searching for a ship

[seaweed]

A little more.
TANGIER arrived Madras Nov 18th 1885 from Middlesboro
She was due to sail on the 3rd Dec.
Seems she foundered on the 18th Dec.
All the reports I have seen say that her most of her cargo was removed.
Feb 19th 1886 commenced tow by the tug CLIVE
Arrived Calcutta 16th Mar 1886.
There seems some contradiction in the newspaper reports but this is academic. What you are concerned with is how when and where your GGGrandfather died.
As well as looking at the crew agreement I would also look in the deaths at sea  for 1886. this is held in the National Archive.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=3&CATID=1627&SearchInit=4&SearchType=6&CATREF=BT+156

and
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=3&CATID=1628&SearchInit=4&SearchType=6&CATREF=BT+157

[Dave Francis]

My great great grandfather John Cattel Morton  1843-1886 was in the Merchant navy. He died at sea aboard the 'SS Tangier' Pettapollium, Madras, India. I found his death in the GRO deaths at sea and in the local paper both state he died in India yet the national probate calender has his death in Ipswich.

Thought I should double-check this. Probate was indeed granted in Ipswich, on 1 April 1886 to his widow Sarah Ann Morton. But the probate calendar clearly states that he died, on 19 January 1886, "at Pettapolium near Madras in India". It also mentions that he was a captain in the merchant navy, so I wonder whether he was the captain mentioned in The Times' article? Incidentally, his personal estate was valued at £1,434 10s 2d - quite a tidy sum in those days!

[seaweed]

He was indeed a Captain.
He is mentioned in Lloyds Captains Register
MORTON, John Cattel b. Ipswich 1843 C30037 London 1869
vol.10 1873; vol.22 1874-1879; vol.37 1880-1885.
Lloyds register of Shipping 1883/84 confirms Morton was master of TANGIER

[elizasutton]

Thanks everyone, one last question 
With this weatlh of information is is possible for me to trace his career back to where he first began.
Should I be going to look at the lloyds registers in london to see if I can go backwards?
As he became a mariner in 1869, I would like to know where he went in the world.

Thanks.

[seaweed]

Your best bet is to view the volumes of Lloyd's Captains Register which I believe, are now held at London Metropolitan Archives. These should record the vessels he sailed on.
There are copies on Microfilm at Kew but in my limited experience these are not copied very well and are difficult to read. Copies of his Certificate of Competency and Service are also held at Kew and his should be in piece BT122/40.
For movement of his ships you would have to consult Lloyd's List. I think LMA should have them but you would have to ask.

ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk

[wilee]

Hi,
My great grand uncle, Fred Lee, was a salvage engineer, and in our family tree/history it is stated that he died on 20th January 1886 at Covelong.  He is reported to have suffocated in the hold of the shipwrecked SS Tangier. I do not know where this information originated but it would seem likely that he is the European diver referred to in the Times article. I have no idea where he was buried but believe he lived in India and had a daughter, Alice Maud Lee, who was half Indian and who I was told by one of my aunts went on to study medicine at a London Teaching hospital. If anyone can help me to find out more, I would be most grateful.

Lee

[jorose]

https://www.familysearch.org/ shows an Alice Maud Lee b. to Frederick and Grace, 1879, in Madras, and a possible marriage for her, also Madras, to George Hope Allen in 1899.

George Hope Allen may have died in 1902, and Alice then seems to have remarried in 1909 to Maurice Desmond McDermott, and died, still in India, in 1918.

(Perhaps it was a daughter of hers who studied in London?)

[elizasutton]

Hi, if you are interested, I found this picture of the SS Tangier, it was painted by a member of the crew and given to Captain Morton and now owned by a cousin of mine (also a Captian Morton!)

[wilee]

Hi Liz,
I've struggled to find a way to reply to your recent message. I hope this works.
 I would love to have a look at the article about the Tangier.
I haven't yet worked out how RootsChat works, but it seems to be a most fascinating site.

Kindest regards.
Lee Hetherington

I am sorry but this members email address is no longer working 2016