Died at sea?

[Alcluith]

Annette M

If he was a seaman, then the captain would have to register his death. and according to everything I have found to date, that needs to be in the country of his birth.
If I remember right, when I contacted the NI register office, the referred me to the office in Dublin and then to Kew in London as they said all early records of deaths at sea was sent there, not sure if that would be the same for Scottish records. Have you tried NRO Edinburgh?


I have my maternal grt grt grandfather Norman McLeod who amongst his various professions, as listed by his family, was sometimes a fisherman in Snozort Skye. He disappears between 1881 and 1883 (got it right this time ) without a trace, so I have had to assume lost at sea. I have tried to find him but to date had no success.

[jontodd]

FOUND HIM !!!!!!!! after 3 years of searching I walked into the Mitchell and found him within 2 hours. I almost let out a YEHAAAA when I seen his name... sad or wot ?

He was drowned along with 81 other crew members on the 31st October 1914 aboard the Hospital ship Rohilla which was a great loss at the time. It is still remembered every year in Whitby where she was wrecked as she headed to Dunkirk to pick up the wounded from France. Now I'm in the middle of reading all about in online.
Thanks to all of you out there for the help

[tishgibbons]

John,

well done!!! I have an Alexander Rae in my tree who died at sea in the English Channel on the 11th of February 1890 and I couldn't get any further information either though the death was registerd in Scotland. I'm in Ireland so a trip to the Mitchell is on my very long list of places I have to go on this magical trip to Scotland sometime in 2006 I hope. I had one piece of luck though - I looked up his will/testament on SP and found the name of his ship - the SS Deeside. My husband tells me that that means Merchant Navy but I'm none the wiser.

Regards

Tish

[jontodd]

Thanks Tish.
I plan to go back to the Mitchell in the next few weeks so I'll look up your Alexander if you like and photocopy the page for you .I now need to contact the Irish Registrar (Antrim)and find out if the was registered the death with them, can you tell me if the parents are mentioned on Irish death certs?

John

[tishgibbons]

John,

many thanks for your kind offer - it would be greatly appreciated if you could do that look-up for me. You're out of luck with the death certificate though. Father's information is not given - only in the case of births and marriages. I'll be in Dublin on the 31st Jan and I can look up the index for you in the Gilbert Library - but it is just an index - you will have to order the certificate from the Registrar, though bearing in mind the information you're likely to get you might decide not to bother.

Regards,

Tish

[jontodd]

thanks Tish
Doe's the library hold indexes for marriage and Births in Dublin?

[tishgibbons]

Yes, for the whole island so far as I know. It's a torturous process as the whole country is on the one reel in alphabetical order. I've never found anything I'm looking for and I don't know if it's that I get cross-eyed viewing the reels or my ancestors just disappeared off the face of the earth! Will give yours a bash though - let me know what you need.

Tish

[jontodd]

I was actually trying to get the name of his parents. not to worry. BUT if you happen to come across a marriage cert for an EDWIN WARBURTON who married a MARIA MURRAY in DUBLIN sometime during the 1880's then I'd indebted to you!!

[tishgibbons]

No problem - doubt there were too many Edwin Warburtons in Dublin then or even now!! If you suspect early or late 1880s let me know - I'll just start that end as you have to order each year's reel.

Tish

[Alcluith]

Can you remember off hand the years the volumes covered as I suspect my gg grandfather George Murray, a merchant seaman, died at sea between 1861 and 1866. I have spent fortunes at Park Circus and SP trying to find him with no joy- but when I asked to see the registers at 'The Mitchell' I was told they did not have the years I was asking for.
I will ask again next time I'm there but I thought it was post 1880 she said they had.

regards,
Annette M

Annette

National Archives hold registers on births, marriages and deaths at Sea for different dates.
It appears that in 1851 the Seamen's Fund Winding-up Act made it a requirement for masters of british ships to hand over the details of the seamen who died during the voyage.
These registers were maintained by the RGSS, Registrar general for Shipping and Seamen.

The records are in the periods: 1852-1889 (BT 153)
1854- 1890 (BT 158)
1891 to 1972 (BT 334)

The details for the National Archives are:
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Tel:0208 876 3444

Hope this helps