The Merchant Navy in Newport

The Historic Dock Project was initially set up to commemorate all those in the Merchant Navy who had Perished in WW2. They were the unsung Heroes of the War who supplied Britain and France with vital Food and Supplies and although commemorated on many memorials, it was felt that their story hadn’t been told. With such a large connection to the Merchant Navy in our own family, we made the decision to research the lives of those who served and record the many stories from the local community.

Our projects celebrating those in the Merchant Navy are covered under our Project Headings.

We also carry out research for individuals who are hoping to trace their relatives and provide copies of any information for you to continue your discovery.

Seamen’s Documents

Documents belonging to Seamen can reveal much information about their lives. This Book belonged to Benjamin Johnson who was born in Liberia. His book lists the vessel’s that he served on and the 3rd picture shows the stamps from Cardiff City Police.

While these books are incredibly useful in helping uncover the life of a Seaman, few hold the information that we need to identify the correct invididual within records.

Documents such as this ‘Certificate of Discharge from Merchant Navy Service’ help us identify when a Seaman may have stopped going to Sea. Few however could find sufficient work and many Seamen altered their Dates of Birth in order to return. It’s not uncommon to find a Seamen sailing out of another Port than the one nearest to where they are living.