Tracing Seamen on board merchant ships in 1911 Census

[Gordon163]

Hi,

Grandmother's brothers were seamen on merchant ships. I have found them on 1891 and 1901 via Ancestry Hints, but no luck with 1911.

Does anyone have any tips for finding them please?

Thanks,

Gordon

[Girl Guide]

If the ships they were on were docked somewhere in the UK then, in theory, you should be able to find them.  If they were actually at sea during the 1911 census, then no, you probably won't find them.

Would you like to share their names, dates and places of birth so that others can double check for you?

[seaweed]

If the ships they were on were docked somewhere in the UK then, in theory, you should be able to find them.  If they were actually at sea during the 1911 census, then no, you probably won't find them.

Would you like to share their names, dates and places of birth so that others can double check for you?

Indeed. If they were still at sea in 1911. Unfortunately no central records of Merchant Seamen were kept between 1857 and 1913. The records for the  period of WW1 have by and large, been destroyed. So the only records of Merchant seamen we have between those dates is information contained within Crew Agreements.
as far as I am aware there are only two online data bases of crew agreements. The one for 1915 (the other for 1881). If you could find them in 1915, with a little luck, you can then back track via Crew Agreements  to find all the vessels they served on.

https://1915crewlists.rmg.co.uk/

If one or more did serve in the Merchant Navy in WW1, you can download for free  MN medal listings. These may give you information that may lead you to other avenues of research. In particular their discharge/RS2 number, which would be unique to an individual seaman.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/merchant-seamens-campaign-medal-records-1914-1918/

For the record 1881 Crew Agreements here.
https://www.mun.ca/mha/1881/crews1881.php

[Gordon163]

Thanks for the replies. The men concerned are:

David Crabb Scott (1873 - 1958), but be careful, as his uncle David Crabb Scott (1850 -1877) was a seaman and died, from a tropical fever, off French Dahomey.

and

William Scott (1873 - 1953) (a rather common name I'm afraid).

Both were born in Dundee and, by 1911, had moved to Edinburgh.

Gordon

[Gordon163]

Corrrection: William Scott was born in 1879 - sorry!

Gordon

[Girl Guide]

Do you have any credits with Scotland's People?  There is a David C Scott age 39 in the 1911 census, registration district St. Andrew, Midlothian.  The Ref. No. is 685/2 63/3

Up to you whether you wish to check him out.  You may have already done so.

I haven't attempted to find William as you make no mention of a second name for him which might have narrowed the choices down.

[Gordon163]

Thanks for this.

The man in Edinburgh is not him.

In 1911, his wife was in Renfrewshire and he must have been aboard a ship on the River Clyde, as he has a separate entry.

Gordon

[Girl Guide]

Okay, I wasn't sure as the second name wasn't in full.  You may have to resign yourself to the fact that they were at sea during the 1911 census.

Family history can be full of hiccups I'm afraid.