RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Durham => Topic started by: bcorcoran on Friday 27 May 11 21:57 BST (UK)
-
The story of my gg grandfather is that his ship sunk because of overloading. It sank leaving a UK port. His name John Cole b c1834. I have found a death for a John Cole at sea 1876 on the vessel 'Aid' How do I findout about about this ship 'Aid'? Thanks Barbara
-
Hi welcome to Rootschat
It doesn't look as if the ship sunk in 1876
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shipwrecks_in_1876
You might need to send for the certificate and see what is given as the cause of death. It could just be a family story and you find that he either had an accident or died from natural causes on board the ship.
Jan
-
I don't know where the list on Wikipedia comes from, but if you search 'Shipping Disasters' in "The Times" there are a number of ships listed there not on the Wikipedia list. I also think there would be more than ten ships lost world wide in the whole of 1876 :).
What is the source for your finding the death and the name of the ship?
Stan
-
I found the information on findmypast overseas deaths. its the nearest I have found to a John Cole death. he would have died between 1871 and 1881.
Thanks
-
As you can appreciate trying to find a ship named "Aid" in the newspapers of the time is not easy :)
Stan
-
I know Stan, I'm wondering whether 'Aid' is the correct name. I have sent away for the death certificate. All I know is that his family were living in South Shields.
He is my ggreat grandfather my ggreat grandmother Agnes, (orr). this was her second marriage, first husband, another mariner, fell over board, she didn't have a lot of luck.
Barbara
-
If they were in South Shields, I wonder if he was a fisherman and it was a fishing boat? Let us know when the certificate arrives.
Jan
-
Do not all ships/boats 'lost at sea' have to be registered with Lloyds of London?
Lloyds of London have a register of all ships lost, do not know if it is online or if public access is available.
-
The certificate has arrived and it is my ggreat grandfather I am sure. under 'date of death' Ship missing since 18.11.1875. so back to my quest, how do I find out about a ship that sunk. looking for a ship called 'Aid' throws up aid ships! The ship was almost certainly ' home trade'.
Barbara
PS I have just found out that 'Aid' was a 2 mast sailing ship.
-
There are lots of ideas here http://www.nmm.ac.uk/researchers/library/research-guides/the-merchant-navy/wrecks-losses-and-casualties and under ships and merchant seamen in the National Archives leaflets http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guide-listing.htm
The times newspaper had a shipping news column. You may be able to access "The Times" archive via your local library and, possibly, online but it may take a bit of searching depending upon where the vessel was and how long before it was reported missing. Local newspapers to where he was living at the time may be useful too.
Casalguidi :)
-
There was a brig, two master brigantine Aid, Dundee registered sunk in 1826 in the Hebrides, driven ashore at Scalpay. I know the date doesnt fit with yours but it may be a source of info if you try the Dundee Maritime Archives. A trade in coal from Newcastle to Inverness was highly developed in 1860 to 1880 and brigs were a common vessel for such trade.
There was a brig called Fowlis sank at North Shields Feb 1861 and she was a Scottish vessel in the Baltic trade.
James
-
Thanks James.
There is a book in Newcastle Library 'Dictionary of Tyne Sailing Ships' my daughter is going into to library, today hopefully, she says its open Sundays.
there were 18 ships called Aid in 1867 and 7 in 1883. google books are digitising the Mercantile navy and shipping lists, from 1868 to 1882 haven't been done yet.
Casalguidi thanks for the links, it took me to the Maritime History Archive where I was able to findout the type of ship my ggreatgranfather worked on. the death certificate gave his 'Official No' and I could search the 'crew agreement indices'
hopefully I will have some more news later today
Barbara
-
Glad to have been of a little help. I've just noticed that I repeated the link in my post above so have now amended the second link to the correct one. I look forward to hearing what you manage to uncover.
Casalguidi :)
-
My daughters trip to Newcastle library yesturday was fruitless. But I have learnt more about shipping in the last few days. I now know that the ship I am interested in was built in 1855 in Sunderland and was registered in Whitby. it was a brigantine home trade ship.
I looks like I need a trip to the National Maritime Museum to findout the fate of the ship and my ggreatgrandfather.
Barbara
-
From the Register of Deaths at Sea, in case you don't have info on the rest of the crew. In the list of deaths registered March 1876 :
Ship - Aid, Official No. 9036, Missing since 18.11.75.
Peason Campion, 52, Master Mariner, born Whitby, last abode - Harkson St. (?) Whitby,
John Cole, 48, Mate, born Shields,
George C Davison, 49, AB, born Shields,
Henry Maclaughlin, 28, AB, born Porteferry,
Thomas Rosendale, 18, Cook, born S. Shields,
Unknown, 17, OS, born S. Shields.
There was a big storm 19 Nov 1875 onwards on the East coast, many dozens of ships lost, lots of damage onshore. Can't see a reference to the Aid in the newspapers shortly after, but as the deaths weren't registered until March 1876 it may not have been officially missing for a month or more.
Heres one reference to some ships lost :
http://sites.scran.ac.uk/secf_final/danger/links/link4.php
Alan.
-
Alan
thank you so much for your help, and I didn't have the rest of the crew so that is really helpful. hastings was hit by a big storm 14.11.75 causing a lot of damage too.
Thanks Again
Barbara
-
If you have the official ships number you could look up the ship here
www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/
or contact the Newfoundland Shipping Records (They have crew lists for ships sailing from u.k ports)
www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/shipping.php
That's how I got lots of info on my missing/presumed dead captain. We were able to find out about many of his journeys.
Hope that is useful
Ros
-
Thanks Ros
the first site, I think only covers foreign trade ships. the ship I'm looking for is home trade and its not listed. I had already used the second site, that's how I found out about the Aid being home trade. The National Maritime Museum is closed until the beginning of September, so may not find out anything about the ship until after then, but I'm going to email them. I'm off the Kew in 2 weeks time so should get more info on my ggreatfather as they have records of all Master mariners and mates, keeping my fingers crossed.
some other sites I found
http://rmhh.co.uk/mariners.html
www.crewlist.org.uk/data/sourcesRO.php
www.maritimearchives.co.uk/lloyds-register.html
http://collections.mun.ca/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=%2Fmha_mercant
www.maritimearchives.co.uk/mercantile-navy-list.html
www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKPages.htm#MN
Barbara
-
Also try this... has a wealth of info from volunteers who are "in the know" of shipping matters and mariners
MARINERS
http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/
email your questions to
info@mariners-l.co.uk
bendywendy