Family History (Port & River)
If your ancestor was known as a docker or dock labourer and was working between 1802 and before 1909, then it is very unlikely that we will have his record. This is because the dock companies paid large numbers of men to discharge cargoes from ships on a daily or half daily casual basis and kept no permanent records of them. These workers were usually referred to as ‘Docker’ or ‘Dock Labourer’. Therefore we will have no records of these workers.
If a dock labourer was working after 1909, we may have their record if they were permanently employed and paid a salary by the Port of London Authority (who took over running the docks in 1909). These staff were often known as ‘Perms’. However there were still many casually paid dock workers at this period who we will not have records for.
The private dock companies (such as the ‘West India Dock Co’, or the ‘London & St Katharine’s Dock Co’.) started in the early 19th century as competing companies who each ran their own dock system. This system lasted until 1908. A salaried member of staff during this period would have been employed by a single dock company.
In 1909 this system ended and all the docks were taken over in an act of Parliament by the Port of London Authority (PLA). After 1909, staff were no longer employed by a single dock company but by the PLA who managed the whole dock system right across London.
Yes, although we don’t have records for casually paid dock labourers, we have a wide range of records for staff permanently employed and paid a weekly or monthly salary by the private dock companies. These staff were known as ‘Established Staff’ and included skilled grades such as samplers and coopers (barrel makers) and administrative staff ranging from warehouse clerks and foremen to dock masters.
We do not have a full set of records for PLA staff. We have a set of record cards for men and women who were taken on as permanently employed, salaried manual staff after 1909 and who would have left the service by the 1960’s. This includes for example, staff who worked in PLA canteens, ‘Perms’ or permanent labourers, electricians, junior clerical staff, and PLA dredger, tug and salvage crews, to name a few. These staff were known as ‘Unestablished Staff’. Unfortunately we do not have the records for PLA senior administrative staff.
Due to the fragile condition of some of these records, it is not possible for you to come here and look through the records yourself. You need to write or email your enquiry in to us and archive staff will check the records for you.
Please send us the full name of the person you’d like us to search for, together with their date of birth if you have it. Any other information, such as the type of job you think they may have done, or which dock they worked in is also useful, but not essential.
No, we are unable to take phone enquiries. Please write a letter or email your enquiry to us. This is because it is possible that we can mishear information that you give us over the phone. If you write it down, it is much clearer.
Yes you can: if we find that we do have a record of your ancestor, then you can make an appointment with us to come and see the original document.
Yes, this is correct. In accordance with the Data Protection Act, there are restrictions on the supply of some historical records that contain personal information.
Yes we have name lists for the private dock companies’ police force (1808-1909) and we have some personnel files for the PLA police force. Contact the archivist for details.
The records for these 3 groups of river workers are kept at the Guildhall Library. You can visit this library and look at the records.
These lists, known as Outward passenger Lists began in 1890 and are kept at the National Archives.
We do not hold any records relating to either merchant seaman or officers. There are however records relating to this subject, including some crew lists, at the National Archives and the National Maritime Museum.
For further information on this subject a good place to start is the website for the National Archives where they have a number of relevant readers guides available.