You might just find them in VPRS 22 Unit 21 at the Public Record Office Victoria!
This is a wonderful register dating from 7 August 1856 through to 1889 – Register of Seamen engaged Geelong and is the latest project being indexed by our Geelong & District volunteers.
So far, entries for 1856 have been added to the Geelong & District Database – 308 in total.
Details in the database for each entry:
- NAME: Name of seaman
- DATE: of Engagement
- PLACE: [of engagement] Geelong
- COMMENT: Name of ship
- REFERENCE: VPRS number and UNIT number (entries are generally in chronological order)
Additional columns of information in the register:
- Capacity = rank i.e. AB [Able Seaman], Mate, Cook etc.
- Nature of Voyage – Coasting, Foreign etc.
- Reference [if Foreign] to Duplicate Agreement
- Name of Master
- Name of Licensed Agent
- Last Vessel – on which engaged
- Last Certificate of Character
- Remarks
You can obtain this additional information and copies of the entries by visiting the Public Record Office Victoria at North Melbourne or submitting a (paid) Research Request to the Geelong Family History Group.
As the first part of the index was uploaded to the Geelong & District Database on Christmas Eve, it’s appropriate to select the seamen engaged on 24 December 1856.
NAME | SHIP | CAPACITY | Prev SHIP | REMARKS |
John DORAN | Ann & Maria | Able Seaman | Red Jacket | Discharge lost |
James LOW | Mary Ann | Cook & Steward | Shalimar | Discharge lost |
George H GREEN | Vibilia | Mate | Vibilia | |
John ANLESS | Vibilia | Able Seaman | Martha | |
James AULD | Vibilia | Able Seaman | Braces | |
James KERR | Vibilia | Able Seaman | Vibilia | |
Andrew YILL | Vibilia | Able Seaman | Vibilia | |
George F CLEMENT | Vibilia | Cook & Steward | Rattler |
All three of these ships were coastal traders which had arrived from Newcastle [NSW] laden with coal. They returned to Newcastle carrying ballast and no passengers. The Ann & Maria, a brig, departed 28/29 December, the Mary Ann, a brigantine, departed on 29 December, and the Vibilia, a schooner, departed on 24 December.
This is an ongoing indexing project – we’ll probably add entries a year at a time – I hope you enjoy this terrific index and register.
Merry Christmas to all from the volunteers in Geelong & District.
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