Section C: Ships' Records Help

Document Reference Number

The records of the HBC ships are described according to the classification system established by the Company. Under this system, each record type (e.g. ships' logs, seamen's wages books, etc.) is assigned a number. A typical reference, therefore, would be C.1/203 which is broken down as follows:

Section C Ships' Records
Class 1 Ships' Logs
Unit
(file or vol.)		 203 Unit 203 of the Ships' Logs (Beaver, sloop converted to brig)

When referring to these records at the Library and Archives Canada, add the prefix MG 20 to the document reference number, e.g. MG 20 C.1/203.

The document reference number should not be confused with the reel number. The document reference number refers to specific items, a great number of which may be found in a given reel.

Years

In the range of years that a particular reference may cover, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  • Different volumes may overlap a given year or range of years.

  • A volume covering a given period of years (i.e., vol. 6, 1860–1865) may be split between two or more reels of microfilm; in such cases the range of years is given for the entire volume, not for the portion covered in a given microfilm reel.

  • Gaps in the record are not enumerated, i.e., if a given reel covers documents for 1850–1855 and 1860–1865, then it is listed as 1850–1865.

  • Records for which a date has not been assigned are not specified, i.e., if undated records are grouped with records dating from 1840–1842, then then only the date is given.

More specific information can be found by consulting the microfilm registers at the HBCA, or Finding Aid No. 65 - Microfilm Shelf List at the Library and Archives Canada. Please contact us if you need more specific information.

Reel Numbers

The number of the microfilm reel as classified by the Hudson's Bay Company Archives and used by the Library and Archives Canada.

The reel number should not be confused with the document reference number. The document reference number refers to specific items, a great number of which may be found in a given reel.

The National Archives in the United Kingdom uses entirely different reel numbers. At the moment these numbers have not been added to this web site.