Death at Sea

[althomoore]

How would I find records of an ancestor that died a sea?

I have always been told that my Great Grandfather died at sea when my Grandmother was very young. His name was Bryan O'Connor (or Connor) and was living in Glengarriff Cork. Before he retired he was a sailor with HMR Navy and I believe he was a civil sailor after he retired. From my research I am estimating that he died between 1915 and 1921.

He was married to Nora Shea in 1911, had a daughter, Mary O'Connor (my grandmother) in 1912 and a son, William O'Connor, in 1916. Nora remarried in 1922 to Timothy Crowley-Keoghan.

I have the marriage records for Bryan and Nora and the birth record for my grandmother.
I don't have the death record for Bryan O'Connor or the birth record for William O'Connor.

[scotmum]

http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKDeathsAtSea.html


Closest Crowley/O'Shea marriage I can see was in 1929. That Nora stated she was a spinster.

If same Nora, then your potential timescale for death of Bryan could be wider than you have said.

[Sinann]

She is indexed as Connor
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1922/09198/5327112.pdf

[Wexflyer]

He was a sailor in the RN or RNR. His address in 1911 at the time of his marriage is given as  "Medusa ship". This is HMS Medusa, a Royal Navy cruiser, stationed in Bantry Bay from 1910-1917.
http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/marathon_class.htm

[dathai]

See paragraph ''Other Genealogy Sources available at the General Register Office ''
http://timeline.ie/general-register-office/

[scotmum]

Loss of H.M.S. Medusa Confirmed ...”

 "sank after all her crew had been taken off her"

"without any casualty - a fine piece of seamanship."
 
March 29, 1916 - Belfast News-Letter

could it be that not all the crew were rescued after all or, did he retire after this and died later on a commercial ship?

The Medusa was off the German coast at the time.

[Wexflyer]

Loss of H.M.S. Medusa Confirmed ...”

 "sank after all her crew had been taken off her"

"without any casualty - a fine piece of seamanship."
 
March 29, 1916 - Belfast News-Letter

could it be that not all the crew were rescued after all or, did he retire after this and died later on a commercial ship?

The Medusa was off the German coast at the time.

There must be some mistake here. Multiple reference works show Medusa survived the war, and was scrapped in 1920. In 1917 she was in Cobh.

[HMac]

I think we have some confusion here.

Two different ships - Marathon Class Cruiser - HMS MEDUSA survived the war and sold in 1920.
Medea Class Destroyer - HMS MEDUSA lost 1916 after a collision with HMS LAVEROCK.

Regards
Hugh

[Wexflyer]

I think we have some confusion here.

Two different ships - Marathon Class Cruiser - HMS MEDUSA survived the war and sold in 1920.
Medea Class Destroyer - HMS MEDUSA lost 1916 after a collision with HMS LAVEROCK.

Regards
Hugh

Thanks for clearing that up! I am astonished that they had two ships in commission at the same time with the same name. We are probably not the first to be confused...