Death at Sea?

[Tom from OZ]

I have a copy of a passenger list for the ship "PAPA" sailing from Hamburg, Germany to Cape Town, with three members of the Schultz family on 31 Marz 1878.

Carl Schultz his Wife Mathilde and son Franz, the passenger list shows Franz aged 3 months at the start of the journey.  According to the family Franz died on the voyage, yet I have a copy of The South African Passenger List index 1688-1950 showing Franz presumably entering South Africa on 3 March 1878, obviously a mistake somewhere with the dates.  I can find no record of a death at sea or any further mention of Franz in South Africa is it normal to register a person into South Africa if they died on the voyage or did he arrive a die shortly afterwards.    I cannot find a passenger list for the "Asiatic" on which they left Cape Town to Port Elizabeth arriving June 27 1878. Can anybody help please.

[jorose]

Passenger lists were commonly filled out before leaving, not on arrival, and therefore it is not unusual that his name would be there even if he died during the voyage.

On the copy of the passenger list for the ship PAPA that you have, are there any notations next to Franz's name?
Or, if you are able to get the full passenger list, is there a page that mentions if there were any births and deaths during the voyage?

[Tom from OZ]

Hi Jorose

Thank you for your interest.  I have a handwritten and a printed passenger list neither show any of the information you mention.  I have been trying to locate an online record of Deaths at Sea with no success, any suggestions? Or a site for checking Deaths in South Africa (CapeTown)

Tom

[solidrock]

There were 2 Schultz familys on the Papa.

Schulz, Carl, Landarbeiter (29), Bernau (Brdbg.), mit Frau Mathilde (26) und Franz (unter 1).

Schulz, Friedrich, Landmann (33), Ückendorf (Westf.), mit Frau Henriette (34) und Friedrich (6), Carl (3).

[Tom from OZ]

Hi Solidrock

Yes thanks for that I have copies of the passenger list my Family is Carl, Mathilde and Franz.

I am trying to work out where Franz disappeared to did he make Cape Town and die before reaching Port Elizabeth, did he die on the trip from Hamburg or did he make landfall in South Africa and then pass on ?

[MaxD]

For a British registered vessel, it was a legal requirement for deaths at sea to be registered by the shipping line and reported to the British authorities.

Presumably something similar would have been the case for the Papa - have you tried contacting the shipping line (if it still exists) or the relevant authority in the country in which the vessel was registered?

MaxD

[Tom from OZ]

Hi MaxD

I sent an Email today to a website sagenealogy which mentions the Asiatic asking for a passenger list to see where or if Franz had died at sea or made landfall in Port Elizabeth or Cape Town

[Billyblue]

A death at sea should also be registered in the ship's log - if you can find out where that is.

I believe that requirement dates from around 1854.

Was it a British ship?  If so, as MaxD says, the death should be in the special section of the GRO, under Deaths at Sea

Dawn M

[seaweed]

PAPA was a German vessel.
 There was British ship with the name ASIATIC owned by The Union Steamship company who were probably the largest shipping company operating to South Africa.
Official Number 68812.
If this is the correct vessel. Her 1878 Crew Agreements are held by
Southampton Archives
Southampton City Council
South Block
Civil Centre
Southampton
England
SO14 7LY
Ph: 023 8083 2251/8
http://www.southampton.gov.uk/

If her 1878 logbooks are anywhere they should be stored with her Crew Agreements. Certainly worth an e-mail. Don't forget to quote her official number.