Edgar Gosling- New Brunswick-died at sea

[chrisgrant]

I am trying to establish what happened to Edgar Gosling, born Oct/Dec 1900 in Cardiff to parents James Gosling & Jane Taylor.

On 1/3/1913 he arrived St.Johns, New Brunswick with his sister Louisa, born 1899, on the Empress of India [I have the ship's record]. He was being met by his father, James Gosling, who had earlier emigrated as a settler in August 1912. The last I can trace of him is this arrival in 1913 in Canada at 157 Metcalfe St, St Johns, New Brunswick.

His sister Louisa Gosling married  Frank Hopkins in 1916 and they settled  later in Dolbeau, Quebec in 1928 . She  told her grandchildren that Edgar had joined the Canadian Merchant Navy and had been drowned at sea.

I have checked as well as I can Canadian wartime records and he does not appear to have been killed in a World War.

Please can anyone help with whatever happened to Edgar Gosling.

[valeriec]

Just to clarify for when you are looking for information
Saint John, New Brunswick
St. John's Newfoundland

You could check the Maritime History Research collection at Memorial Univeristy in St. John's NFLD as they may have records of crew members lost at sea. Do you have a time frame for his death as that could narrow the search.

[chrisgrant]

Valeriec

Thanks. I mean St. John's New Brunswick.

Are you saying that the Memorial University Newfoundland  may have  maritime records for all Canada?, and, if so,might they look them up for me?

I cannot be certain, but he probably died 1919-1930. He likely joined around 1914.  aged 14?

Cheers, Chris

[valeriec]

Memorial University in St. John's NFLD would be a starting point to see what they might have. The other site would be Collections Canada. The problem with the crew lists is that you need to know what ship he was on and that can be tricky to find.


Where did his father James Gosling live in new Brunswick. They may have a local genealogy association that may have old papers, write ups books, etc. pertaining to families living in the area.

If he lived in Saint John, New Brunswick, I would try the Saint John Public Library to see if they have any old newspapers or articles pertaining to this person. I don't want to sound like a broken record but St John's, New Brunswick doesn't exist and will make internet searching harder for you if that is what you enter. The next census of Canada is 1921 and won't be available for a few years.

[valeriec]

Library and Archives Canada

www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/index-e.html

under search all enter different topics such as merchant navy/merchant marine/crew lists/ and see what comes up.

[chrisgrant]

Valeriec

Thanks. A detailed site - new to me.

So far, I have discovered that there are no employment Files . Probably the only way to find details of an individual crew member is to know what vessel he was on.  But will continue searching.

Another possibility is that, were he drowned before before 1928 whilst his family was still in St. Johns New Brunswick, it might have been reported in a local paper.

Am I right in assuming that no  Register of Deaths post 1911 is consultable in Canada?. He had the unique name Edgar Taylor Gosling.

[valeriec]

I am going to give this link to sites for research in New Brunswick. I did find the marriage for Louisa and a birth that may be related to the Gosling family. I wasn't able to find a death for either James or Edgar though.
I will provide the info just in case you aren't able to access it. I always find that the more info I have, the easier it is to get to the info that I really need or want.
http://www.genealogysearch.org/canada/newbrunswick.html

scroll down to Vital Statistics Search Engine of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

You can actually view the original marriage and birth documents. You enter only the last name under the search option and then you will see a number next to birth/marriage/death and click on that to bring up the details.

will continue on new page as I am starting to bounce.

[valeriec]

There isn't a central registry for BMD's in Canada, they are by province. If the family stayed in NB or if the ship was out of Saint John, there could be something in a newspaper. Do you know when the father James died and where? There could be an obituary that would list members of the family still living to help narrow your search.

This is the info that I found from Vital Statistics

marriage (as written on the document)
April 4, 1916
Frank Ernest Hopkins 21
Residence - St. John, NB
Birth - Middlesex, Eng
bachelor, loaborer, Church of England
Parents - William @ Belinda Hopkins

Louisa Bennetta Gosling, 18 yrs
Residence - St. John, NB
Birth - Cardiff, South Wales, Eng
spinster, Church of England
parents - James & jane Gosling
witnesses - Murray Dunham ? (hard to read), St. John, NB
                 Mrs. F. Braid, St. John, NB
married by J. B. Champion
licence # 7633
transcribed Sousa Bennetta Gosling

birth 1912/02/21
Harry William Angel
Saint John, NB
Parents - Albert Henry Angel
              Edith Jane Gosling
address - 151 Metcalfe Street, St. John, NB
Physician - Doctor Pratt
                 Mrs. Harry Green
The address 151 Metcalfe St and the middle name Jane was the factor that this could be another sibling of Edgar.

[valeriec]

www.canada 411.ca
this is an online telephone directory and there is a B Angel listed for new Brunswick. This could be a descendant of the Angels listed above and may be able to provide some info.