The series consists of records created by the Federal Department of Marine and Fisheries (Vancouver Office) between 1888 and 1952. It includes agreements and accounts of crew, 1890-1952; and log books and other miscellaneous records, 1888-1938.

The following government ministries were responsible for the Mercantile Marine Shipping Office during the period that the records were created: Dept. of Marine and Fisheries (1888-1930), Dept. of Marine (1930-1936) and Dept. of Transport (1936-1952).

CALL NUMBER: T0387:0001 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): James Newman RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-10-04 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Captain Jimmy Newman describes how he was born in Bath in 1879, and lived there until he was 9. Then the family moved to London. He left school at 11 to help the family of 13 children. Various jobs he worked while in England until he joined the Navy at 15 years of age; the deplorable conditions aboard the ships; adventures and travels while in the Navy including his experiences on Crete when the Turks ruled there and 38 men were hung. TRACK 2: Jimmy Newman continues with more on the hanging including a details about the role of the British Navy, then he discusses the South African War, a description of Prince George of Greece, how Newman was paid out of the Navy in 1902 and did not go to the Boer War but still got a medal, how he was sent out to Esquimalt in 1904 to look after the fur seals, how Jack London's book 'The Sea Wolf' was about a Nova Scotian man named Alec McLean, more on patrolling the sailing grounds around the Aleutians, how the American government had a warrant to arrest Alec McLean. More anecdotes about McLean, and a description of the man.

CALL NUMBER: T0387:0002 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): James Newman RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-10-04 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Jimmy Newman continues by describing how Alex McLean ended up in Vancouver with his family, Newman's experiences patrolling the seal industry at the Pribiloff Islands including seal migration and habits, an experience on a survey party on the Queen Charlotte Islands, more on McLean, Newman's description of life in Victoria, another story about McLean, how sealing was stopped in 1910 by the Canadian government, more about MacLean from other sources, and more on sealing schooners. TRACK 2: Jimmy Newman offers more information on McLean.

Series consists of 103 photographs of ships and shipping attributed to Richard or Hannah Maynard. Other photographers are also likely. Images depict views of Esquimalt, the Victoria Inner Harbour, a variety of ships and boats, and portraits of crew members.

CALL NUMBER: T0639:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], [196-] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Muir discusses how sailors would dock at Esquimalt in 1903 including the clothes they wore and dances they did, the music the sailors played on the streets of Victoria, more on the sailors, his father (Archie Muir) who was the first engineer at the dry dock, packing fish in the old days, what the old dry dock was like including activities there in 1887, the native boys while he was in school, the children of Naval officers, more on what life was like, his work in a machine shop in 1900, what the inside of a store in Esquimalt was like, and more on early Victoria. TRACK 2: Muir continues by describing what shops were like including the wooden floors and the card tables in the bars, how there were no civilians in the Navy yard, submarines in Esquimalt, using guns at the shooting range, Rev. Sharpe, and parties that the Germans gave, including the instruments used.

CALL NUMBER: T0639:0002 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Muir RECORDED: [location unknown], [196-] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Muir discusses how Englishmen always got work because they came so far, and several anecdotes about incidents with fishermen at the dock. [TRACK 2: Blank.]

RECORDED: [location unknown], [196-] SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Major George Sissman (88 years old) describes coming to Victoria in 1903 on transfer from Halifax while in the British Army, life in the Army, his first impressions of Esquimalt, social life, his duties as a clerk, more on social life among officers, how Esquimalt declined when the British ships left in 1906 leaving only one ship behind, changes in Victoria over time, and a story about a murdered officer. [TRACK 2: Blank.]

CALL NUMBER: T1330:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1961-02-14 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Noel Robinson; a newspaper reporter; recalls some early personalities of Vancouver including: Captain Alex MacLean, the inspiration for the characater of Wolf Larsen in Jack London's "Sea; Wolf"; sailors; captains and others associated with the sea; Hastings Mill; the Empress boats; E. Pauline Johnson; and Mary Capilano. TRACK 2: Mr. Robinson continues with recollections of Mary Capilano; the funeral of E. Pauline Johnson; the Little Theatre company; J. Francis Bursill, including the Vagabond's Club, pageants, and creating the Bursill Institute; B.C. Hilliam and "The Belle of Bur;rard"; and more about Captain Alex MacLean.

CALL NUMBER: T1330:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1961-02-14 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Robinson recalls coming to Victoria and his work on the organ in the wooden cathedral; writing and producing his play the "Cat's Paw" in Victoria. He reminiscences about newspaper person;alities; his work and travels in the Boundary area, including Rock Creek and Midway; playing cricket; hunting in the Chilcotin area; Dog Creek Hill; Bob Piper; Williams Lake; George Murray and early newspapers in Lillooet; the Alaska Highway News; and early journalists Roy Brown, Ronald Kenvyn, and Bruce McKelvie. TRACK 2: This is a very short tape; Mr. Robinson talks about Captain Alex MacLean.

CALL NUMBER: T1330:0003 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1961-04-11 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. Robinson recalls J. Francis Bursill, and reacts to comments made about him by his granddaughter, Thekla Bursill-Hall, in a interview. [See T1331:0001.] Robinson talks about Bursill's personality; the Collingwood Institute; the Bursill Library; aspects of why Bursill came to B.C.; the Bursill family; literary life in Vancouver; anecdotes; his pen name (Felix Penne); eccentricities; Hugh Savage; and the death of J.Francis Bursill. Mr. Robinson continues with recollections about his interview with the Bengali writer and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore. [TRACK 2: blank.]

CALL NUMBER: T0455:0001 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-06-16 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. George Smarge describes working in logging camps at Powell River and work as a forest ranger in 1912. Then; he discusses his sailing career, including his arrival in Vancouver in 1903. TRACK 2: Mr. Smarge continues with more on his sailing career, including details about a shipwreck on the Great Barrier Reef. Then he offers details on his arrival at Royal Roads in Victoria in 190;9; his arrival in Vancouver in 1903; his time working in hand logging near Indian River; work as a pile driving engineer; the development of Powell River and Lund; and a discussion of the Thulin brothers, Fred and Charles.

CALL NUMBER: T0455:0002 RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-06-16 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Smarge continues with more on the Thulin brothers, Oscar and Fred; his work as a forest ranger; the Canadian Puget Sound Logging Company; how Smarge Bay was named; pre-empting land at Cranberry Lake and at Wildwood; working in the pulp mill at Powell River; and a detailed description of the pulp mill process. [TRACK 2: blank.]

CALL NUMBER: T0256:0001 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): William Gilmore RECORDED: Richmond (B.C.), 1972-04-06 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: William Gilmore discusses his career and working conditions as a seaman. [Very little documentation is available for this tape.] [TRACK 2: blank.];

CALL NUMBER: T0256:0002 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): William Gilmore RECORDED: Richmond (B.C.), 1972-02 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: William Gilmore discusses Richmond history. [Very little documentation is available for this tape.] [TRACK 2: blank.];

Minutes, 1920-1927, 1941-1950; correspondence, 1950; pamphlets, programmes, etc.

RECORDED: Abbotsford (B.C.), 1981-08 SUMMARY: Mr. Nightscales was an English seafarer. He tells stories about his friends and escapades all over the world.;