Master Mariners

[Ringoroses]

Mariner's deaths are notoriously difficult to track down. Not all were registered and often the best you can hope for is a newspaper article or such like telling you his ship's sunk.

Questions I'd be thinking about include:

I know you say he was from Liverpool. But was that where he was he born? Deaths of Scottish nationals for example, tended to be registered there.  I understand it's similar for Irish nationals. (Not sure of the dates when that started).

Have you looked in the newspapers for him - did his vessel sink? As the Master, he's likely to have been named even if the crew weren't.

Have you done a rough search on his name in the records - i.e. messed about with the spelling in case it's been misindexed or misspelt?

One other suggestion I have for you is more about those he left behind. Did he leave a wife and family? Have you looked into what happened to them? The Liverpool Seaman's Orphan Institution (RLSOI) usually helped families like them out, even if the children didn't enter the instution themselves. If you contact them and give them some details, they'll look them up and tell you. Then you can go down to the Maritime Museum at the Albert and they'll give you copies of the paperwork.  enquiries@rlsoi-uk.org

Regards
Ann

[Rena]

Through my local library I have online access to the British Library Newspaper archives via the gale website.  I noticed that old newspapers had daily sailings and always included the names of ships captains when leaving/arriving in port and when a ship sank. If you're lucky you might find a clue to your ancestor.

[Ringoroses]

Hi, sorry I'd assumed you have his Master's certs. But I've just checked. And he was on other ships than that. Don't you have them yet?

Ann

[Ringoroses]

I also found a Robert Godsoe, Master, sailing out of Liverpool to south America on the Copernicus  (a steamer) in 1864.

[seaweed]

According to the Mercantile Navy list he was still listed in 1864. His Certificate number was 11342.
Ancestry now has records online regarding Captains Certificates see
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,615197.0.html
If you cannot find him there try Lloyds Captains Register. Surnames beginning with "G" are not indexed online so you would have to ask London Metropolitan Archives.
ANN could you give the names of the other ships with dates please.
There are Merchant seamans records as oppossed to captains records for Robert Godsoe born Liverpool on FindMyPast

[Ringoroses]

Here you go seaweed:

He was mate on these:

John Dowde or Dowdie, May to Aug 55

Something Smith, a St Johns, NB vessel, May to Sept 56

The Perthsire, ON 34590, Nov 56 - Apr 57
 
And the Madras, ON 6890 Sep 57- Mar 58.

[Ringoroses]

I have the Copernincus at Malta in Jan 64 with Godsoe as Master. Then at Alexandria in Feb. If he's still aboard in Oct that year, he's headed from Rangoon for Falmouth.  It looks like a change of master after that.  The vessel seems to have been owned by Messers Stephen and Sons and had a sister ship, the Newton.

The only Godsoe I can see after that is on a vessel called the Saladin a screw steamer, Nov 64/Jan 65 - heading for Permabuco???  He's still aboard in May 65, but I think by June he's been replaced. Can't say whether it's him or not at present though.

[seaweed]

Thank you Ann, its appreciated. Is there nothing later than that?
I also found him as Captain of the Liverpool vessel SALADIN 16854 in 1865 so at least he was alive up until that point. I cannot find a death at sea or overseas for him. It looks like most of his later voyages were to South America.  

[Ringoroses]

No, can't see anything for him after that.