dreward
10-05-2005, 8:18 PM
Good evening all
Quite recently it was confirmed that my relations came from Ireland to Devon(1840). As if this wasn't staring a brick wall in the face, then the next bit of information SKS sent, some months later, was like having the Great Wall drop on you.
The info was a newspaper cutting from the Exeter Flying Post(EFP) March 1845 announcing the death (from what?) of Midshipman William Ward, previously unknown, on Christmas Day 1844 on board the so-called East India(EI) ship "Bucephalus" at Calcutta.
Firstly, contrary to what the EFP says, the ship was not part of the East India Co. fleet - may have been hired by any one of foreign companies or even plied locally - so much has been confirmed from the EI website.
Secondly, both the Ships List and Mariners List(Roots Web) have come up with exactly nothing concrete on this subject despite some excellent advice most of which led me into the "depths" of the NA.
What I am looking for now, as finding the ship seems almost impossible, are some ideas how
a) I might obtain either an official death certificate. As the death was in Calcutta would a certificate have been sent to any official instance in the UK?
How for instance would the EFP have got their info?
or
b) I have assumed that, as William's brother Robert was living in Exeter at the time, any official post regarding William's death would have been posted there, this because their father had only the year before died in Dublin.
My thanks for any useful tips or suggestions you may have
Dave
Quite recently it was confirmed that my relations came from Ireland to Devon(1840). As if this wasn't staring a brick wall in the face, then the next bit of information SKS sent, some months later, was like having the Great Wall drop on you.
The info was a newspaper cutting from the Exeter Flying Post(EFP) March 1845 announcing the death (from what?) of Midshipman William Ward, previously unknown, on Christmas Day 1844 on board the so-called East India(EI) ship "Bucephalus" at Calcutta.
Firstly, contrary to what the EFP says, the ship was not part of the East India Co. fleet - may have been hired by any one of foreign companies or even plied locally - so much has been confirmed from the EI website.
Secondly, both the Ships List and Mariners List(Roots Web) have come up with exactly nothing concrete on this subject despite some excellent advice most of which led me into the "depths" of the NA.
What I am looking for now, as finding the ship seems almost impossible, are some ideas how
a) I might obtain either an official death certificate. As the death was in Calcutta would a certificate have been sent to any official instance in the UK?
How for instance would the EFP have got their info?
or
b) I have assumed that, as William's brother Robert was living in Exeter at the time, any official post regarding William's death would have been posted there, this because their father had only the year before died in Dublin.
My thanks for any useful tips or suggestions you may have
Dave