British Library St Pancras

[libbs]

I am unable to find my g g grandfather. He was drowned in late 1850 early 1851 from what has been passed down the family. No one has been able to find a grave/ or anything on him. he was a Channel Pilot and apparently drowned in Bristol Channel. Have been trying to find a newspaper for that time incase anything was written. The only one I have tracked online is one in British Library called Cardiff and Merthyr Advertiser for 1850 -1851.

MASSIVE ASK  -- If anyone is in the Library anytime and ever feels like a look through the newspaper could they please see if anything written on John Williams aged about 25/26 from Cardiff -- Channel Pilot drowned. There was a date of 8th January 1851 - but no one knows where we got that so it might be incorrect( and found nothing on him then)  the year was definitely 1850 late or early 1851 as 1851 census shows his wife as a widow.

I realise this a huge 'ask' but just wondered incase anyone ever goes there and has some spare time hugely grateful if anyone able to help.

Thanks as don't know where else to look for him. having tried all deaths/graves etc. and no sign of him anywhere.

[[Ray]]

Hi

Apologies if you have already tried here?     http://www.swmaritime.org.uk/


Presumably you don't even know if his body was recovered?

Do you have his full names, etc.,?


Ray

[jc26red]

How sure are you that he died in 1850? could it be earlier?

I found this John Williams in The Cambrian online but no suitable deaths

1 Feb 1850
John Williams, coast guard gave evidence in a maritime court case.

[Valda]

Hi

The newspaper section of the British Library is a Colindale North London not central London St Pancras

http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/quickinfo/loc/colindale/index.html

Have you tried the local studies newspaper collection at Cardiff Central library? You might find more people are visiting there than Colindale.


Regards

Valda

[libbs]

Ray  --yes I did a while ago look there and I had no luck there. No you are right we have no idea whether his body was recovered - my mother who is elderly now thinks he might have been - but she is not sure. We tried the various church records we thought might be of use but nothing appeared.

jc26red - thanks but he was never a coastguard he was labourer for a while and a Stevedore and then a Channel Pilot from census that I have found.

Valda - Cardiff Library have no newspaper for that time which is why I looked online at all newspapers for that time in the Cardiff area and weirdly Cardiff Library has none for the time needed - I just found one mentioned online and stating that this Library in London had it.

[Valda]

Hi


As he died in the Bristol Channel. Bristol published newspapers might also have mentioned the incident because shipping accidents would be of interest to the shipping community on both sides of the channel.

For instance published at the time

The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, Western Counties and South Wales Advertiser.
The Bristol Examiner, Bath Record, West of England and South Wales Advertiser.
The Bristol Gazette and Public Advertiser.
The Bristol Mirror.
Bristol Times and Bath Advocate.

Worth checking Bristol Library to see what they hold.


There look to be two possible Cardiff newspapers - one, the latter, very short lived.

Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian, Glamorgan, Monmouth, and Brecon Gazette.
The Cardiff & Merthyr Advertiser.


If the first has been microfilmed you might expect to find it more widely held than the British Library. Bridgend Library seems to indicate it is on microfilm and more widely held.

http://www.bridgend.gov.uk/web/groups/public/documents/services/001884.hcsp
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/libraries/scolar/special/hums/welsh.html


The problem in the early 1850s being that you are before the proliferation of local newspapers when the paper tax was abolished in 1855. Pre 1855 newspapers covered larger areas and catered for a readership that was less interested in local events that concerned ordinary working people.

https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/England_Newspapers 



Regards

Valda

[libbs]

Thank you so much Valda for such information - I didn't think of the Bristol side. So that will be a huge help as well. Certainly it would be easier to look at Bridgend Library as there are some family members that live near that way so that will give us some new places to look. As we have already done the Cardiff ones !!! Next the Bristol side !


Thanks very much for the help.


Libbs