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[Guest mruk]

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[Stacey]

Hi Dave

Re the ss Aberdonian she was coastal passenger vessel owned by the “The Aberdeen Steam Navigation Company” I managed to find a few references.

When it comes to Merchant ship records not a lot have been kept. The Master was required to make entries in an Official Log Book, recording details of crew members- dates joining/leaving, ports visited, discipline infringements, inspections, lifeboats drills and any other statutory requirement. These log books where handed over to the Mercantile Marine Officer at the completion of the voyage. Sadly in recent years, (with the demise of the British Merchant Navy) some bright spark sat in a Government office decided to have a clean out and I believe 80% (or whatever) have been destroyed at the stroke of a pen. The Maritime Museum may have a few but I understand most of the remaining records are actually in Nova Scotia (Canada!).

Department Heads kept Logbooks, in the case of the deck department these recorded the day to day business of the ship – weather, positions, the vessel’s progress when at sea and in port. Fair copies of these would have been kept and handed over to the Company’s Marine Superintendent - the original copies kept on board. As the demise of each company came about the logbooks would have been disposed off (or kept for some time). Most of those on the ship would have gone to the scrap yard along with the ships.

I imagine this is all part of progress but future generations have been robbed of a lot of information. Anyhow Dave no idea what is at the nationalarchive site but I suspect it will be of little interest. Hope this is of some help.

Best wishes

Peter

http://www.worldshipsociety.org/publicatio...wss-inprint.php

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/sea...s.asp?CR=B10598

http://www.rls.org.uk/database/results.php...iolqb2ogri51v25

http://www.eastlondonpostcard.co.uk/Featur...hipping_cos.htm

http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server...-July-1925.html