Lusitania mystery - told Great Grandfather died on ship, but he's not on records

[TreesieA]

Hi

I'm wondering if anybody can help. My mother was always told that her grandfather was crew on the Lusitania and died when the ship went down during WW1. With the 100 year anniversary recently, I looked for his name on the published records listing those who died and his name isn't there.

I tried looking for incorrect spelling and that didn't help. I then tried to find a record of his death on the Ancestry website and couldn't find this either. My grandmother always believed her father died on the ship and said they did receive written confirmation of this fact at the time of his death. However, my mother and uncle can't find any documentation now.

Is anyone able to offer any help or guidance? I would really like to let my mum and uncle know what happened to their grandfather.

Many Thanks

[stanmapstone]

Welcome to RootsChat
It would help if we knew his name.

Stan

[cath151]

Hi,
Welcome to Rootschat
Have you looked for deaths at sea, or perhaps naval/merchant navy records?
Perhaps you could give us his name and someone may be able to help.

Cathy

[TreesieA]

Hi Stan

His name was Fredrick James Kerslake.

Many Thanks

[avm228]

Welcome from me too

There are various men named Frederic(k) James Kerslake in available records.  Can you tell us more to pin him down - e.g. birthdate (even if approx.), names of wife & children, area of the country (assuming the country was England)?

[StanleysChesterton]

If you give all the information about his name/date of birth/birthplace/age etc then people will see if he was actually somewhere else and the story was created as he simply ran off.

However, for a variety of reasons some people were unlisted.  You can see the reasons here
http://www.rmslusitania.info/people/unlisted/

You can even post your story in the comments, with his name, if Rootschat fails to discover he ran off with some dancing girl and had another family!

[TreesieA]

Many Thanks, I've added a comment to the Lusitania website.

His name is Frederick James Kerslake. Possibly born Sept 1878, but not certain. Married Q2 1904 in Tynemouth, Northumberland to Ada Emily Smith and I've sent off for the marriage certificate to gain more info. Had one daughter Beatrice May, born 19th March 1905 in Tynemouth.

Frederick and Ada also had a son Sydney James who died aged 2. Think Sydney was born March 1909 in South Shields and think he died Sept 1911, death registered in Doncaster. Ada, Emily and Sydney were on the 1911 census in South Shields, but no Frederick (although he could have been at sea).

Frederick's father may also have been called Frederick and his mother Frances, but I'm not certain.

Has obviously crossed my mind the story was made up and he ran off. Have also considered he did crew on the Lusitania to New York but didn't come back for some reason.

[keyboard86]

Hi is the Frederick you believe could have father Frederick Mother Frances shown as Frederick KARSLAKE 12 b Bermondsey , Frederick snr a Master Mariner residing at Beatrice House, Stanhope Road,  South Shields in 1891?
Census ref RG12/4157/57/27
Keyboard86

[TreesieA]

Hi, yes I think so. Have received some help from people on live chat and they pointed that out to me, which sounds very plausable.