# Death certificate



## lamptrimmer (Jun 15, 2005)

Hello Everybody.
I would appreciate any help to find a Death Certificate of a seaman who died and was buried at sea.He was an A.B. on the S.S. DEVON CITY of Bideford (Smiths of Cardiff).He died on August 4th. 1950 in the Indian Ocean I've tried The Archives in London and Cardiff without success.
Best Regards to All
lamptrimmer


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

Have you tried the official Gov.UK site??? Not one of the 'agents', I have had several from them.

Geoff

Google can be your friend.


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## tiachapman (Mar 25, 2008)

who would have signed that


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

In my case,Master logged it and reported to Coroner,Inquest held much later in UK.Certificate issued.....but just says Died and buried at Sea near xxxxxx.
Geoff


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## lamptrimmer (Jun 15, 2005)

Hi tiachapman
Thanks for your reply. I have no idea who would have signed it. Perhaps as in The post from Erimus the Master logged the event and it entered the system. I would like to know it's final location
Best regards lamptrimmer


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## lamptrimmer (Jun 15, 2005)

Hi Erimus 
Thank you for your reply. I May well have clicked on an agents site. Thanks for pointing that out.I'll go back and check.
Best Regards lamptrimmer


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello,
Unless there was a doctor onboard to certify the death all you are likly to get back is a short version Death Certificate saying he was "Lost at Sea," no details of the reason for his demise.
Have a look at the Registers of Deceased Seamen available from the pay to view site "Find My Past"
His entry should tell you the cause of death plus other personal info. such as next of kin, last address.
If you visit Kew you can view for free.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C438810

Details of his death will also be recorded in the vessels logbook. Search with ships official number 161620.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10965392

Theres an outside chance there was an official inquiry and the do***ents were not destroyed.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3377

Also take a look at the National Archives site to see if he has any other MN records in BT 372 and BT382.

regards
Roger


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## lamptrimmer (Jun 15, 2005)

*lamptrimmer*

Hello Roger
Thank you for your reply and advice. The information regarding the log book entry seems most interesting.
Best Regards
lamptrimmer


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

Message received and will revert via PM if any luck my end.
geoff


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

I have a Death Certificate....would you email,via PM, you email address and I will forward it.

geoff


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## lamptrimmer (Jun 15, 2005)

*lamptrimmer*

My Thanks to everybody who helped and advised me in this search
Best Regards to all.
Lamptrimmer


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## zillah (Nov 30, 2008)

There is a separate register for deaths at sea, certainly for UK waters. National Archives at Kew would be the best place to access this. We found my great grandfathers details in there after he hanged himself from the mast of his Mersey Flat. With the register reference we were then able to then get a copy of the Death Certificate from GRO. Copy Death Certs are now £9-75.


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

Zillah.
I got Lamptrimmers required copy via Ancestry UK,in effect for free.but your information useful for others.

Geoff


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Whilst it may be possible to research 'Deaths at Sea', I have been unable to find any similar route for 'Births at Sea' - understandable, I suppose, because such incidents will be relatively few in number. 

In my family tree I have one person listed as 'Born at Sea, British' (I would guess it was the Irish Sea) in 1830, but have not been able to discover anything more.


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Ron,
Recording Births at sea was not made compulsory until the introduction of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1854.

Do you know the name and port of registry of the vessel involved?

A long shot because the Index starts in 1831. You can download for free. Index to: RG 32/1-16; Births, indexes include some births and baptisms at sea.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2970534

regards
Roger


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Thank you Roger.

No, in the Census records (for 1851, 1861 etc) the entry for place of birth just shows "At sea, British". Without a place or exact date of birth, it hasn't been possible for me to trace a birth certificate for her. Accordingly I have not been able to trace her antecedents. 

As my mother's family were Roman Catholics and contained a fair sprinkling of Irish-born people, I am assuming that the birth took place on a voyage (in either direction) between the UK and Ireland. Her husband was born in the UK and they were married in Formby, West Lancashire so there is no definite link with Ireland, just a guess on my part.


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## George Bis (Mar 8, 2014)

In 1999 my father was on a ferry as a passanger from Southampton to Santander. Sadly he died from a heart attack. The point of this is that as he had died at sea on a British ship the death had to be reported to, I think the Registra of Seamen, in Cardiff.
He loved the sea and at his funeral we all agreed that it would have been how he would have liked to go (he was 83)


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