On Wednesday 29th of November, I embarked on a four-day research trip to Liverpool. The purpose of my trip was to find material relating to lascars, a term used for seamen predominately from Asia, as well as Africa and the Caribbean who were employed in the merchant marine in large numbers in the long nineteenth century.
Liverpool has a rich history of mission activity to seamen in the nineteenth century, with myriad sailors’ homes, missions and rests operating during this period. While many of these institutions catered exclusively to British Sailors, some religious organisations focused on lascars. The Birkenhead Mission to Asiatic Seamen, for instance, opened in Morpeth Docks in 1900, and a year later amalgamated with the Mersey Mission to Seamen described as its Asiatic branch.
My search for sources relating to lascars, and religious organisations’ responses to them in Liverpool, led me to the archives centre at the city’s Maritime Museum and Liverpool Record Office. The archive centre, located on the second floor of the Maritime Museum, is open to the public Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10.30 am-12.30 pm and 1.30-4 pm. No appointment is necessary. I was able to find references to some material through a searchable online catalogue prior to my visit. However, upon arrival at the archive, I found that I was able to better assess the extent of relevant material available through printed archive catalogues and information sheets which organised collections thematically. In this archive, I was able to observe material from organisations like the Seamen & Boatmen’s Friend Society and the Mersey Mission to Seamen. These sources have informed my understanding of mission activity to seamen in Liverpool during the period. In many ways, the absence of non-British sailors in these sources is a point for further enquiry, as I explore archival silences and what they in turn reveal.
The Liverpool Record Office, located on the third floor of the city’s central Library, open Monday to Friday 9 am to 8 pm, contains a diverse range of archives, rare books, microfilm and other material relating to Liverpool’s history. Booking is required for this archive, and the number of items readers can view per day is limited and must be requested 72 hours in advance of their visit. While I was able to see some items pertaining specifically to lascars, other archival material enriched my broader understanding of religious philanthropy, attitudes towards race, migration and mariners, as well as poverty in Liverpool in the nineteenth century. I was able to view copies of The Liverpool Review on microfilm, which I found particularly insightful. This was due to the presence of articles relating to non-British sailors, and the fact that this was a heavily illustrated newspaper, appealing to my interest and expertise in visual sources.
During my spare time in Liverpool, I visited local museums and galleries including the World Museum, Museum of Liverpool, the Maritime Museum and the Walker Gallery. My observations, both of the presence and absence of representation of themes of race, religion and sailors will inform and inspire my planning of the project’s forthcoming exhibition in 2025.
