Military Memorial

[CassieP]

Hello

I'm helping to write biographies for military memorials and am currently working on John Cassidy who died 10 September 1917 and is buried at Penzance Cemetery, Cornwall, UK.  (Plot 6 RC 7 - Roman Catholic)

I can find very little on John who was a merchant seaman killed on the Arklow trading schooner SS Jane Williamson (Belfast).  There are several newspaper articles about the attack on the ship and about the following inquest, but little about John other than he was a "County Donegal man" aged 23, and that none of his family attended his funeral.  Commonwealth War Graves do not have any further details, or Forces War Records that I can find. 

I would be grateful for help in finding John's record of birth and who his family were to enable me to write him a meaningful memorial.  Many thanks   

[Girl Guide]

I wonder if you can get a death certificate for him?  Not sure what information it would contain though.  There is the below record which fits the date you have given for his death.

Deaths At Sea 1891 – 1972

First name(s)   John
Last name   Cassidy
Age   23
Birth year and date   1894
Birth place   Donegal
Death date   10 Sep 1917
Death place   At Sea

Archive reference   BT 334
Box   0071
Page   7
Archive   
The National Archives

The original image shows his rank as O.S., birthplace Donegal, no last abode address provided.  The rest is the details of his ship etc which you already know.

Have you tried to access any Irish papers to see if there is any mention of him re his family?  You don't state where you found the articles about the attack on the ship.

[ShaunJ]

Looking at the Donegal censuses for 1901 and 1911 there are only three John Cassidys of the right age. But which one is it?

[GrahamSimons]

this might help.....
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/merchant-seamen-of-the-first-world-war/

[CassieP]

I wonder if you can get a death certificate for him?  Not sure what information it would contain though.  There is the below record which fits the date you have given for his death.

Deaths At Sea 1891 – 1972

First name(s)   John
Last name   Cassidy
Age   23
Birth year and date   1894
Birth place   Donegal
Death date   10 Sep 1917
Death place   At Sea

Archive reference   BT 334
Box   0071
Page   7
Archive   
The National Archives

The original image shows his rank as O.S., birthplace Donegal, no last abode address provided.  The rest is the details of his ship etc which you already know.

Have you tried to access any Irish papers to see if there is any mention of him re his family?  You don't state where you found the articles about the attack on the ship.

Hi, and thanks so much for this information and your reply, that's brilliant that you've found his death.  I've searched the newspapers on British Newspaper Archive and found several articles from 17th - 20th Sept 1917 in both England and Ireland.  They all carry the same story and have no further information on John Cassidy.  The newspaper clip I put on here is from the Gloucester Echo, other newspapers who reported it are the Cornishman, Wicklow Advertiser, Droghena Argus, Wicklow People, Illustrated Police News and Northern Whig.  I did think about getting his death certificate but have a feeling it won't tell me anything about his family. 

[CassieP]

Looking at the Donegal censuses for 1901 and 1911 there are only three John Cassidys of the right age. But which one is it?

Yes I saw that too! Thanks 

[CassieP]

this might help.....
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/merchant-seamen-of-the-first-world-war/

Many thanks I'll take a look