Thanks for replies.
Yes, I have accessed those sites, but with limited success. In fact, back in 2007 I completed the trees for myself & my wife going back 250 years & found 550 ancestors & their relatives. Just two brick walls remain, so decided to open my files again. One - a Ships Engineer(from Scotland) who died in Seaforth in 1912, and started out in Birkenhead in 1861 as an Iron Turner. I have all his BMD & Census records(except for when he was at sea), but the family know nothing of which Merseyside ships he sailed on. His Scottish father was a Ships Carpenter who died between 1863 & 1868 and possibly spent his final years on Liverpool registered vessels. I have all his Scottish records, except for his death. I have one possible candidate who "died at sea" on a Liverpool registered vessel (the Orion) in 1865 according to Kew records.
To delve further, both Kew & the Liverpool Maritime Museum just say - I need to visit or contact a local genealogist.
So next question, please, is - does anyone know of a reputable person on Merseyside ? (Hey - me late scouser Da would've said " watch out for scallies"!). For health reasons, I cannot do a 700 mile round trip down to "The Pool" & back, sorry.

Regards, Simo

Ships Engineer = Archibald Simpson b.1839 Kincardine, Scotland. Moved to Birkenhead in 1860. On 1861 Census - down as an "Iron Turner" (Ships Boiler Maker). Over the next 50 years - flitted backwards & forwards over the Mersey to different residences. Finally dying in Seaforth in 1912(On the West Derby BMD Records).In latter years - down as "Ships Engineer".
Ships Carpenter = Archibald's Father - James Simpson b.1813 Kincardine. Served for a few years on Hudson Bay vessels in the 1840's/50's. Absent on the 1861 Census, but still alive on Archibald's Birkenhead Marriage Cert. in 1863. That wife died & Archibald remarried in 1868, but that Birkenhead Cert. said "Father deceased". There i s definitely no Scottish record for his death in that 5 year period.
However, there is a record of a death of a "James Simpson" in 1865 - aboard a Liverpool Registered Vessel - the Orion(reg.26008) - just says "At Sea". That record doesn't give his occupation, age, parents or wife's name(Margaret), just said "Fever". My James would've been 52 in 1865. Perhaps, just perhaps, father & son worked for the same shipping company. Maybe, just maybe, on the same vessel - the Orion ! But, and its a big but - there were hundreds of "James Simpsons" dying in Scottish & English records for the mid 1860's.
As many FH enthusiasts ken, not all Victorian records contained correctly spelled names - so "Simson" was sometime used. Another close ancestral Scottish/Merseyside family was the Connely's - there are several flippin versions of that name. The posh educated Lancashire/Cheshire record keepers/census enumerators had to put up with thousands & thousands of Jocks & Paddies who flocked to Merseyside for work, and who had pretty broad accents. And sadly, many were illiterate.
I found out years ago, that the LDS "Family Search" records, which are massive - took those miss-spelt names at face value & hence were a bit confusing. I always checked them against OPR's & Registrar's BMD records.

Regards, Simo

Many thanks Mary. Yours gratefully, Simo.