Long lost family

Long lost family: IMT member Phil Hubert, with one of his ancestor’s Workbooks, meets Sammie Hubert during the Suffolk Family History Society Fair at The Hold on 9^th May 2026.

Hugh Moffat’s book, Ships and Shipyards of Ipswich 1700-1790, contains a reference to the account books from the Dock End Yard during the regime of William Colchester – and managed by James Hubert. It was this mention (above) that led family historian Sammie to Phil, the current keeper of the Workbooks.

Visitors and stall holders at the Suffolk Family History Society Maritime Fair on Saturday 9th May at The Hold came from far and wide. But IMT member Phil Hubert, part of the team on our stand, was welcomed with open arms by someone on the neighbouring stand. Sammie Hubert, a relative by marriage, had apparently been searching for him for ten years!

And the reason for her joy on finding Phil? Sammie is a keen member of the Felixstowe Family History Society (so keen that she was attending the fair, letting her husband take their son, at his request, to a sea shanty session). In the course of her research into the family shipbuilding business based in Ipswich - known as Hubert’s Yard after Phil’s great great grandfather James Hubert who was the manager from 1849-1876 - she had purchased Hugh Moffat’s book Ships and Shipyards of Ipswich 1700-1790, with a reference (see photo) to Phil.

Ten Workbooks from James Hubert’s era survive: leatherbound and listing in beautiful copperplate writing, the jobs done, vessels’ names, prices of labour, and all the parts and materials used. These books, still in Phil’s possession, have been scanned by the digitisation team at The Hold, and can be accessed online.

An article on Phil and his ancestor can be seen in IMT’s Magazine, Issue 47, Winter 2024.

During the afternoon of the Fair, IMT trustee Cathy Shelbourne gave a talk on Researching your maritime ancestors: How Ipswich Maritime Trust can help. If you missed this talk, there’s an opportunity to hear it again at the Felixstowe Family History Society meeting on Wednesday 10^th February 2027.