Author Topic: Alexander Young, drowned at Peterhead?  (Read 6357 times)

Offline Forfarian

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Alexander Young, drowned at Peterhead?
« on: Tuesday 28 October 14 04:57 GMT (UK) »
Ann Gauld, widow of Alexander Young, was admitted to the Register of Poor in Keith in 1886. Her record says that Alexander was "drowned at sea at Peterhead herring fishing about 18 years ago". I can't find a death certificate, and I have looked in vain for newspaper reports of a drowning.

Alexander was born in Keith about 1834/5. I have census data for both him and Ann in 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871, and from the 1841 I think his parents were William Young and Ann Wallace. I hoped that a death certificate would confirm that.

Ann Gauld was born in 1814 and died in Keith in 1895. I have her death certificate. Her parents were Robert Gauld and Ann Beaton. Yes, the 1861 census (FreeCEN transcription) shows her being 18 years older than her husband. They had a daughter Jane, born 1852/3 in Keith.

Does anyone know anything about this alleged drowning at Peterhead?

Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline cath151

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Re: Alexander Young, drowned at Peterhead?
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 28 October 14 06:49 GMT (UK) »
Hi,
There are a couple of newspaper reports dated 26th Sep to 1st Oct
1st October 1868
Under the heading "Melancholy Boat accidents at Peterhead"
...We have yet to add another to the melancholy list.Alex. Young, labourer, Keith but employed at Peterhead, fell overboard his boat in the bay and was drowned on the same night. Efforts made to save him were to no avail. He was 35 years of age and married. The boat belonged to Findochty and was commanded and owned by David Nair ("Dear")

Cathy :)
Sinnock/Sinnicks...Brighton,Greenwich.
Clements,Coles,Mc Donagh,Rock

Census InformationCrown Copyright from www.national archives.gov.uk

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Alexander Young, drowned at Peterhead?
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 28 October 14 09:09 GMT (UK) »
Brilliant, Cathy, thank you.

Which newspaper was it?
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Offline Flattybasher9

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Re: Alexander Young, drowned at Peterhead?
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 28 October 14 09:37 GMT (UK) »
Article here

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01e2x/

Regards

Malky


Offline Forfarian

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Re: Alexander Young, drowned at Peterhead?
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 28 October 14 09:51 GMT (UK) »
Thanks, Malky. I see that that Glasgow Herald article cites the Scotsman, but I still can't find it in the online Scotsman, which is odd. Also, I can find nothing in the Aberdeen Journal until about ten days later, which is even more astonishing.
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Offline Flattybasher9

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Re: Alexander Young, drowned at Peterhead?
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 28 October 14 10:01 GMT (UK) »
GenesReunited is also linking to several other newspapers of the time.

Regards

Malky

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Re: Alexander Young, drowned at Peterhead?
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 28 October 14 10:10 GMT (UK) »
Thanks, I will check that out. I have access to the 19th century British Newspaper collection, but maybe GR will have something else.
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Offline Flattybasher9

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Re: Alexander Young, drowned at Peterhead?
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 28 October 14 10:14 GMT (UK) »
Did you look at the Scotsman's piece :-

"THE BOAT ACCIDENT AT PETERHEAD PUBLIC INVESTIGATION"

dated 2nd October 1868. That may be related to this accident(s).

Regards

Malky.

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Re: Alexander Young, drowned at Peterhead?
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 28 October 14 10:36 GMT (UK) »
Did you look at the Scotsman's piece

Yes. I've read quite a number of articles in the Scotsman and Aberdeen Journal this morning. There are quite a few reports of the aftermath of the accident in which the five were drowned on the 'Prosperity' - it seems that the Lifeboat management drew up a report exonerating the coxswain, which led to the setting up of a formal investigation which found the coxswain at fault.

However none of these reports relates to the second incident on the same night, which was the loss of Alexander Young in a separate accident. The only mention of that seems to be in the Glasgow Herald item that Cathy found, and to be honest it had not occurred to me to try the Herald before. Come to that, I wonder why the Dundee Courier doesn't seem to have reported it either?

Even knowing the year and that it was an inshore accident, I still can't find a death certificate on SP.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.