Find your ancestors in White Star Line Officers' books

The amount of information listed varies, but the White Star Line Officers' Books records usually include the following information about your ancestor:

  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Name of previous employer
  • Number and grade of certificate
  • Rank in the Royal Naval Reserve (if applicable)
  • Names and dates of ship served upon
  • Date of leaving the company

    • Discover more about the White Star Line Officers' Books

    The White Star Line was founded in England in 1845 with a fleet of sailing ships trading mainly to Australasia. In later years, the line joined forces with other shipping companies and in 1863 acquired their first steamship, the Royal Standard.

    In early days, shipping lines typically kept records of their seagoing personnel in large leather bound ledgers. These records are extracted from eight ledgers. Two of the oldest ledgers are the 'Register of Officers' volumes two and three. The ledgers record the name of the officer, some personal details, the date they joined the company and the rank they held.

    The records came to a natural end in 1934, when the White Star Line merged with the Cunard Steamship Company. The two companies became the Cunard White Star Steamship Company Ltd, and many of the White Star officers continued to serve in the new organisation.