Genealogy Chat

Could someone help me with this. An ancestor of mine is believed to have died at sea but I'm not sure when. He got married in 1908 and his wife remarried in June 1916 so it must've been between these dates. I don't know of any children that they had so I can't narrow it down that way. Where would the death be registered? Is it where the ship is registered or where it docks afterwards? The man in question was William Shawcross, not sure of his year of birth, am waiting for his marriage cert coming through. Many thanks. Rach

Not absolutely certain, but I think deaths at sea are registed in the port where the vessel next docks. Have you checked the overseas section of the GRO? Not sure if it is online yet. Puzzled as to how he can be an ancestor if you don't know about his children? nell

Overseas section of GRO indexes is online at 1837online...... If you know his wife's maiden name, it would be worth seeing if there appeared to be any births for children for them after 1913, when the mother's maiden surname starts showing on the GRO indexes, so as to reduce the time frame. Might not work if her name was Smith or something else too commonplace??? Merry

Couldn't be this chap, could it??? Surely not, going by the date you gave for his widow's remarriage and the date of death below..... CWGC - Casualty Details Name: SHAWCROSS, WILLIAM Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Able Seaman Regiment: Royal Navy Unit Text: H.M.S. 'Queen Mary.' Age: 32 Date of Death: 31/05/1916 Service No: 227872 Additional information: Son of May E. Shawcross, and the late Mathew Shawcross; husband of Margaret Baxter (formerly Shawcross), of 46, Fawcett St., Ancoats, Manchester. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 13. Cemetery: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Merry

Merry I think you've just opened up a can of worms!!! My great gran remarried on 13th June 1916, had my great aunt on 3rd July 1916. My great gran was born Margaret White/Whyte & remarried Charles Baxter. It definately looks like him, I never even thought to look on the CWGC site, 46 Fawcett Street, Manchester was where they lived. Thanks so much to everyone for helping with this. I did try looking for children from 1912 onwards but couldn't find any. And I called him an ancestor, just because its easier than trying explain that he was my great grans first husband! Thanks again Rach

Good heavens!!! Would have been almost as tragic if he had lived and come home to find his wife with a new baby....... I wonder what she thought when the news came through???? Merry

Merry I thought it was odd when I finally got the dates together, imagine leaving it 3 weeks before the birth to get married, but now I know why thanks to you!! She must've been half relieved to have the child in wedlock & half in grief at the loss of her husband. Not sure what the family's gonna make of this. Rach

Of course, we don't know what her first husband was like???? Obviously she was not sticking to her vows (lol) but for all we know, the last time William S was around he might have told her he had a girl in every port, or that he was leaving her or whatever...... So she met Mr Baxter and things went from there. She might have been going to divorce William S as soon as he came home (or maybe he would have divorced her, given the circumstances!) - we just don't know. Hope you sort them out - Family will just have to accept what you find - thay can all put their own thoughts/slants to what happened, same as I have, be they correct or not..... Merry

Charles Baxter could even have been a friend who married her and took the baby on as his own so that she wasnt on her own bringing up a baby Deborah

Just wanted to say thanks again to Merry & everyone else. I've been trawling the net & found out that he died in the Battle of Jutland, the ship was destroyed by the German fleet & out of a crew of 1,275 only 9 survived. Amazing what you can find out with a few clicks. I wonder if I could get his records & find out if he was at sea from the start of the war. Rach

Rachel. I have someone who died at the Battle of Jutland on H.M.S. Indefatigable.. I found his records at Kew on my last visit. Pat

Thanks Patricia I've just been looking myself at the National Archives site and it seems I'd have to go to Kew like you did. I live in Scotland so it'd be a bit a trip to go but I have an aunt in Buckinghamshire, just wondering if she could be persuaded!!! I quite fancy going myself though. Was it fairly easy to find the records? I've found the index numbers I'd need. I don't know exactly when he signed up but on his marriage cert in 1908 I think it gives his address as HMS Ferocious (we only have parts of it, I've ordered another copy & am waiting for it appearing). In the 1901 census he was only 16 so it must've been between these dates. From what Merry found on the cwgc site I know his service number so that should help? Rach