Death at Sea - John Ayerst

[obdavies]

Here are the details, but still no GRO record;

First name(s) John
Last name Ayerst
Birth year - (it's 1816
Death year 1860
Death date 20 Dec 1860
Place Concord (it's a Merchant Nave ship)
Country Great Britain
Type At Sea
Vessel name Concord
Home port Middl (it's Middlesbrough)
Departure port -
War -
Source
Registers Of Wages And Effects Of Deceased Seamen, 1852-1889
Archive reference BT 153
Box 0005
Page 116
Archive The National Archives
Record set British Armed Forces And Overseas Deaths And Burials
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Civil Deaths & Burials
Collections from Great Britain, UK None

I have also had the images of this record that adds that the cause of death was apoplexy. But still no death certificate saying where or why, and of course that means no burial or grave can be traced.

[wimsey]

not sure if one of the records referred to at #3 is this Merchant Seaman record on FMP - BT113 piece number 192

John AYORST (sic) born Chatham 11 October 1816

not that that helps with his death of course

[obdavies]

Yes that's his birth.

[Megan Roberts]

There surely must have been some requirement to notify the GRO of the death, even if it was on a ship registered in Middlesbrough but the death occurred elsewhere on a voyage.

That is exactly what the guide says:

"Any record made of a birth or death at sea from 1837 onwards was sent directly to the General Register Office and recorded in the Marine Register."

So have you tried speaking directly to the GRO?

Undoubtedly in the early days of registration, even on land, not all events were registered, buts its always worth speaking to them to see what they have to say.

If you scroll down further in the guide there is a link to precisely which records may or may not be complete.

[obdavies]

The records I have found pertaining to his death are from the Board of Trade under the heading "British Armed Forces And Overseas Deaths And Burials" but is the Merchant Navy a "British Armed Force"?

[Megan Roberts]

The records I have found pertaining to his death are from the Board of Trade under the heading "British Armed Forces And Overseas Deaths And Burials" but is the Merchant Navy a "British Armed Force"?

Not as far as I am aware. It would have come under the Overseas Deaths and Burials, but it is still worth checking directly with (a) the link in the guide to which records are available and (b) a call to the GRO, who should be able to clarify the situation.

[Peter Goodey]

The records I have found pertaining to his death are from the Board of Trade under the heading "British Armed Forces And Overseas Deaths And Burials" but is the Merchant Navy a "British Armed Force"?

I think you'll find that the title you have quoted is the title invented by Findmypast. Findmypast is not noted for the helpfulness of their dataset titles nor for the way they bundle together various disparate sources into one dataset.

The record you found is actually from BT153 ("Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Registers of Wages and Effects of Deceased Seamen").

is the Merchant Navy a "British Armed Force"

No, but it would come under "...and overseas". Blame FMP for the wording.

A death at sea in 1860 should have been notified to GRO under the provisions of the 1836 Act. How do you know this didn't happen? To be certain, you need to apply to GRO Overseas Section for a death certificate quoting the information you know. Not being indexed does not mean that it didn't happen.

[Peter Goodey]

Findmypast is not noted for the helpfulness of their dataset titles nor for the way they bundle together various disparate sources into one dataset.

Should read "Findmypast is not noted for the helpfulness of their dataset titles and the way they bundle together various disparate sources into one dataset is often confusing."