VPRS 946 Registers of Deserters and Discharged Seamen (Refer to Microfilm Copy VPRS 2144)

This series comprises an accumulation of volumes belonging to three or four natural series. The series are identified and described below.Register of Deserters, Port of Geelong 1857 to 1925 (Unit 1)The series commenced 31 August 1857, however, a note on the first page indicates that earlier entries for January 1852 to July 1853 and for January 1856 are at the back of the volume.The register records the date of desertion, the name of the ship and its origin, the name of the seaman and his place of birth, age, height and the colour of his eyes and hair. Additional details were sometimes recorded.A card index to this register is available in the Laverton Search Room.Registers of Deserters 1878 to 1924 (Units 2 to 8)The volumes extant appear to have come from two series which are incomplete.Units 3 to 7 appear to comprise a register of deserters from ships conducting trade with the United Kingdom. The volumes were mostly marked with a volume number and the initials U.K. Unit 2 seems to belong to the same series, based on the numbers marked on the volumes, although it includes deserters from ships conducting trade with British and foreign ports.Unit 8 comprises a single volume relating to deserters from ships conducting intercolonial and foreign trade. It is marked Volume 2.The registers are arranged chronologically by the date of the report of desertion and record the name of the ship and its official number, the name of the deserter and his age, place of birth and rating, the last ship on which he served, and the date of the report. Various references and remarks are usually included such as the name and date of any re-shipment and extracts from the police gazettes relating to the desertion. Each volume contains an index to ships from which the seamen have deserted.Seamen Discharged before the Shipping Master, Geelong 1856 to 1888 (Unit 9)This volume comprises a chronological record of seamen discharged at the Port of Geelong which records the date of discharge, name of the ship and its master, name of the seaman, capacity in which the seaman served, area of trade of the ship, the last vessel on which the seaman served and his character, and the net wages paid to the seaman. Ages and places of birth of the seamen are included in later entries.The record commenced in August 1857 and ended in June 1888. For the same period, a record of Seamen Engaged before the Shipping Master at Geelong can be consulted (see VPRS 22/P Unit 21) which records more or less the same information about the engagement of seamen.For records relating to the discharge of seamen in Victoria see also VPRS 558, VPRS 566 and VPRS 945.

本系列由3至4个自然序列的卷宗集合组成，各序列的标识与说明如下。

## 吉朗港海员擅离职守登记册（1857年至1925年，单元1）
本序列起始于1857年8月31日，但首页注释显示，1852年1月至1853年7月以及1856年1月的早期登记内容位于该卷宗的末尾。该登记册记录了逃兵日期、船舶名称及其起源地、海员姓名及出生地、年龄、身高以及眼睛和头发的颜色，部分卷宗还会记录额外细节。该登记册的卡片索引可在莱弗顿查阅室（Laverton Search Room）获取。

## 1878年至1924年海员擅离职守登记册（单元2至单元8）
现存卷宗源自两个不完整的序列。单元3至单元7应为与英国开展贸易的船舶的逃兵登记册，多数卷宗标注有卷号及缩写“U.K.”。根据卷宗上标注的编号，单元2应隶属于同一序列，但其涵盖了与英国及外国港口开展贸易的船舶的逃兵登记信息。单元8仅包含一卷，涉及跨殖民地及对外贸易船舶的逃兵信息，该卷宗标注为“卷2”。
本登记册按逃兵报告日期按时间顺序排列，记录内容包括船舶名称及其官方编号、逃兵姓名、年龄、出生地及职级、其曾服役的最后一艘船舶以及报告日期。登记册通常附带各类附注与备注，例如重新登船的信息及日期、与逃兵事件相关的警务公报摘录等。每卷卷宗均包含海员逃自船舶的索引。

## 吉朗港经港务监督（Shipping Master）办结离职手续的海员登记册（1856年至1888年，单元9）
本卷按时间顺序记录了在吉朗港办结离职手续的海员信息，具体包括离职日期、船舶名称及船长姓名、海员姓名、海员任职岗位、船舶贸易航线、海员曾服役的最后一艘船舶、海员品行以及支付给海员的实得工资。后续登记条目会补充海员的年龄及出生地信息。
本登记册始于1857年8月，止于1888年6月。同期可查阅吉朗港经港务监督经办的海员雇佣登记册（参见VPRS（Victorian Public Record Service，维多利亚公共记录服务）22/P单元21），该登记册记录的内容与海员雇佣相关信息基本一致。如需查阅维多利亚州境内海员离职相关的其他档案，亦可参考VPRS 558、VPRS 566及VPRS 945。