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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: russellte on Friday 22 December 17 22:43 GMT (UK)
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My 5th g grandfather Joseph Learmouth and his brother Peter of Earsdon, by North Shields, Northumberland both were lost at sea on April 1, 1743. I have found a number of people in my tree, both in the UK and USA who died in coal mines. But this is new to me really piqued my interest. Any help getting more information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and happy holidays. Tom
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My immediate thought is a coastal vessel (possibly a collier transporting coal from the Tyne down south). However, unless your ancestor was a master mariner rather than an ordinary crew member there may be no records surviving.
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How did you come by the information?
The first two thoughts I have are newspaper articles (if any survive that far back) and Lloyd's Register of Shipping if you can find out the name of the ship but I don't know how far back they go, probably not far enough.
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The oldest surviving copy of Lloyd's Register was published in 1764. Before 1848 North Shields vessels were registered in Newcastle. Tyne and Wear Archives hold such records that are available. Reference EX/Nc. You really need the name of the ship on which they sailed at the time of their demise.
I think Philips observation is that she may have been a collier is probably correct but do not discount
other types of vessel. North Shields had a sizable fishing fleet around this time.
Poster Westow is knowledgeable on shipping from the North East ports. It may be worthwhile PMing.
Could you tell us where the information you have came from.
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Thanks for the help. I'll post what I discover.
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The sources of the "lost at sea" information are from several family trees posted on Ancestry.com. I PMed each of the tree owners asking where the information came from, but have received no replies so far. None of the trees that I have reviewed had any "hard" sources of information. I suppose the ultimate source could be from a Bible or family lore. I'm still looking. Thanks for your help and Merry Christmas. Tom Russell
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The sources of the "lost at sea" information are from several family trees posted on Ancestry.com. I PMed each of the tree owners asking where the information came from, but have received no replies so far. None of the trees that I have reviewed had any "hard" sources of information.
Then it's quite possible those trees copied the info from each other, so there may only be one 'source' ....
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I know. The trick is finding the "original" source.
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Erm ... russellte .... I've looked at the Ancestry trees for your man. From my reading they have him not "lost at sea" = Drowned, but dying at a place called Sea in Somerset, which I think may be Burnham-on-Sea.
Cheers,
Westoe
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And if they really were lost at sea, then going by the date, could their boat/ ship have been sunk from war action??
Wiggy
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Erm ... russellte .... I've looked at the Ancestry trees for your man. From my reading they have him not "lost at sea" = Drowned, but dying at a place called Sea in Somerset, which I think may be Burnham-on-Sea.
Cheers,
Westoe
No sign of them in the parish registers - available on Ancestry. :'(
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Hi russellte
It's good to see your expressing caution with regards to the Ancestry trees - public trees are notorious for containing lots of false information.
But as you say, the information could come from a family bible, and it may be worth writing up.
From my experience, newspaper records are a great source of information about people who were lost (or believed lost) at sea. You will likely find a date, name of boat, names of men lost, and if you're lucky, names and details of family. I've had lots of luck with my seafaring side of the family, but later dates than you're looking at. Hopefully someone with more experience than me can advise you!
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VERY interesting! Thank you for the tip. The trees also has his brother, Peter, lost at sea. hmmmm.
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Erm ... russellte .... I've looked at the Ancestry trees for your man. From my reading they have him not "lost at sea" = Drowned, but dying at a place called Sea in Somerset, which I think may be Burnham-on-Sea.
Cheers,
Westoe
Do you have a specific reference I can use or investigate? Thanks Tom
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I got a bite from Andrew Lowe! Still a mystery, but I hope this information helps. Any clues anyone?
thelowes151
Jan 24, 2018
'afternoon Tom.
Finally got round to responding, apologies.
The only information I have been able to find to date is from an old book 'Local Records of Remarkable Events' by John Sykes, first published 1733, but updated 1766. An extract reads:
1743 April 1.
During a violent storm at sea, six cobles belonging to South Shields were lost, in which 19 men perished some of them in sight or their wives, also three cobles belonging to Hartley and Blyth, in which eight or ten men were drowned. Much damage was done at Sunderland and at Hartlepool, where a number of cobles and many fishermen were lost.
There are no names of the lost but it would appear someone has found them somewhere.
It seems that Joseph and his Brother Peter were lost then, while their brothers John and William were lost similarly in 1731.
Trust this helps
Andrew Lowe