Charles Harvey Drowned

[dizer]

Hello
About 5 years ago a gentleman named Stewart answered a question on here about my G. G. grandfather establishing he had drowned. Unfortunately I couldn't get any further and it went into the 'too hard' pile. But now I'm determined to try and find a little more about:
Charles Harvey - born in Essex in 1824 but moved to Jersey after 1852 but before 1854. He had two children in Jersey with his wife (Mary Ann)1st child Mary Ann born 1854 & 2nd child Emily born 1856.
Charles drowned on a vessel called the Susan Jane. In the Jersey Merchant Seaman's Benefit Society  records entry No 461, it shows he drowned (although it is mistranscibed as 1850)  I cannot however, find anything more - like his death record or anything on the vessel. Any help or pointers greatly appreciated  

[Hill]

Hi Diane

I'm still here!!!!

Leave it with me and I'll see if there's anything new. With Easter, it won't be until next week.

Stewart

[dizer]

Oh Stewart hello and thank you !
Diane

[Hill]

Hi Diane

Well this one has to be one of the most frustrating but interesting bits of research I have done in a long time!!

I first had to refresh what I had done some 5 years ago to make sure I had done things correctly. The whole system of the Merchant Seaman's Pension Fund is a bureaucratic nightmare. Particularly as not all the records exists. You first have to look up a register to find the person's name. This is (supposedly) in alphabetical order but of course when the names were written into the Register, if there was insufficient space to keep them in order, they get inserted wherever they can.

I therefore found an entry for Charles Harvey, which gives you a page number (461) and a letter which refers to another volume (currently on microfilm).

I found the entry for Charles Harvey who started making payments into the fund in February 1855 aged 30 years and from Burnham which ties in with the man in question. At the bottom is written “Drowned”, the last entry being dated June 1858.

Now, I stated that he was on the Susan & Jane but now  know more about these records and this is not necessarily the ship that he would have been on when he drowned. Sailors didn't pay into the fund until they returned to Jersey and as he hadn't returned, the ship he was on would not have been mentioned. Also, remember the fund only related to Jersey registered ships and he could have sailed on other vessels and not been recorded.

This is all well and good but then an entry caught my eye for another Charles Harvey from Essex (page 402) aged 20 years when he started paying into the fund in 1854 and still paying in 1870. I know the age doesn't tie in but it's rather a coincidence that there were two Charles Harvey's from Essex at the same time??

I have searched all the death records for a  Charles Harvey without any success. I can only suggest you have a look at www.bmdregisters.co.uk which has deaths at sea. There is one in 1858 but I don't have subscription to check this out.

I you want send me PM with your email address, I took photographs of the ledger entries which may be of interest.

Regards,

Stewart

[dizer]

Hello Stewart

First, I am sorry it has taken time to respond to you; I have had some log in problems with my lap top and consequently don't go on it as often as I should!
Secondly though, thank you so very much for taking the time to continue this search for me.  This gets more curious as it goes on !  I will look to see if I can find his death at sea to start with.  The problem with our ancestors is that they were rather conservative with naming their offspring! My Charles had a son (Charles) by his first wife.  After her death and his remarriage, he had another son with his second wife and called him..... Charles.  I haven't been able to find the first born an so will look again at his birth date - perhaps its him you found !  I have noticed a number of Harvey's in Jersey at the time and it isn't beyond possibility that another part of the Harvey family moved over there from Burnham and is why my Charles went to Jersey in the first place. I'd love to see copies that you took and will pm you with my email address - once I can find out how to do it - bear with me Thank you again and I will be in touch.  Diane