Death on board the Basilisk

[lynne99]

You can find him, the one that isn't mine, on board the Mandingo and the Athenian in the Liverpool crew lists as a baker (cook). So he was definitely a merchant mariner. The one in Postsea was in the royal navy, but someone has him on their tree with a different family.

[dickiesam]

My question to the brains trust is, if a passenger dies at sea, how are they described, if they are described as 'Died at sea' does it mean they were definitely a Mariner/Seaman?

The Board of Trade records of deaths at sea held by the NA always have passenger deaths written in red ink. Mariner/seamen deaths are in black.

While checking the above statement I found the following which might be relevant:
Death of seaman: A Mitchell
Birth year: 1841
Death date: 21 Nov 1866
Age: 25
Reported date: 1867
Cause of death: Fever
Sale of his Effects: £11 - 5s - 1p [Details of estate to Board of Trade 8 Feb 1867 ]
Vessel on which he served: Antigua [ID# 20645, built Greenock, 1858, Sail]
Departure port: Dock St [sic]
Place: Demerara [see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demerara ]
Series: BT 153; Box: 0007; Page 26
Record set: Deaths at sea, 1781-1968

Note: There are a total of 6 deaths from Fever within a couple of days on the Antigua listed on the same page, including 2 unfortunate stowaways.

[dickiesam]

The one in Postsea was in the royal navy, but someone has him on their tree with a different family.

Perhaps yet another case of... The name's the same, he must be mine?

[Bertieone]

Cheers DS,
RE: Deaths at Sea.

[lynne99]

What would I do without you, but now more questions. Was the Antigua merchant or royal navy?? Where was he born?? Can I get a death certificate ? or find his next of kin ?? THANK YOU That was shouted.

[lynne99]

Searched this site
http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Shi ... dex22.html
and it still doesn't tell me if Merchant or Royal

[dickiesam]

What would I do without you, but now more questions. Was the Antigua merchant or royal navy?? Where was he born?? Can I get a death certificate ? or find his next of kin ?? THANK YOU That was shouted.

I hear you, I hear you....

To answer the questions....
1) Because the Antigua had a Vessel ID number [20645] she was a merchantman.
2) Deaths of RN personnel at sea were not recorded in the Board of Trade Records because the BoT only records MN crew and passengers who died at sea.
3) No record of where he was born or of any next-of-kin.
And, unfortunately....
3) There will be no death certificate because the death was not recorded in the GRO Index.

I can't make out the deceased's occupation or rank from the scrawled initials but he must have been other than an ordinary seaman. When deaths of crew occurred at sea their belongings were usually sold off and the money raised credited to his estate via the BoT. There might be a clue in that his stuff raised the sum of £11 5s 1d which would have the same spending worth of 2005's £485.73.

I doubt if the vessel under sail in the picture gallery is the Antigua that AM served on. She seems a little small to be of 644 tons. And pics 4 and 7 are the same ship, flying the same ensign which looks French to me. If she is French the BoT would not have an 'interest' in her or her crew.
And have a browse here: http://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/vessels ... mber=20645