RootsChat.Com

attn: Itaid
Advice provided in the Maritime & Coastguard Agency's Information leaflet, suggested -

1. the General Register Office might supply a Death Certificate

2. National Archives might provide -
    (a) Lloyds Captains Register - under BT139
    (b) 'Seaman's Pouch' - on-line - giving details under BT372
    (c) search Index of Apprentices at BT150
    (d) Register of Wages & Effects of Deceased Seamen at BT153 (indexed at BT154)

I have not yet looked into item 1, and results for item 2 were -

(a) by entering 'Captain' or 'John' or 'Patterson' or 'Ticket No.11506'. for the period 1800 to 1899, no results were found!

(b) BT372 only covers the period 1913 to 1972

(c) BT150 (Apprentice Names K to Z cannot be searched on-line but they will do a page check for £8.40 !! to determine if it is possible to make a copy - subject to a further fee!

(d) National Archives referred me to 'Find my Past' where I commenced a search for John Patterson b. 1827 and died ca. 1867 or 1868. and, after a time I was provided with a list of 14 possibles, none of whom I could find had positive connection with our Captain John Patterson! Three 'Pattersons' were listed- the others were all variations of that surname, and, of those three one forename was Jn and the others were Jno. Of the fourteen, only one birth-date was shown viz., 1827 but for a John Peterson who died in 1865. No locations were listed.

I do hope you may meet with more success! I shall for now 'rest on my oars'!

Thank you for your very informative posting. I fully agree with you that John Patterson's story is very intriguing - as you say 'lots to discover yet'!

1. Liverpool City Council having advised me that a Merchant Navy contact has informed them that most MN records held in Liverpool were destroyed in a fire in the 1970's, and, recommended contact with MCA in Cardiff via seafarersregistry@mcga.gov.uk. Unfortunately, the e-mail address was wrong and in checking this, I found this should read seafarers_registry@mcga.gov.uk, and, I now await their reply to my enquiry regarding John Patterson's death.

2. www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk under 'National Museums Liverpool', publish a 9 page Information Sheet No.43 'Tracing Seafaring Ancestors in the Merchant Navy', and - if you have not already done so - I suggest you may wish to go on-line and review the advice given.

3. Did you find John Patterson listed in the 1851 Census? (I realise he may have been at sea).

4. With regard to the Margaret Patterson (ms. Robertson)/John Fisher marriage, I have -

    (a) a copy of their Wedding Certificate for 26 July 1869, in Gatehouse in the Parish of Girthon.

    (b) a copy of the 1871 Census recording John and Margaret Fisher living in Gatehouse with 5
    Patterson step-children.

    (c) a copy of the 1818 Census recording John and Margaret Fisher living in Gatehouse with 5
    Fisher children plus one step-son, John Patterson aged 23. working as a Tailor.

    (d) a copy of the 1891 Census recording John and Margaret living in Gatehouse with 3 Fisher
    children, plus a grandson - who merited further investigation which eventually established a
    Patterson/Fisher connection other than Margaret Patterson m.s. Robertson marrying John Fisher!

    (e) I have advised you previously that with regard to John and Margaret Patterson's daughter -
    Margaret Ann Patterson - I have a copy of her 1889 Marriage Certificate and a copy of the 1901
    Census giving details of her family and location.

Should you like to have further details of anything under 4.(a) to (e), please let me know.

Hi! Thank you for your response. My research primarily relates to the family 'Fisher' i.e Margaret Patterson (m.s. Robertson) second marriage on the 26th July, 1869, to John Fisher (b. Ireland), however, I have been intrigued by the background to Margaret's 1st husband, John Patterson, and particularly his death.

1. I have visited the Memorial stone in Girthon Cemetery verifying his death at sea on the 4th April, 1867, but like you I have had no success in finding details.

2. I had established details of his marriage from having a copy of his son Robert's birth certificate, but, at present I also have no details as to his place of birth or his parentage; I now note Borgue (birth) and Samuel Patterson (father) and I would be grateful for any additional detail.

3. Margaret Robertson's 2nd marriage in 1869 was just over 2 years after John Patterson's death, and, I have a copy of the 1871 Census recording John and Margaret Fisher living at High Street, Gatehouse-of-Fleet with their 1st born - Alexander Fisher - and with step-children Patterson viz.,

William       -       15       -        b. Kirkcudbright
John           -       13       -        b. England
Margaret A  -        7        -        b. Gatehouse-of-Fleet
Jeanie         -        5        -        b.           "
Robert        -        3        -        b.           "

Incidental to my research of Family 'Fisher' records, I also have some records pertaining to those Pattersons viz.,

1881     Census (LDS)              Margaret Patterson
1889     Marriage                     Margaret Ann Patterson    to    Robert McDowall
1901     Census                             "          "        "        with      "         "          and family
1920     Death                         William Patterson

Please let me know if you would like to have further detail.

5. Being solely interested in Margaret Robertson's marriage to John Patterson, if you are able to provide any additional information on their stay(s) in England, and, details of John's parents, this would help me to 'round-off' the background on Margaret's 1st marriage.

6. As to John Patterson's death, I have considered there may have been a newspaper report on this and a recent enquiry led to Archives[AT]liverpool.gov.uk suggesting the most likely newspaper to have reported this would be the 'Liverpool Mercury' which is on microfilm freely available for personal research during library opening hours. The Archives also has a microfiche index of marine deaths but - again - this can only be viewed self-service on site! However, the Library apparently has a Research Officer who will undertake searches - for a fee - and the contact is robert.hull[AT]liverpool.gov.uk - my interest being minor does not really merit my hiring his professional services!

Once again, thank you.

Email addresses - replace [AT] with @.