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Author Topic: Death in the Caledonian Canal  (Read 1665 times)

Offline HmmS336

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Death in the Caledonian Canal
« on: Monday 27 April 20 07:42 BST (UK) »
Whilst researching relatives it has been discovered one man, Donald Campbell died from drowning in the  Canal, at Banavie  in 1943.  The entry in SP was done on the information of the Procurator Fiscal and whilst it states he was married it does not say to whom.  It does have his correct age and parents, though.  No RCE.

Donalds  job is described as Lieutenant. I am trying to discover more information.  Am Baille does not have newspapers for this time. 

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Death in the Caledonian Canal
« Reply #1 on: Monday 27 April 20 09:39 BST (UK) »
What was his age and who were his parents? His occupation? Where was his usual residence? And what was his actual date of death?
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline HmmS336

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Re: Death in the Caledonian Canal
« Reply #2 on: Monday 27 April 20 09:45 BST (UK) »
His parents are Hugh Campbell and Mary Fraser and he was 53 when he died, his birth 1889 in  Kiltarlity.

Occupation, Lieutenant is given in death cert - died 26 Feb 1943  and usual residence is given as Nairnside, Daviot 

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Death in the Caledonian Canal
« Reply #3 on: Monday 27 April 20 09:48 BST (UK) »
Fine. So we are looking for a marriage between say 1905 and 1943, and probably in Inverness-shire.

Occupation? Could he have worked on the canal or nearby?

Usual residence? So that we can have a look at valuation rolls?

Date of death? So that we don't have to trawl through a complete year's worth of newspapers on the off-chance?
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Death in the Caledonian Canal
« Reply #4 on: Monday 27 April 20 10:02 BST (UK) »
Hmmm. This may of course be a complete red herring.

There is a birth of a Hugh Campbell in Kilmallie in 1928, and a death of Hugh Campbell, aged 86, mother's maiden surname Cameron, in Fort William and Ballachulish in 2014.

There are just four marriages of a Donald Campbell to a Cameron between 1905 and 1928, one of whom is Donald Archibald Campbell and another is Donald Archie Campbell. One of the plain Donald Campbells married Margaret Cameron in Glasgow in 1919 and the other married Elizabeth Cameron in Foss (Perthshire) in 1921.

If I could get to a Scotland's People Centre I would look up those two marriages to see who the grooms' parents were. With the current lockdown that isn't possible, but you could look them up online at SP if you think it's a promising lead.

Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline Skoosh

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Re: Death in the Caledonian Canal
« Reply #5 on: Monday 27 April 20 10:42 BST (UK) »
There's a swing bridge carries the railway over the canal at Banavie?

Skoosh.

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Death in the Caledonian Canal
« Reply #6 on: Monday 27 April 20 10:46 BST (UK) »
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline GR2

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Re: Death in the Caledonian Canal
« Reply #7 on: Monday 27 April 20 10:58 BST (UK) »
Lt. Donald Campbell, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, service no. 139647

d. 26-2-1943, aged 53

buried Tomnahurich cemetery, Inverness; Sec. H. 10 class 4. grave 517

son of Hugh and Mary Campbell

husband of Mabel Campbell*, of Daviot

* I presume this is her married name, not her maiden one

From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Offline HmmS336

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Re: Death in the Caledonian Canal
« Reply #8 on: Monday 27 April 20 11:51 BST (UK) »
Thank you all for the information.

I am a visitor to the archives in the winter,  my last booking was cancelled - it was the week before the lock down just as things were starting to close. 

Wow - it was war death.  I need to find out more !!  Thank you so much

usual story of always wanting to know more !! 
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