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Title

Series consists of

9 lower level description(s)

Arrangement structure

Series part of

Department of Transport fonds [multiple media] (R184-0-4-E)

Accession

1. Canadian Marine Transportation Administration, Canadian Coast Guard, Ship Safety Branch, Central Registry of Seamen, Articles of Agreement [textual records (microform)] [1937-1958] (117-000011-7)
2. Central Registry of Seamen [textual records] (120-000181-8)
3. Miscellaneous records of the Central Registry of Seamen [textual record] (123-000324-X)

Bilingual equivalent

Registre central des marins [textual record (some microform)]

Date(s)

1875-1983

Place of creation

No place, unknown, or undetermined

Extent

Language of material

English

Scope and content

Series consists of records of sea service for Canadian merchant seamen and officers . Most of this material was maintained in the Central Registry of Seamen. Responsibility for the engagement of seamen on Canadian home trade and foreign sea-going ships was first outlined in the SHIPPING OF SEAMEN ACT (36 Vic., c.129) which came into effect on 27 March 1874. Essentially derived from similar British legislation, especially the MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT of 1854, the regulations obliged the master of a ship to enter into contractual arrangements with his crew and to keep records of sea service under the ultimate supervision of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries. In brief, each master of a Canadian-registered ship was required to enter into a written agreement with every seaman engaged as a crew member. This contractual record (article of agreement) described the nature and probable duration of each voyage, the number of the crew and the duties of each crew member, the precise starting time of the engagement, the amount of wages, the scale of provisions for each seaman, and any regulations affecting conduct and discipline during the voyage. Similarly, the masters were bound by the legislation to keep ships' logs. These documents list information on the crew, and all other activities on board. In effect, the ship's log is a watch to watch record of meteorological conditions, courses, speeds, drills, rescues, punishments, injuries, deaths, etc. Although the regulations governing the engagement of seamen have been modified from time to time, the contractual nature of the engagement document remains the same as it was during the late nineteenth century. Since 1937, the Central Registry of Seamen has maintained the records of sea service for Canadian merchant seamen and officers for the purpose of providing qualification and certification. The Central Registry of Seamen is presently administered by the Ship Safety Branch, Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada, and falls within the purview of the CANADA SHIPPING ACT, S-9-1970, Nos. 263-276.

Conditions of access

Terms of use

Copyright belongs to the Crown.

Additional information

Source

Government

Related control no.

1. 1989-90/011 GAD
2. 1992-93/182 GAD
3. 1995-96/324 GAD
4. 117-000011-7
5. 120-000181-8
6. 123-000324-X
7. RG12
8. RG12-B-14

MIKAN no.

133876