19th century Fishermens Deaths

[Balls]

Hi, my GGGrandfather, Thomas Balls, is on my GGrandfathers 1876 birth cert as deceased, he was a fisherman in Yarmouth.  This would point to his death as sometime between the conception and registration of the birth, around 1875/6.  I can't find any trace of his death, apart from the birth cert.  Theres a burial by the name of Thomas Balls in Lawford, Essex, in 1875, which is quite a way round the coast from GT Yarmouth.

Does anyone know if fishermen of those times would go this far out to sea and if so and some catastrophe happened would they be buried locally and not be taken back "home" (that's of course if they were ever found)?  Also would there be any record of such accidents and what more could I try to find him?

Cheers David

[shoeman]

one or two on here around that date for Thomas Balls:- www.gravestonephotos.com
Mike.

[Jeuel]

My Norfolk gt grandfather John Gray had 3 brothers who just disappear.  My father told me a story (wish I'd paid more attention!) that 3 brothers had died in an accident at sea which is why John's wife Ruth was insistent that none of her sons became fishermen.

I don't know any more about it than that.  I know William, the elder brother, was still alive in 1871 as that's when he was enumerated with John on board a fishing smack in Yarmouth.  I also know John changed occupation, according to his sons' baptism records, from fisherman to labourer between 1871-1874.  William's wife appears as a widow in 1881 and her last child, born 1875 has no father's name listed.

But I can tell you that churches all around the coast are full of burial register entries for "unknown mariner found on the beach" or "seaman, unknown, washed up" etc.  If bodies weren't recovered immediately they would often be unrecognisable.

[Balls]

But I can tell you that churches all around the coast are full of burial register entries for "unknown mariner found on the beach" or "seaman, unknown, washed up" etc.  If bodies weren't recovered immediately they would often be unrecognisable.

I think you're right, I found an entry here.  http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#w=0&p=waypoint&s=waypointsOnly&c=fs:1416598
It got me thinking.  It's in the St Nicholas Feb 1876 burrials, image 22.

Listed as "A Man Unknown" Feb 26 1876

This time scale fits spot on for my GG Grandfather, but I don't think I'll ever know for certain, as I can't find out how he died.  It might even have been from natural causes, but you would have thought that there would have been some record and at 42 it leads me to believe he was lost at sea.

Cheers David

[Jeuel]

I wish I knew definitely what happened to my gt grandfather's 3 brothers.  But a couple of years ago I took my younger son to Great Yarmouth for a week.  We walked on the beach and found some nice pebbles and tossed one into the sea for each of the brothers. 

[Balls]

I wish I knew definitely what happened to my gt grandfather's 3 brothers.  But a couple of years ago I took my younger son to Great Yarmouth for a week.  We walked on the beach and found some nice pebbles and tossed one into the sea for each of the brothers. 

Nice touch.  It makes you wonder just how frequent it was for husbands, father's, son's etc, to walk out of the door, never to return.  Dangerous times.

[sylvia3]

Hello David
I am brand new to Rootschat, and discovered that you have a Mumford-Mason in your family tree. So do we! My husband's Gt Grandmother was a Mumford-Mason from Worsboro' dale, b c1849, died Bradford 1914, by which time she was a Swift, having married a Carr somewhere along the way!
Hope this may be of interest to you, and that we can make a connection!
regards
Jules