Our research work

The volunteers of the Bartlett Maritime Research Centre are engaged in a wide variety of projects, transcribing data and exploring particular topics and themes. Where possible, we publish the output here in Maritime Views.

Our databases

We have more than 40 databases, covering subjects such as:

• Vessels built in Cornwall between 1776 and 1914
• The Falmouth Packet Service, its ships, commanders and routes
• Mentions of Cornish ships and wrecks in Lloyds Lists
• Shipping arrivals and departures in Falmouth
• Vessels and cargos in and around the Fal
• An index to yachting and related magazines
• An index to ship pictures in books and other publications
• Obituaries of notable maritime people

Some of these databases are in our Databank.

Other digital material

We are also growing our digital material, much of it transcribed from original documents:

• The early C20 British Yachts and Yachtsmen publication
• The Journal of James Williamson, a Packet Surgeon of the early C19
• The Journal of Captain Henry Rogers RN, a C19 captain
• Photographs relating to maritime history

Useful resources

You might also find some of the websites listed below useful. We often visit them when looking into research enquiries.

• The Cornwall Studies Library – for further information about Cornwall www.cornwall.gov.uk
• South West Maritime History Society – for additional information on the maritime history of the south west of England www.swmaritime.org.uk
• Southampton City Library, archive and information services Maritime Collection, holding completed sets of Mercantile Navy Lists, and Lloyd’s Registers of Shipping, as well as records of the Board of Trade enquiries into wrecks www.southampton.gov.uk/libraries

Cornwall based

• The Morrab Library
• Cornwall Family History Society
• Cornwall Records Office – written & printed heritage of Cornwall
• Cornish Studies Library – written & printed heritage of Cornwall
• The Courtney Library
• Falmouth Harbour Commissioners

National

• British Newspaper Archive
• British Postal Museum & Archive – Falmouth Packet Service
• Crew List Project – access to the records of British merchant seafarers of the late 19th century
• Dark Age Boats – Log boats, coracles, curraghs
• Family & naval history – WW2 diaries
• Find My Past – Merchant Navy seamen 1835-1941
• Historic Naval Ships Association
• List of Brixham Registered Sailing Trawlers & their history
• Maritime & Coastguard Agency
• Memorial University of Newfoundland – UK crewlists & log books
• National Archives (Naval) – service records of naval ratings
• National Meteorological Library & Archive
• Naval History – old ships’ logs, casualty lists & more
• P&O Heritage – ship search and family history research
• Passenger lists 1890-1929 – passenger lists from ships sailing to destinations worldwide
• Royal Museums Greenwich
• Scottish Built Ships –
• South Wales Mariners
• The Guildhall Library – Indexes to Lloyd’s Captain’s Registers
• The National Archives – the official archive of the UK government
• Traditional wooden & classic boats
• Trinity House – lighthouse history
• University of Exeter – database of references to records with maritime & naval significance that are held in local record offices & other archives across England & Wales
• University of Exeter (RASOR) – British naval & maritime history bibliography
• Yachting Bibliography – the first (& only) interactive bibliography of British yachting