Death of Seaman at Sea

[Chris_t]

I have just found a person who looks as if they are a relative of one of my ancestors. Unfortunately it looks as if he died enroute to Australia when he fell overboard off the ship ELORA which left Glasgow on the 3rd May 1853

I have found a newspaper report from Sydney which gives his name as Duncan Bell which states that he was aged 19 and a native of Port Glasgow. This information all fits but I am wondering if there is any way I can confirm the details.  There is no death registration in NSW that I can find.

Any help would be appreciated. Regards Christine

[loobylooayr]

Hi Christine,

I looked at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk for records of merchant seaman. This directed me to the www.findmypast.co.uk - keying in Duncan Bell's name and birth location does give results but to view the records you need to have a subscription to the site (which unfortunately I don't  )
But perhaps some kind Rootschatter who does subscribe to this site might look him up for you if you don't want to subscribe yourself.

I think I found this Duncan on the 1841 Census living at King Street, Port Glasgow -

Janet Jackson   age 65   born outside census county
Agnes Bell        age 25  born Renfrewshire
Duncan Bell      age  6            "
Samuel Bell       age 4             "
Janet Bell          age 1             "

By 1851 the family are still at King Street minus Duncan

Agnes Bell  age 38  Widow   born Renfrewshire, Greenock
Samuel Bell age 14              born   "               , Port Glasgow
Jessie Bell    age 10             born   "               , Port Glasgow

Of course, the Duncan Bell belonging to this family could already be dead, be living and working somewhere else, or could be at sea 

There is a birth on Familysearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTV9-5BL   which appears to be the above Duncan, assuming that Agnes Bell's maiden name was Jackson and she was living with her mother in 1841.

Hope this helps and that you can get access to his seaman's ticket/record which would probably verify dates and names.

Good luck with you research,
Linda 

[Chris_t]

Hi Christine,

I looked at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk for records of merchant seaman. This directed me to the www.findmypast.co.uk - keying in Duncan Bell's name and birth location does give results but to view the records you need to have a subscription to the site (which unfortunately I don't  )
But perhaps some kind Rootschatter who does subscribe to this site might look him up for you if you don't want to subscribe yourself.

I think I found this Duncan on the 1841 Census living at King Street, Port Glasgow -

Janet Jackson   age 65   born outside census county
Agnes Bell        age 25  born Renfrewshire
Duncan Bell      age  6            "
Samuel Bell       age 4             "
Janet Bell          age 1             "

By 1851 the family are still at King Street minus Duncan

Agnes Bell  age 38  Widow   born Renfrewshire, Greenock
Samuel Bell age 14              born   "               , Port Glasgow
Jessie Bell    age 10             born   "               , Port Glasgow

Of course, the Duncan Bell belonging to this family could already be dead, be living and working somewhere else, or could be at sea 

There is a birth on Familysearch https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTV9-5BL   which appears to be the above Duncan, assuming that Agnes Bell's maiden name was Jackson and she was living with her mother in 1841.

Hope this helps and that you can get access to his seaman's ticket/record which would probably verify dates and names.

Good luck with you research,
Linda 

Thank you .  This is indeed the family that I am looking for. Jessie or Janet is my Great Great Grandmother but I have not until now had any idea what became of her siblings as Janet arrived in New Zealand by herself in 1863. In 1861 she was living in the house of a married cousin.

Given his age and place of birth I am fairly certain that the Duncan who fell overboard is the right one but I am not sure how to prove it. In 1851 he was likely to be at sea somewhere but I am assuming that he will only be counted in the census if the ship was in a British port.

The Newspaper report gives his age and place of birth would his seaman's ticket provide any additional information. Christine

[loobylooayr]

Morning Christine (or Evening!)

I'm no expert on the seaman's tickets/books/records   I don't know what further info they hold. Because Duncan died pre 1855 his death is before compulsory registration in Scotland and I don't know what the procedure is for people who are lost at sea/buried at sea? 
Have you found the ship's crew list? There could be a note on that perhaps? 
I also wonder if there would be anything in the Scottish newspapers of that time? Or whether a young man falling overboard wouldn't warrant a mention back then?!

I still think that the seaman's records are your best bet. Hopefully someone will look at them for you or failing that I've just noticed Findmypast do a Pay as You Go sub - 60 credits for £6.95 , I think.
There is a site www.britishnewspaperarchives.co.uk  - again it's a pay to view site  and in my experience quite hard to search. I'll have a look at that for you - it can be searched for free , it's just viewing your "hits" that cost money!! - and see if I can find a possible article.

Regards, Linda 

[pollymann]

I have sent you a pm regarding his possible death and merchant navy records  as I can't attach either to a post. His seaman's ticket number is given on both as well as other details. He died 7th August 1853.
Pauline

[Skoosh]

Christine,  try the online archive of the Greenock Telegraph at the Watt Library.
You should find this on,   http://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/

Skoosh.

[Skoosh]

Mix up

[Chris_t]

Christine,  try the online archive of the Greenock Telegraph at the Watt Library.
You should find this on,   http://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/

Skoosh.

I had a good look around this website.  Lots of interesting stuff.  I found the BDM entries from the Newspapers at:
http://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/education-and-learning/libraries/local-and-family-history/family-history/intimations but none that I could positively link to my family although there were quite a few entries for BELL but not many for the time frame that I am predominantly interested in.

[Chris_t]

I have sent you a pm regarding his possible death and merchant navy records  as I can't attach either to a post. His seaman's ticket number is given on both as well as other details. He died 7th August 1853.
Pauline

Thank you.  He must have been somewhere in the Southern Ocean rounding the bottom of Australia when he died as the newspaper report was dated 31 August and indicates that the water was cold. If his date of birth is included in the seaman's ticket then I should be able to confirm that it is the same person.

Regards,
Christine