The Associated Shipwrights' Society was formed in 1882 by the amalgamation of a number of local shipwrights' associations. It was renamed the Shipconstructive and Shipwrights' Association in 1908 and the Shipconstructors' and Shipwrights' Association in 1912. It seems to have initially only admitted those specifically rated as shipwrights, in wood as well as metal, and also admitted drillers and hole cutters. It later expanded its remit somewhat and even started admitting sailmakers from 1920, but it did not admit boilermakers and only seems to have recruited in the shipbuilding industry. It had branches throughout Great Britain and Ireland.

The union absorbed the United Society of Drillers and the Wear Shipwrights' Benevolent Society in 1908 and the Amalgamated Society of Drillers and Holecutters in 1910.

In 1963, it amalgamated with the United Society of Boilermakers, Blacksmiths, Shipbuilders and Structural Workers to form the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers.

The main genealogical sources are the series of annual and quarterly reports, 1885-1912, 1914 (MSS.192/AS/4/2/1-14, MSS.192/SA/4/1/1-4, MSS.192/AS/4/3/1), and annual reports, 1918, 1920-1929, 1936-1937, 1940-1963 (MSS.192/AS/4/1/1-48).

Membership registers

A series of membership registers runs from 1882 to 1912, 1914 to 1939 and 1946 to 1958 (MSS.192/AS/5/1-15). These are organised chronologically, with members entered in batches by branch. Information includes name, date of joining, date of death, age (from 1883), place of birth (from 1890), marital status (from 1890), wife's name (from 1890), wife's age (from 1890), employer (from 1890), number of years at trade (from 1890), employer with which apprenticeship served (from 1883) and length of apprenticeship (from 1890).

Full lists of members

Full lists of members by branch appear in the 1889 and 1892 annual reports (MSS.192/AS/4/2/1-2). Only names are listed.

Members transferring from local benefit sections to the national benefits scheme are listed by branch in the 1885 annual report (MSS.192/AS/4/2/1).

New members

New and rejoined members are listed in the quarterly reports from 1889 to 1912 and the annual reports from 1885 to 1941 and 1946 to 1963, with name, branch and date of joining.

Full lists of assimilated sailmakers appear in the 1920 and 1921 annual reports (MSS.192/AS/4/1/3-4), with name, branch and age.

Registration of wives

Lists of members registering their wives (presumably often shortly after marriage) for funeral benefit appear in the quarterly reports from 1909 to 1912 and the annual reports from 1918 to 1941 and 1946 to 1963. Listed by branch, information includes names of the member and his wife, age of the wife and date of registration.

Deceased members

Lists of deceased members and members' wives by branch appear in the annual reports from 1885 to 1912 and 1936 to 1940, with name, age, date of death, cause of death (1885-1937) and date of joining (1887-1937).

Members receiving benefits

Lists of members in receipt of sick, accident, superannuation and unemployment benefit appear by branch in the annual reports from 1886 to 1912, with name only.

Members lent the train fare to travel from one area to another to obtain work are listed in the annual reports from 1897 to 1914, with name, date, home branch and branch travelled to.

Superannuated members

Superannuated (pensioned) members are listed in the 1929 annual report (MSS.192/AS/4/1/12) only, with branch, name and date of superannuation.

Compensation cases

The 1924 annual report (MSS.192/AS/4/1/7) contains a list of compensation cases successfully settled from 1919 to 1923, with name, date, employer and particulars of the case.

Branch officers

The names and addresses of all branch officers and committee members are listed in the annual reports from 1885 to 1914, 1918 to 1936 and 1947 to 1962. Names and addresses of branch secretaries are also listed in the quarterly reports from 1889 to 1914.