Empire Windrush question
 

Hello,
The sad story that has grabbed the headlines in recent days regarding those brought to Britain on the Empire Windrush.

Question
1
The Government tells us that in recent years the lists of names was destroyed. OK .
But what happened to the ships Passenger Lists , are those lists of passengers for the ships voyages still held by the Shipping Company or in the National Archives ?
The Australian and Americans hold detailed documents of those that emigrated to those countries which are available on line so I would expect those lists for this ship would still be in existence.

Question
2
Was the Empire Windrush the ONLY ship used in this "migration" of our Caribbean citizens. If not what were the names of the other ships and to which Shipping Companies did they belong ?

Question
3
Are these other ships(?) Passenger lists available.

Thanks
Alex

Re: Empire Windrush question
 

1) Yes they do. BT26. For the specific journey: http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...ils/r/C9152210
2) No
3) See 1)

All the best

Andreas

Re: Empire Windrush question
 

BBC Radio News at 8 o'clock morning referred to a piece in The Times saying that all the ships' passenger lists up to 1960 were at TNA.

Re: Empire Windrush question
 

I think what was destroyed were the landing cards. Not the lists.

My guess is finding people in the lists is more work than in a card archive that I would presume is organised by family name. But it can of course be done.

All the best

Andreas

Re: Empire Windrush question
 

The records at TNA Kew are of historical interest and will no doubt be helpful but technically are not adequate to answer the legal questions now being asked. I have no doubt there will be a solution found that will incorporate the Kew records but, at least based on the WW2 era research I have attempted, I know that the BT (Board of Transport) series records there are not 100% reliable. Close, but not 100%.

Re: Empire Windrush question
 

Thank you for the replies and links.
So it would seem that simply if a then baby/child with parent(s) was in such a list then surely now he/she could use such a list to show arrival proof ?

Aside from the original question there is now a lady in Cornwall who adopted in Canada was later brought to the UK with her adopted parents way back then.
She later applied and was granted a British passport which over the years expired. When she applied for a renewal she was then notified that she was not entitled to one as she was not a British citizen she now awaits a final decision and could in her late years be deported to Canada ?
Bureaurocracy gone mad, if not a British citizen why was she granted a passport in the first place some kind of decision was made at that time ?

Thanks for the replies they answered my questions
Alex

Re: Empire Windrush question
 

Bureaucracy gone mad

Speaking as an ex-bureaucrat, no it isn't. It's bureaucrats doing their job, i.e. faithfully implementing the half-arsed, ill-considered legislation routinely enacted by the politicians you and I elect.

Re: Empire Windrush question
 

Hello Nick,
Thanks for the enlightenment :)
Alex