No record in GRO

[Chimp]

Scenario

1843 Man born

1851 with parents

1861 on board ship - Sailor - 'boy, class 2'

1868 marries

1869 report in paper giving name of man and where he died.

1871 wife on her own says widow


No GRO death record can be found for man.

What do you do?

 

[Sandiep]

have you tried the area he died in? there are some missing in GRO

 

[Chimp]

He died in Weston in the Spalding district of Lincolnshire. Have even gone through the original images on FreeBMD but no sign of him.

 

[Daft Bat]

Perhaps an email to the GRO and/or the local office giving the details (and source) that you know?

What was his name?

 

[Chimp]

It's not actually for me. But I will pass on your suggestion, thank you.

 

[Ma-dotcom]

So, did he die or just start anew elsewhere?
Was he still involved with the sea?
Perhaps a 'ship's log' if known which ship he was on.

 

[Sue036]

Could he have died in another country? I recently found a missing death in New Zealand, so it can be worth casting a wide net.

 

[Chimp]

Perhaps an email to the GRO and/or the local office giving the details (and source) that you know?

Update
An email was sent to the local office and they have the death registration, why it wasn't sent to the GRO no one knows.

Turns out to be for another chap, sigh.

A further record for the chap we were looking for has been found. He signed up for 12 years as a sailor. So looks like he just abandoned his wife and she decided to say she was a widow.

 

[Ma-dotcom]

A further record for the chap we were looking for has been found. He signed up for 12 years as a sailor. So looks like he just abandoned his wife and she decided to say she was a widow.

I've seen a few like that, 'nicer' to claim widowhood' than desertion or such.