Holland: Drowned Sea Captain’s Burial at Helvoet 1880

[tillypeg]

My 2xgt grandfather Warren Wells drowned on the 14 November 1880 off the coast of Holland – somewhere near Goeree – and a newspaper article says that he was interred at Helvoet.  How can I find out if there is a headstone or a memorial? 

It seems that 5 others from the ship, a brig called “Ami” sailing from Whitby, also drowned.  The article doesn’t say if all the bodies were recovered. The other seamen were William Harwood (mate), Thomas Mackins (cook), Edward Dunn 16, James Avis 16 and Alfred Asprey 17 (apprentices).

Also, the other 5 seamen appear in the “Register of Wages & Effects of Deceased Seamen” (BT153) but Warren Wells doesn’t – why would this be when the article states that he was the Captain and was identified by his engraved gold ring. I have his details from the Merchant Navy records, his Mate's Certificate of Service, his death cert from the GRO Marine Deaths Indices and 4 newspaper articles but these final pieces are missing.

Any help at all in identifying the whereabouts of the churchyard/cemetery in Helvoet etc would be greatly appreciated by a non-Dutch-speaking RootsChatter.

Tillypeg

[leen]

http://www.dutch-cemeteries.com/contact.asp

This is a Dutch cemeteries site.  The cemetery of Hellevoetsluis is also on it. I can’t find your 2xgt grandfather . 
You can send them an email, maybe they can help you.
first box :  name
2e  box :  your e-mail address
3e box : topic
4e box : your message
click on the box : Verstuur    (= submit)

Good luck
Leen

[tillypeg]

Hi Leen,

Many thanks for replying to my post.  The website is very interesting.  I have sent an email in the hope that they can help me.

Regards,
Tillypeg

[leen]

It is a long time ago and very uncertain whether the grave is still there.  If you don’t get an answer, let it know.  There is someone on Geneanet with different images of tombstones from the old cemetery of Hellevoetsluis.  Perhaps he can help.

Leen

[tillypeg]

Thanks Leen, I will keep you updated.

Tillypeg

[elcas]

Tillypeg,

I did some research as well.

Reading the suggestions by others, why not trying the "streekarchief"- districtarchive ?

info@streekarchiefvpr.nl

send them a copy of the paper you mentioned, it certainly will help !!

Good luck,

elcas

[tillypeg]

Many thanks elcas for your suggestion, I will certainly try that.

Tillypeg

[Dauro]

Hello Tillypeg,

I did some research to.....

The (English) brig we are talking about here was named "Amy of Whitby", it was transporting coal from Newcastle to Vlaardingen.
It sunk on the 14Th of November 1880 at approximately 11 am on the Hinder at the Bokkengat (you can google this). The Bokkengat was situated a little bit to the north of Goeree Overflakkee, one of the islands of the province of Zeeland.

Captain Klop, captain of the tugboat "The Rotterdam", who was on his way to a stranded boat "The Benvenuti", tried everything to rescue the crew of the "Amy of Whitby" but in vane. He watched a horrific spectacle of seeing them all die!

One of the crew members was brought ashore at Hellevoetssluis. I don't know who. If they found the others I don't know eather or what happened to them.

Because the "Amy" sunk on a very busy sea route it had to be removed.
For the first time they did this with ground torpedo's, it was done by 1st Luit. De Fremery from the Torpedo Regiment at Brielle. They were very curious what a torpedo would do to a  sunken ship filled with coal.
This was done after 15Th of December 1880. Before that time they stationed another ship besides the "Amy" for safety reasons.

I will try to get more information, if possible, what happened to the crew of the "Amy of Whitby".

Greetings Dauro.

p.s. please look in your p.m.

[tillypeg]

Hi Dauro,

Many thanks for responding to my query about Warren Wells.  I am very interested in the information you have found, thank you so much.  It must have been a dreadful spectacle for Captain Klop to witness.

Warren would have been 56 years old at death, though the death certificate I have acquired does not state his age. 

I assume that as Warren was identified by his engraved gold ring, his body must have been brought ashore.

Hoping you can find anything about his burial.

Tillypeg