Genealogy Chat

I wrote a few days ago asking about someone that was English but had died abroad - on a ship. I was told that the most likely thing to have happened was that the death would have been recorded in the ships log and registered when the ship returned to England.(He was the Captain of the ship) Thanks to a very kind member named Alvin, i know know from him looking up National Probate Calendar that this rellie died 18th August 1859 off the West Coast of Africa. But i cant find the death registered anywhere.Should it be under the date of death or when the ship returned to England? What would happen if the ship wasnt British registered? Further to the above messageJust been having another look at National Probate Calendar and i think i may have misunderstood where he died. It says Bathurst Gambia, off the West Coast of Africa. Bathurst i have discovered is a place name in Gambia, So, assuming he died on land, where would i then find death recorded? It took 11 months for this will to reach probate,(less than 100.00) would the death have been recorded in this Country near that time than when he died? And if an English person dies abroad does the death have to be registered in this Country? He had a wife and family plus parents living in Kent. Maureen

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I assume that you've looked in the marine deaths index (available on FamilyRelatives & 1837online)? If he's not listed there then the death wasn't registered with the British authorities. This may be because it was not a British-registered ship, or it could simply have been missed. I believe that it was the captain's responsibilty to report all BMD events upon returning to UK - so if the captain himself died, then maybe that's why it got overlooked! My gt-grandfather died at sea in WW1. His ship was torpedoed and the captain was amongst the casualties. Because of that, none of the deaths were registered and I am unable to get a death cert for him. Richard

Hi - thanks for useful info - just bookmarking.

Many thanks Richard for this info.... perhaps this is why I cannot find the death for my gt grandmother's brother after searching every website possible!! I have his Royal Naval service records from 1896 to 1908 then he re-enlisted for a further 6 years in 1910. I have a photo of him in naval uniform taken in Nagasaki, Japan in 1914 but have no idea which vessel he was serving on at the time and I know he died at sea....you may have solved my puzzle!! Linda

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If he died abroad then his death is unlikely to have been recorded in UK, unless he was armed forces or diplomatic corps. As I said above - check the overseas registers on 1837online or FamilyRelatives - if he isnt there then he wasnt registered. .

Richard, I have exactly the same situation with my great-grandfather! But luckily, he left a will, so I have all the details of when and where he died anyway. I don't think that a death certificate would tell you very much extra if you know when and where and how the person died, anyway. Got to get off the computer... Kate.