Death at sea 1892

[sellio]

I know this has been asked before but I'm really stuck. Apologies all. I would like to obtain a death certificate.

George Macleod, born about 1830 died at sea in June 1892. He was the ship's master and after a lot of searching I discovered he died at midnight on 15 June 1892. The ship was, as far as I can determine from the coordinates on the report, in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean en route for Australia.  The ship was a masted sailing ship called Windermere.

G.R.O. have no record of the death but there may be a record in Western Australia, registration number 747. (Ancestry, Australia death index 1787-1985). Does that sound likely that by dying on the way to Australia he may have been buried at sea and the death registered on arrival?
I found the death record on Find my Past under "British armed forces and overseas deaths and burials". His death was recorded as from liver and kidney complaint.
All help very gratefully received!

[Christine53]

There is a report of the death in 1892 of Captain George Macleod of the Windermere in the newspapers. It seems his death occured whilst the ship was making for Rio De Janeiro for medical assistance. After his death the Mate took command and headed to Freemantle. It seems highly likely that the Western Australia registration is Captain Macleod.

Here is the report :   

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01p2u/

Edit :

I looked the death up on the Western Australia site
https://www.bdm.justice.wa.gov.au/_apps/pioneersindex/default.aspx

From the information in the Index it appears there are no details of parents or place of birth on the certificate - I imagine these were not known to the person registering the death , presumably the acting Captain.

[Christine53]

You may know this already but I now see that there are many reports about this in the English press, all stating that McLeod was shot by a mutinous crew member . The plot thickens 

[ShaunJ]

The mutiny story was down to a signalling error apparently:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13272498

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3040152

[Christine53]

The mutiny story was down to a signalling error apparently:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13272498

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3040152

Oh well spotted ShaunJ ! I got a bit bogged down looking. 

[seaweed]

There were two British vessels with the name WINDERMERE around in 1892. One registered in London official Number 99027. 2999 tons. The other in Swansea o/n 56807. 410 tons. I am 100% certain it was the vessel with the O/N 99027.
His Death should be recorded in the Register of deceased seamen available from Find My Past. also for free at the British National Archive. If you visit.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C438706
 I would check one of those sources first.
The whole system of recording Deaths at Sea was bureaucratic. First the death had to be recorded in the ships Logbook. Then when she returned to a UK port the information from the Logbook would be transmitted to the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen who then passed it on the General Record Office. The whole process could take months so it was inevitable that a few fell through the net.
It is almost certain he was buried at sea, but you never know.
 If it has survived, the original Logbook should be with the ships Crew Agreement which can be obtained at a cost from here.
https://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/viewcombinedcrews.php?Official_No=99027
Christine and Shaun has  pointed to Newspaper reports. As an aside I think this is him in Lloyd's Captains Register. Misspelled name?
McLEOD, George b. Stornoway 1831 C33008 Dundee 1870 vol.10 1871-1873; vol.22 1874-1879; vol.37 1880-1882, 1884, 1886;  vol.52 1888-1892

[willyam]

Hopefully the following may be helpful.

The report at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3040152 refers to a death of a sea-going Captain [presumably the George MacLeod under discussion] that occurred on 15th June 1892 and the date of the newspaper article is 15th September 1892.

However, there are several reports dated 8th September in Welsh Newspapers Online which refer in some detail to the death of Captain George McLeod, of the Swansea barque Windermere, who had been shot dead by a mutinous crew member. However, the date of this event, and thus the date of his death, is not therein mentioned.

Whilst the foregoing trove report refers to an apparently erroneous understanding of the signals that had been flown (presumably in June?), this report of 8th September: https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3232288/3232290/18/ specifically refers to "flying signals" passing on news of the murder of the 65-year old Swansea man.

Intriguingly, the trove report of 17th August highlighted by Christine53 refers to the Windermere arriving in Fremantle on 8th August "from Glasgow", whereas the WNO report above states that "The [Swansea] barque [Windermere] was outward bound from Glasgow".

Additionally, this report: https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3232383/3232385/11/ refers to the arrival of the Swansea barque at Fremantle on 9th August.

However.........this report: https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3724087/3724093/110/ of 29th September appears to clear everything up.

Or does it?

In the light of the reference in the trove article of 17th August to 'troublesome seamen', how might the sentiments (or perhaps prejudices) expressed in this article: "English Versus Foreign Sailors" https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3232378/3232381/64/ be rationally considered?

Willyam

[sellio]

Thankyou to all who have done such a magnificent job of finding out about George Macleod's death at sea. I have a copy of the ship's report which says he died at sea from liver and kidney failure but I also have this newspaper article which I think is revealing.
It says his wife received a telegram from Australia saying her husband had been shot by a mutinous crew member. I have attached the article.

Thankyou again for all your hard work. Very gratefully received.