When My Ship Comes Home

The book looks at the investment in shipping by Aberystwyth locals in the mid nineteenth century, when Aberystwyth was amongst the most prominent of the 'lesser' ports of England and Wales, outside places like London, Liverpool and Hull, in terms of the tonnage of its registered fleet. It looks at the occupations of investors and identifies a major contribution by many with no direct connection to shipping or the sea other than living close to it. In effect, because of the lack of local banking, shares in shipping became something akin to a local, tradeable, currency. It also looks at how registers of shipping can be a fruitful source for family historians.