William Dobson, South Shields, Master Mariner

[Radcliff]

Excellent fiddlerslass

So he was still on the Mary & Caroline

[PaulThommo]

Hi Fiddlerslass,
Good spotting, thank you so much, you never know where you can find information, it's just a pity that it wasn't stated the cause of his death (he was only 36). Now if I had been a "celebratory" appearing on a well known TV program I would have been whisked off to Malta and shown his grave along with all the paperwork and any newspaper reports!!!! Ah well I hope to come back to the UK for a visit this year, will add it to my list of things to find out and see if there are any local newspaper reports at South Shields library as it probably would have been newsworthy.
Many thanks once again
Paul Thompson

[Radcliff]

A very small snippet of news
Morning Post 8th April 1853
reported on the 15th March 1853
Constantinople,
The Mary and Caroline,Dobson.
hence for the United Kingdom,got aground near Nagara 8th March , but was towed off

[seaweed]

Nice work Now we have established it was MARY AND CAROLINE it should be easier to find her 1853 logbook Just hope it has survived.

[Radcliff]

I hope so to Seaweed

[seaweed]

Just an update. Can confirm that William Dobson died 29/March/1853 at Malta, whilst master of the Brig MARY AND CAROLINE. No cause of death was given. The Mate one Robert Mole, took over as Master.
Source. Crew Agreement in BT 98/360

[Radcliff]

 

[PaulThommo]

Thanks Seaweed for the update, hope you had an enjoyable holiday 'downunder' and thanks Radcliffe for your condolences!!
In the 1850's I presume that anyone dying while overseas would be buried at the nearest port/country (in this case Malta) as the time to take a body back to the UK would be too long. Will have to try and find South Shields newspapers for that time to see if any news printed of his death (being the captain of a ship must have had some importance). Of course how long would it take for the news to get back home, must feel sorry for his wife who wouldn't have known of his death for a while

[Radcliff]

I am sure that she would have been informed on his ships return,
to Newcastle,I assume he would be buried in Malta as his death is recorded there,