Basic Guide to Researching Nova Scotian Ships and Seafarers

April 2008

The following are important research locations for Nova Scotian marine history research. Depending on your topic some institutions will have more to offer than others.
It should also be noted that many of Nova Scotia's community museums and archives have important marine research related to their local areas. You can locate these community Museums using the Nova Scotia Museum's online Heritage Directory of Archives, Museum and other Heritage Resources.

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Library

Contact Information & Hours

Over 5000 books relating to merchant ships and shipping, navigation, seamanship, shipwrecks, the Royal and Canadian Navy and many other maritime subjects. Published sources include shipping registers from the late 1700s to date, such as Lloyds, Bureau Veritas, Record of American and Foreign Shipping and Transport Canada's List of Ships; guides to navigation; pamphlets; current and historical periodicals. The Library does not have immigration records or passenger lists.

Website: http://daryl.chin.gc.ca:8000/basisbwdocs/sid/title1e.html

Website:
http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/

Phone 902 424 6060 Fax 902 424 0628

Has shipping registers on microfilm and a wide selection of historic newspapers on microfilm as well as extensive genealogical records and some immigration records prior to 1867 along with a large photographic collection related to ships and marine subjects. Also has coroner's records on the Titanic.

Phone: 902-425-7770

E-Mail: pier21@chebucto.ns.ca

Website: http://www.pier21.ca/

Has microfilmed immigration records from the National Archives and research files on immigration steamships and ocean liners.

E-Mail: archives@archives.ca

Fax: 613-995-6274
Voice: 613 992 3884
Photo Order Faxes: 613-995-6274

Web Site: http://www.archives.ca/

The primary repository for all naval, government shipping and immigration records since 1867.

Web site:
http://www.pspmembers.com/marcommuseum
Phone 427 0550 Extension 8250

Has a reference library and a large collection of naval photographs and plans.

902 494 6490

Web site:
http://www.library.dal.ca/archives/

Has Lloyds captain's registers as well as indexes to Canadian masters and mates. The library also has microfilmed copies of the New York Maritime Register which lists shipping movements world wide as well as Department of Marine Annual reports documenting shipwrecks and lighthouses since 1867.

The Maritime History Archives at the Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Maritime History Archives
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, Newfoundland
A1C 5C7

Web Site: http://www.mun.ca/mha/

Phone: 709 737 8428

E-Mail: <mha@morgan.ucs.mun.ca>

They have a very large collection of Captain's Registers, Crew Lists, Logs and other material for British Empire ships from 1863 to 1938. They charge a $35 minimum fee for searches.