Discussions of records relating to British merchant seamen tend to focus on those created after the Merchant Seamen Act of 1835. Yet there is a wealth of information regarding mariners in pre-1835 newspapers, shipping registers, borough records and other primary sources. This presentation will describe how I found information about two of my ancestors who were merchant sea captains in King’s Lynn and Whitby respectively during the eighteenth century and reconstructed their careers within the United Kingdom and overseas. It will also offer practical advice about tracing maritime ancestors throughout Britain before and after 1835 using a variety of online and archival sources.
Views: 412 | Enquiries: 1Dr Nicholas Dixon is a professional genealogist and house history researcher in London. He studied history at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and was awarded a PhD for a thesis concerning the history of the Church of England during the early nineteenth century. He conducts genealogical and house history research projects for clients as well as giving talks about aspects of such research.
Nicholas is an experienced public speaker, having given talks to various audiences in the UK and the USA. He explains the topics that he knows about with clarity and rigour, and he is able to adapt his talks to meet the needs and interests of particular audiences. He can offer a broad range of talks about British genealogy and house history, including talks for those who are new to these subjects.
Nicholas offers in-person talks in Greater London, Surrey, Kent and Berkshire. He is also available to give talks online via Zoom. The standard fee for each talk is £100, plus additional travel expenses if applicable.
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