 to date. |
United Kingdom Hydrographic Office Admiralty Way Taunton TA1 2DN | +44 (0)1823 337900 | Information on wrecks in UK and overseas coastal waters, mainly post 1913. |
Suggested reading
- Maritime Information Association. Maritime Information: A guide to libraries and sources (4th ed., 2004).
- Byron, R. V. & Byron, T. N. Maritime Information: A guide to libraries and sources of information in the United Kingdom (3rd ed., 1983).
Disclaimer
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