List of employees in shipyards

[Jaqian]

Anyone know if there is a list somewhere of people who worked in
shipyards? Specifically Derry, Harland & Wolff and Glasgow.

I researching my great-grandfather John Devine (b. 1877 in Lear, Park,
Co. Derry) who worked at these shipyards at one time or another.

Regards,
Rob

[Frank Erskine]

Post by Jaqian
Anyone know if there is a list somewhere of people who worked in
shipyards? Specifically Derry, Harland & Wolff and Glasgow.

I think it very unlikely indeed that there is such a list. Certainly
I've never come across one, unfortunately.
Your best best would be to contact local history societies in the
areas concerned - they may have copies of nostalgia books which were
occasionally written by ex shipyard workers.
Sometimes even the yards themselves may have published books; however
these were usually about the ships rather than the workers.

Good luck.

[Ken Mathieson]

Hi Rob,

You could try the Business Archive at the University of Glasgow Archives at
http://www.archives.gla.ac.uk/gghb/collects/hb6.html



They hold records of all sorts from a large number of Scottish firms. It's a
bit of a shot in the dark, but you may be lucky.



Ken Mathieson

Post by Jaqian
Anyone know if there is a list somewhere of people who worked in
shipyards? Specifically Derry, Harland & Wolff and Glasgow.
I researching my great-grandfather John Devine (b. 1877 in Lear, Park,
Co. Derry) who worked at these shipyards at one time or another.
Regards,
Rob

[Jaqian]

Thanks all Ken & Frank for your suggestions. I'll give them a try.

Cheers,
Rob

[Ian Goddard]

Post by Jaqian
Thanks all Ken & Frank for your suggestions. I'll give them a try.

You could also try the libraries at QUB & University of Ulster. Also
PRONI - http://www.proni.gov.uk online or the top of Balmoral Avenue
(pro tem) if you're in NI.

[A Jones]

Post by Jaqian
Anyone know if there is a list somewhere of people who worked in
shipyards? Specifically Derry, Harland & Wolff and Glasgow.

You need to consider each company and each shipyard on a case-by-case basis.
At the present time, certainly, it would be quite impractical to produce a
composite and fully comprehensive list, covering all yards.

Check first of all with the local archive service in the relevant area. But
don't build up your expectations too high - even if any (probably
fragmentary) lists are available from the late 19C or early 20C, they might
not be particularly informative. Many companies in those days would have
kept personnel administration to a minimum, and you'd often find little more
than a name, one or two dates, and perhaps a weekly wage paid. (This is
always assuming that the records or index cards had not been destroyed, and
had been preserved in a tolerably logical order - quite a big assumption.)
Remember that the ownership of many shipyards changed hands over the years
(including the Govan yards in Glasgow, partly acquired by Harland & Wolff).
Usually each company would have adopted its own system.

Some larger companies maintained registers of apprentices (e.g. Vickers,
Barrow - run a search for the exact reference/phrase BDB 16/TD in
www.a2a.org.uk and follow through some of the results). Also try typing the
exact *phrase* 'Records of Harland & Wolff' into
http://195.153.34.9/catalogue/search.aspx
(Scottish Archive Network) and follow up the single result and the ensuing
links.

Consider also whether there might be any chance of finding further details
from surviving trade union records - you might occasionally be lucky.

AJ