CR.2 Documents

[jaym2345]

Hi

Can anyone tell me what the stamp N.R. 5 means on the top of an old CR2 document from 1930.

I have a couple of CR 2 documents for a potential relative THOMAS RICE Born 1898/9 Liverpool.

There is a break in the CR 2 sailings from 1925 to 1940.  I dont know where to look now as I need the Vessel he sailed on in 1930 (if he did sail) in order to trace his whereabouts at that time.  HELP !!!

Jay

[diddymiller]

hi Jay & welcome to RC.

I'll be the one to ask as noone else has - whats a CR document?

Diddy 

[jaym2345]

Hi Diddy

The man in question Thomas Rice was a Merchant seaman.  Merchant seaman fill in the document CR2 when they travel from vessel to vessel with work.

Jay

[seaweed]

A CR2 card was not filled in by an individual seaman, rather someone employed by the Board of Trade.

See http://www.angelfire.com/de/BobSanders/Seamen-Index.html

jaym2345
Could I ask if you obtained these CR2 cards from Find my Past or did you obtain them from Southampton City Archive or the National Archive at Kew.

[jaym2345]

Hello

We have a list of ships he sailed on from 1920 to 1926.  This information was obtained from the CR2's (back)  We obtaned another CR2 for 1940 to 1941. 

We do not have CR2 documents from 1926 to 1940.  Either he was not in the Merchant Navy those years (not in the Navy either as we have checked) or the records are lost.  There is also no CR1 for tThomas as confirmed by Southampton.  He is not on the 5th register either so we dont know if he served after 1941.

We did find him as a passenger travelling alone in1943 from newport to Halifax.

I have been in correspondence with Kew, Southampton, Newfoundland and the Nation archives London.  Without the CR2 showing what vessel he was on in in 1930 they can not check the Crew Lists.  The crew lists for 1930 are held in Kew.  Unfortunately, these can not be accessed until 1912 as they are closed to the public due to refurbishment.

Jay

[seaweed]

Could you give me the name or official number of the first ship he served on from the back of the CR2 Card covering 1940-1941 or  better still, attach the relevent part of the card please.
Have you checked if he has a form CRS10 from the piece BT382/1503 at Kew?
You wrote
The crew lists for 1930 are held in Kew.  Unfortunately, these can not be accessed until 1912 as they are closed to the public due to refurbishment.
I think you will find it is the NMM Greenwich which is being re-furbed. Some Crew agreements for 1930 are in MUN.

[jaym2345]

I have attached the CR2 in question and his CR10

The ship was the  DALCAIRN (149424)

No I have not tried the CRS10 from the piece BT382/1503 at Kew.

Kew are closed until 2012 or so I was told by the lady in the archives!

Jay

[seaweed]

It would seem at first glance that this CR2 is for a T Rice aged 18 from Liverpool. He was employed as a Laundry Boy.
I suspect that your Thomas Rice born 1898/99 is a different person. A seaman in his 40's with service from 1920 would not be referred to as a Laundry Boy
If I am correct, Then the chances of finding  Merchant Navy records for your Thomas Rice after 1926 are almost Nil. Trawling through 1000's of crew agreements would not be an option.  I suspect he left the Merchant Navy.

News to me that TNA are closed until 2012
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/visit/times.htm

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/researchers/library/full-opening-and-access

[jaym2345]

I have other documents CR2's and the CR10 but I cant scan as too big.  The CR10 matches at least one of the CR2's (same Dis NO:)

I think he may have changed his career in 1925