Merchant Marine

These records consist of crew lists, articles of agreement, ships' logs and discharge registers (Record Groups 12 and 42). For a description of this series, click on the Scope and content of the Central Registry of Seamen. Then click on the 9 lower level descriptions to search for relevant archival references (RG12 or RG42, volume number, file number). The records themselves are not online and many have access restrictions.

Some items can be identified using Collection Search. Select Collections and fonds. In the search box, enter the keywords RG12, articles of agreement and the name of the ship. Other keywords to try are ship logs and/or crew lists. You can also do the same searches with the keyword RG42.

These registers are from the record of Certificates of Competency issued to masters and mates by the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen in England. British authorities certified Canadian masters and mates before 1871. These records include their names.

LAC holds copies of the registers (MG40 O3, microfilm A-1838 to A-1897). They list details such as:

• name
• place and year of birth
• certificate date and number
• ship name and number

See the Scope and content section of the record description for a more detailed description.

These registers contain details about the certificates issued by the Canadian government to marine officers (RG12-B5). They include:

• certificates of competency and certificates of service for masters, mates and marine engineers
  • inland, coasting and sea-going vessels
• examinations and certificate renewals
• details such as date of name, certificate number, address, date and place of birth, examination and grade

In the record description, click on the lower level descriptions. Find the relevant register and make a note of the volume number and microfilm number. The T microfilm reels are digitized on the our partner website Héritage.

• St. Lawrence river pilots' certificates, 1762 to 1840 (RG42 A-1-a, volumes 1 to 6)
• Trinity House pilots' certificates, Montréal, 1832 (RG42 A-2, volume 8)
• Marine certificates (RG42 C-4, volume 722) This volume includes 5 certificates for the pilotage district of Montréal and Québec (various dates).

These certificates are indexed by name in Collection Search. Enter the keywords RG42, a name and the word pilot.

Trinity House was established in 1805 for the regulation of pilots, navigation and shipping on the St. Lawrence River. This collection includes:

• Liste des pilotes nommés par la Maison de la Trinité, Québec, 1805-1846 (MG8-A18, volume 5, pages 1 to 53) This list provides the name of each pilot and date of admission. In some cases, other details are included such as fines, suspensions and date of death.
• List of licensed pilots with age and place of residence, 1802 (MG8-A18, volume 1, pages 56 to 59)

These records are not indexed by name.

A Branch Pilot was a pilot who had a branch (commission) for special navigation. Copies of certificates are available in these volumes:

• Branch pilots, 1805 to 1838 (RG68, volume 1, microfilm C-3950). The volume starts on image 306. An index of names starts on image 393.
• Branch pilots, 1838 to 1867 (RG68, volume 2, microfilm C-3950). The volume and an index of names start on image 398.

Search our Aurora catalogue for books about the merchant marine. Here are a few examples:

• Des bateaux et des hommes en Nouvelle-France, 1634-1760: pardevant les notaires royaux
• Le Saint-Laurent et ses pilotes, 1805-1860
• In All Respects Ready, The Merchant Navy and the Battle of the Atlantic, 1940-1945
• Men and ships in the Canada trade, 1660-1760: a biographical dictionary
• Ships and memories: merchant seafarers in Canada's age of steam