National Union of Seamen

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): MSS.175

Title: National Union of Seamen

Date(s): 1887 - 1990

Level of description: Fond

Extent and medium of the unit of description: not recorded

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s): National Union of Seamen

Administrative/Biographical history: The National Union of Seamen was founded in 1893 as the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union, the successor to the National Amalgamated Sailors' and Firemen's Union of Great Britain and Ireland, founded on the initiative of J.H. Wilson. In 1922 a cooks' and stewards section was formed and Hull seamen's union, the oldest and strongest of the local societies, was absorbed.

The present title NUS was adapted in 1926. The deposit includes most of the items listed by Chris Cook in Sources for British Political History, vol.1, as being held at the NUS headquarters.

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer:

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: Collection includes various series minutes, 1887-1967; accounts, 1899-1971; annual/biennial general meetings, 1911-91; correspondence and subject files, 1909-85; ephemera, etc., re 1988-9 strike; The Seaman, (a periodical) 1908, 1912-90; other publications, 1911-; circulars, 1917-85; press-cuttings, 1903-76; branch minutes (copies), 1947-85; some branch records, 1907-77. Articles on the life of Asian and African seamen can be found in the periodical, The Seaman, as well as discussions on the history and rise in numbers of Asian and African seamen. There are also records providing statistics on the number of Asian seamen, a letter about 'coloured' seamen, and a photograph of black seamen. Pamphlets include material on the Minority Movement, also called the Rank and File Committee and their attempts to break out of the NUS. The pamphlet details the proposition that there exists a split between 'established and unestablished seafarers. Records include pamphlets by the National Sailors' and Firemen's Union (Liverpool, 1921), which mentions the proposal to abolish all underpaid Asiatic Labour. The Minority Movement or the Rank and File Committee had links with unestablished seamen - including coloured, Arab and possibly Asian seamen. Also includes record of the proceeding of a court case involving 'Arab... coloured' and white men objecting to new policies put in place in agreement with the NUS. The riot took place in South Shields and the files include verbatim minutes of the proceedings. Durham, Autumn Assizes. .

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information: When the National Union of Seamen vacated its old headquarters at Maritime House, two large basements of records had been left behind and a selection had to be made of which records to save. Large numbers of files of negotiations with specific companies were not saved, with the exception of a few companies, saved as samples. A voluminous amount of case files was also rejected.

Accruals: When the National Union of Seamen vacated its old headquarters at Maritime House, two large basements of records had been left behind and a selection had to be made of which records to save. Large numbers of files of negotiations with specific companies were not saved, with the exception of a few companies, saved as samples. A voluminous amount of case files was also rejected.

• January 1978 : 1 parcel of The Seaman , transferred to 41T [gift]
• 7th March 1978 : unaccompanied van collection of press cuttings re 1964 dispute and 1966 strike [deposit];
• 18th October 1978 : unaccompanied van collection of tapes of AGM proceedings [deposit]
• 14th November 1978 : unaccompanied van collection of approximately 45 boxes and 35 volumes [deposit]
• 7th February 1979 : unaccompanied van collection of 1 box [deposit]
• 18th December 1985 : 1 parcel by post [deposit]
• September-December 1987 : 3 small envelopes [gift]
• January 1988 : transfer from Merseyside Museum of Labour History of 1 box [deposit]
• January 1988 : 1 parcel by post [deposit]
• 18th November 1988 : van collection of 1 large box and 1 outsize photograph [deposit]
• 20th April 1989 : 1 packet by post
• 7th-8th June 1989 : 2 packets by post [deposit]
• 16th January 1990 : 1 packet by post [deposit]
• 7th May 1990 : 1 packet by post [deposit]
• 20th July 1992 : 1 packet by post from Merseyside Record Office [gift]
• 7th December 1993 : van collection accompanied by Christine Woodland of first part of files cleared out from Maritime House [deposit]
• 11th January 1994 : unaccompanied van collection of second part of files cleared out from Maritime House [deposit].

System of arrangement:

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

Conditions governing access: Ten year closure rule on all papers; thirty year closure rule on some files giving personal details or belonging to high ranking officials. Printed material, including the proceedings of general meetings, is open for research.

Conditions governing reproduction: Modern Records Centre. There are no restrictions on the use of this archive, apart from the requirements of copyright law.

Language/scripts of material: English

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids: A detailed catalogue of material accessioned up to 1981 is available at the Centre. In addition there is a box list of material deposited in 1993-4.

An authority file exists for the National Union of Seamen (GB 0152 AAR1021) and its predecessors : the National Sailors and Firemen's Union (GBR 0152 AAR1022) and the National Amalgamated Sailors and Firemen's Union of Great Britain and Ireland (GBR 0152 AAR1027).

There is an additional section to this collection entitled Trade Union Records - Records of the National Union of Seamen, at the Union Head quarters, Maritime House, Old Town, Clapam, London. This section has not been catalogued.

ALLIED MATERIALS AREA

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related units of description:

Publication note: Arthur Marsh and Victoria Ryan, The seamen. A history of the National Union of Seamen, 1887-1987. Oxford, 1989.

DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Catalogued by Alistair Tough, February 1981

Interest: Black (African)

Specific group: Arab sailors; Somali sailors

Subjects

Trade unions

Black and Asian seamen

Lascars

Riots

Personal/Corporate names

The Bulletin for Trade Union Democracy: Voice of the Rank and File Seamen of Great Britain

Braithwaite, Chris

Seamen's Minority Movement

National Sailors' and Firemen's Union

Places

United Kingdom