Fishing

Grimsby Docks is a very popular research topic, having provided employment for many local people over the decades. Our registers of ships commence from 1824 and are amongst the earliest in Britain for any port.

Docks and Trawlers

Providing insight for those seeking the history of a particular vessel from an engineering and industrial point of view, or because relatives and ancestors were the crew on said trawler.

Resources include thousands of photographs of trawlers, including those registered to the port of Grimsby and those registered to ports all around the UK.

Newspaper cuttings filed by trawler name can be useful for tracking a particular vessel’s history and looking for noteworthy events.

The Olsen Fishing Almanacks can be used to identify a trawler by its port number or its name, and then further information can be found out – official number, date and where built, owners, vessel net and gross tonnage, and radio call sign.

Resources Key

North East Lincolnshire Archives

Grimsby Local History Library

Our collections include Grimsby Registers of British Ships, 1824-1988 [365]. Arranged by vessel, includes names of shipbuilders and owners. Index of vessel names, 1824-1918 and of fishing vessel port numbers available.

Register of Grimsby Merchant Marine Apprentices 1879-1919.

Indexed. [208/1-5]

Register of Grimsby Fishing Apprentices, 1880-1937.

Includes names, ages, origins, kin and name of master. Indexed. [208/1/1/-13]

Grimsby Merchant Vessel Crew Lists 1863-1913.

Arranged by half yearly issue and by vessel. Includes names, ages, birthplaces of crew members. Includes fishing vessels until 1884. Indexed. (1880-1900). [208/5]