Genealogy Chat

Hi there,
Just wondered if anyone had found a relative born on a ship. Have a possibility of someone being born on a sloop/keel and wondered if the place of birth would just be where they were moored, or the name of the boat.

thanks :-D

I would suggest it would depend on the registrar.

Logic would say that the place of birth field of the certificate would name the boat as that would be the address, the same as a house name. However if the registrar wasn't given the name of the boat then he wouldn't record it and if he chose not to write the full address then it also wouldn't be recorded.

You haven't said when this would have taken place but the earlier the event was to 1837 then the less information you are likely to get in the address field.

However you never know...The registrar may have written the name of the boat in the father's occupation field!

I suppose the bottom line is that you won't know unless you get the certificate.

Good luck
Chris

My grandfather was lost overboard on route from Melbourne to Bremen .I found his death record in the Marine Records.It was compiled from the Ships Log when the vessel docked in Bremen at the end of the voyage and the Ships Log was handed in.
Maybe the birth of your relation may be registered in the same way.

Hi there,
Thank you for getting back. I will look into it. Thanks
:-D

My friends husband sadly died when they were n a med cruise. The ship put in at the nearest port, and his death had to be registered there

lovely thanks for that

That's interesting Robin. It would depend though if the body was found.
My poor grandad was swept overboard in gale force winds and it was too dangerous for them to come about and try a rescue. They threw a lifebelt but dont know if he got it.not that that would have saved him !!. They sailed on leaving him to his fate. This was all recorded in the ships log and gave the longitude & latitude of his accident. They sold off his belongings and took what he owed before passing the small balance to nan later. This was in 1911.
I dread to think what his feelings were in his final moments.

Hi there,
Thanks for that. I too have at least 4 drownings in my family. So sad.

Hi. I have a relative who was born at sea. Here in australia we have records as to people born at sea. Depending on where the ship was going to I would think it would be that countrys records.
Regards Debbie.
P.S. If it was australia I could look for you.

Hi there Debbie,
Sorry no they are in England. But thank you :-D

My Grandmother's sister was born at sea en route to NZ from England in the 1890s.
She is registered as having being born in NZ

I have a family on my tree who operated a barge. The children were registered wherever they happened to be at the time of birth. There is no boat name, it just states "On a barge".

There is also a fisherman who was buried at sea off the coast of Portugal. There is a memorial to him in the cemetery in Lisbon, so I presume that is where the death is registered. I haven't looked into it because I have sufficient information through word of mouth, being a close relative.

lovely thank you for this. I might try and send of for a certificate and have a look. thanks again. :-D