Henry Pennick (Brightlingsea) - Understanding a Death at Sea - 1866

[Tony45P]

Death of a Merchant Navy Seamen at Sea

Can anyone help me understand the various Merchant Navy forms involved with the death of my Great Grandfather Henry Pennick ? who came from Brightlingsea, Essex

We have his AC3 Agreement & Account of Crew Form for the vessel Britannia (25394) but was discharged sick in Genoa on Aug 8 1866
On his Certificate Form, the British Consul confirmed he had been discharged and another seaman appointed in his place.
The stamps indicate the vessel departed the same day, but there are later stamps from Consuls in Mahon (Menorca), Garrucha & Almeria (Spain) indicating dates when a vessel arrived, Articles were deposited and  Articles retrieved - the latest date on the form being Sep 11 1866
The Mahon and Almeria stamps appear to have been on separate sheets attached to this record

Are these Stamps indicating the route that Britannia took towards Gibraltar, or is this the route that Henry himself took on another vessel ?

I also have 2 records in the Register of Accounts of Wages & Effects of Deceased Seamen relating to Penwick Hy on Britannia in 1866 (pages157 & 162)
In the first column the date of receiving Form KK (reporting his death at sea) was Oct 25 1866 and the Port from which it was received was "Minories" but on the second record the date was Oct 29 1866 and the Port was "Ht St" - anyone recognise these Ports ?

The column "Rating on Board" is ticked - but Britannia left him in Genoa - confusing !!

No date of Death is given - just the letters "ex" and the Place of death is "Express" (with the punctuation marks)  Does anyone understand this ?

His offspring thought he had been taken to hospital in Gibraltar (from Britannia) and was returning back to the UK on another vessel when he died at sea. However I cannot find any record for him in the Register of Deaths at Sea

Any help would be much appreciated

[ShaunJ]

The ship "Express" left Genoa on 7 September 1866 and arrived in London in early October.

[Tony45P]

Thanks very much for that information - it certainly fits in with the other facts we have established.

Is there a source that I can attribute to the information when I update my FT ?

Do you happen to know the I/D No. of the "Express" there seem to have been a number of vessels with the same name in the 1860s

Thanks again

Tony

[ShaunJ]

My information on the Express was gleaned from contemporary newspaper reports on shipping movements.

[seaweed]

Do you happen to know the I/D No. of the "Express" there seem to have been a number of vessels with the same name in the 1860s

Thanks again

Tony

Needle in a haystack!

Lloyd's List confirms the info given by Shaun J. Her masters name was Ferguson. She arrived off Deal 6/9/1866, Gravesend 7/9/66.
 Lloyd's Register do's not record a vessel with the name EXPRESS who's master was Ferguson. So we do not know for sure which port she belonged to.
The real problem is. The Mercantile Navy List of 1866 records nearly 60 odd British and Empire ships with the name EXPRESS. Most can be discounted on the grounds of size, Home port, etc.  However this still leaves several ships who may be contenders.
As the vessel docked in London, it may be the case that ship in question was maybe registered in this port.
For a start. Three possibles. London registered. Official number 21308 174 tons, 26023 447 tons and a Newcastle registered vessel 12907 324 tons.
BRITANNIA was registered in Newcastle and it may be the case that he was returning there as a DBS.
Regarding your Abbreviations quires. I have never come across this type of entry. Could it be MINORIES is a corruption of Minorca?

[Tony45P]

Thanks for the information

Shaun indicated that the Express left Genoa on Sep 7 1866 and arrived in the UK early October
Your dates for Deal and Gravesend are Sep 6 1866 and Sep 7 1866 - which is right ?

I thought Minories might be Minorca - but independently, someone suggested Minories was the address of the Mercantile Marine Office in Greenwich dealing with deaths at sea - and Ht St was an abbreviation for Hammett Street, also in Greenwich.  Certainly Ht St appears in a number of the records of the "Register of Effects & Wages" forms I looked at between the pages where Henry's name appears

Tony

[seaweed]

Sorry. Should read October 1866

[Tony45P]

Thanks

That makes much more sense

Tony