Death Certificate for a 'Death at Sea'

[obdavies]

Perhaps someone with far more experience in genealogy could suggest an explanation for a problem I’m encountering with my 2x Great Grandfather, John Ayerst a Merchant Seaman, born 1816 in Chatham. By the time of his death he was married with family in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.

According to the government records, he died on the 20th December 1860 aboard a ship name ‘Concord’ of ‘Apopolary’ (Apoplexy?).

The questions I struggle with are;

1. If he died on the 20th December 1860 why did it take until the 20th December 1862 to ‘dispose of the effects’ and why were the Board of Trade not notified until the 6th January 1863? Is it possible that the death was mistakenly registered as 1860, when it was in fact 1862, which would explain the delay over the Christmas period in reporting the death to the Board of Trade? Are the fact that the day and the month, 20th December, are exactly the same simply a coincidence?
2. That would also account for the second problem, that is why if he died in December 1860 does he appear in the 1861 census at home in Middlesbrough with his wife and daughter Source Citation: Class: RG9; Piece: 3688; Folio: 35; Page: 17;
3. Why does no death certificate appear available and why is the death not recorded in the GRO? Is it possible that he died aboard the ‘Concord’ while at sea and the reason the death was recorded as happening at ‘Middlesbrough’ is that that was where the ship was registered?
4. Can anyone suggest where I might find any further details on this death? I have tried the Board of Trade in Middlesbrough and Newcastle (where the records of that period were transferred to, but no information is available.

RECORDS
Death
Name:AYERST, John
Date of death:20 December 1860
Age:
Place of death:
Port received from:
Port belongs to:Middl
Ship's name:Concord
Series:BT153 - Registers of Wages and Effects of Deceased Seamen
Box:0005
Page:116

Deaths at sea, 1781-1968
First name(s) John
Last name Ayerst
Gender Male
Birth year -
Death year 1860
Death date 20 Dec 1860
Vessel name Concord
Home port Middl
Departure port -
Series BT 153
Box 0005
Page 116
Record set Deaths at sea, 1781-1968
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Deaths & burials
Collections from Great Britain

Name of Deceased: Ayerst John
Name of Ship: Concord
Official Number: 25288 Midd
Date of Engagement: 10.12.60
Cause, Place & Date of Death as reported: Apopolary (Apoplexy?)
Effects, how disposed of: Det to Son
Shipping Office
When Paid: 30.12.62
Where Paid: Middlesbro
Total Amount of Wages & Effects: £1 5s 0p
Date when sent to Board of Trade: 6.1.63

Can anyone offer advice that may help me or direct me to a source where I could purchase a record to assist me in obtaining a death certificate?

[obdavies]

I appreciate that there is a recorded death of a John Ayerst in Rotherhithe in December 1862, but that was a local policemen, not a Merchant Seaman.

Deaths Dec 1862
AYERST John Rotherhithe 1d 409

[katarzyna]

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/c...es/default.asp

register or log in
Select - Order certificates /pdf
select - Deaths overseas events
Is the GRO Index Reference Number known? Answer No
Add year of event and Submit.
Fill in form with any other detail you know.

As you haven't found the event to get a ref number bear in mind that it could be they do not have the event registered at GRO as early as 1860. They will search 2 years either side of the year you quote in case it was registered at a later date.

You can phone or write to GRO if you prefer.

[Peter Goodey]

Have you read the research guide?

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/h...sea-or-abroad/

[obdavies]

Thanks 'Katarzyna;, I have applied for the certificate, including the day of birth and the date of death from the Board of Trade record, though if it's not in the GRO I am not hopeful. Peter, I've read that research guide and followed it through to search, thank you, however it shows no record of the event.

[helachau]

Morning Advertiser, 6 Dec 1860
Bridlington, Dec. 4. - ........; a boat, 17 feet long, marked "Concord of Stockton, Henry Hawes**", came ashore last night north of the harbour."

Other newspapers reported the name as "Harris", "Haver" or "Hawes".

[helachau]

The next sighting is Shipping & Mercantile Gazette, 30 May, 1861
Middlesbrough
Arrived [May 29] Concord, Hawes, from London

[obdavies]

Finally solved this one after years of trying and learned a valuable lesson in the process, where possible get the certificate and don't dismiss anything.

After years of searching Board of Trade records for a possible insight into John Ayerst's death 'at sea', I finally decided to obtain the 1862 death certificate in Rotherhithe. To be honest, I only did it so that I could have definitive proof that this was not the correct record, as others had suggested.

What do you know, it was the correct one, a John Ayerst aged 45 a "seaman of the brig Concord' death recorded as "natural suddenly of apoplexy" (odd the 'natural suddenly') and the 'Informant' was a William Carter the Coroner for Surrey at an inquest held at the 23 December 1862.

Lesson learnt - get the certificate!

[katarzyna]

I appreciate that there is a recorded death of a John Ayerst in Rotherhithe in December 1862, but that was a local policemen, not a Merchant Seaman.

Deaths Dec 1862
AYERST John Rotherhithe 1d 409

Pleased you found him but why did you think this one might be a policeman???

[obdavies]

For two reasons, firstly the Board of Trade report of the death, when finally found, is misreported as the 20 December 1860, rather than the correct 20 December 1862, so the year was wrong for the correct death. Secondly census return Class: RG11; Piece: 580; Folio: 118; Page: 41; is about a policeman named John Ayerst who was born in Chatham (same as my John Ayerst) and was a policemen in Rotherhithe (where my John Ayerst died).