Genealogy Chat

Have you looked at the records available on GR


Western Daily PressBristol, England 6 Aug 1919
SEVERN DISASTER SEVERN DISASTER. FERRY BOAT SWA* NINE PASSENGERS V * A ferry disaster, which * 3 drowned', occurred „t * ' afternoon. It is a quiet spot a -jjie below Stourport, on the Severn- e(S y about to put off with fifteen ot in it when steamer was ebt*-' r •

Western TimesDevon, England27 Aug 1919
SEVERN TRAGEDY ferry boat on the river Severn at liampstall, near Stourport, on Monday Bank Holiday, when nine persons belonging to Birmingham were drowned. The prosecuting counsel submitted that the lamentable disaster was due to the alleged negligence of the accu

Both pages 81 and 82 have more than one death for the same name - but none have more than 2, which rules out a whole family. Names are Rickard, Wilson and Phillpots.

I saw the Matthews family. unfortunately I do not have a Mathews in my tree at the moment. I will have to work backwards on this family to find out the connection...... I cannot see anything else remotely possible...Have tried so many other avenues today that this has to be the link... The mathews are mentioned in the newspaper article. Only 3 Mathews reported to have died in the incident.
I am beggining to think that the story has got warped with each generation it is passed to. Will still carryone working on it though.

Looks like there are several articals on The British Newspapers search section here

Go to search records at the top of the page and its the last link on the bottom right that you need

5 credits to view

possibly

??

Deaths Sep 1919 (>99%)
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MATTHEWS Ethel 28 Worcester 6c 81
MATTHEWS Harriet 70 Worcester 6c 95
MATTHEWS Harry 30 Worcester 6c 81
MATTHEWS Hilda 5 Worcester 6c 82
MATTHEWS Jane 42 Worcester 6c 111



Marriages Dec 1913 (>99%)
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>>>>>Griffiths Ethel M Matthews Kings N. 6d 144
Hunt Edith J Marshall Kings N. 6d 144
Marshall Joseph T Hunt Kings N 6d 144
>>>>>Matthews Harry Griffiths Kings N. 6d 144




Births Mar 1914 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MATTHEWS Hilda M Griffiths Kings N. 6d 194

Try looking at all Bridgnorth deaths on FreeBMD quarter by quarter.

According to your story, I would expect to see a whole family of deaths, all with the same or adjacent page numbers.

This is a big file but it matches towns to their registration district.

http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/places/regindex2-1.pdf

Rose

Work out what district that covers and look for deaths in the September quarter of 1919. See if you recognize any names.

Rose

Thankyou for that info. I will certainly follow that link up.... I trawled the BMD so went searching elsewhere, with the same belief as everyone else..Such a loss of life would have been news.............. have come across this

4th August 1919 On this Bank Holiday Monday pleasure boats were taking people on trips between Gloucester and Stourport. One boat, the May Queen, came down river passing the Hampstall Ferry, (located between Stourport and Holt Fleet), at quite a speed. The ferryboat lurched and all 17 passengers were tipped into the Severn. Some said the ferry was overloaded. That day 9 people were drowned.


I am wondering if this is the incident.. Now trying to find online newspapers that dont cost a fortune/free to see if names were given.....
We will get to the bottom of this ... :-D

With such a serious accident there must have been something in a local paper or some other archive. There is a group called the Friends of Shropshire Archives. They're based in Shrewsbury but presumably cover all Shropshire, including Bridgnorth. Might be worth an email to them?

Email: [email protected]

Good luck

Free BMD ... can't believe I forgot them...which is amazing considering i did some transcribing for them..... having a look right now (waiting for search to complete)... I havent done much family tree over last couple years as have been busy researching and reuniting families. Have decided to have a break from that and get back to family :-) seems I have forgotten lots

I did have wealthy relies in that branch of the family.... not sure what happened to the wealth though :-/ .
The cost of getting someone to look in the local papers is prohibitive at moment, due to not knowing an exact date.. The person whom told me the date isn't that reliable.... I will continue doing my random searches.... apparently it was a family of 8+ so just hope to find 8+ people dying at same time frame..... somethink I will continue to nibble at .....


thankyou for replying

Have you tried searching deaths Bridgnorth 1880-90 on Freebmd? You don't need a name, and you never know, something might pop out at you.
Jan

The deaths should have been registered in the district in which they occurred

If they were thought to have been on holiday, they must have been very wealthy

You could try contacting the local newspaper for the area, to see if they have any archive info.

I have a long standing story that I am trying to solve. I have been told that a whole family (on my tree) was wiped out in one accident, whilst ??on holiday. There was a boating accident on the Severn River at Bridgnorth. Unfortunatly I cannot remember which branch. Every now and again I trawl the death index's over various years and various names. A family member thinks it happened around 1880's... I have a Potts family in my tree living in Bridgnorth at that time but can follow them foward to 1900's;so can eliminate them.

What I am wondering ... The people whom drowned, would they have to be registered at place of drowning or could they be registered where they used to live....hoping its the first.....

thanks