Died At Sea

Profile manager: Marion Ceruti [send private message]

Ahoy Mates, Welcome to the "Died-At-Sea" home port.

The goal of this project is to remember and honor mariners and passengers who have died at sea. This includes mariners, master mariners, sailors and marines in the armed forces, passengers who pass away on a ship or who fall overboard, and victims of shipwrecks.

Right now this project has over two dozen members, including Dr. Marion Ceruti, mariner, seafarer, surfer, retired diver, survivor of storms and shipwrecks, and skin diver.

Criteria for profiles that belong in this project.

1. Profiles of mariners and passengers who died on vessels of all kinds, to include military, commercial, and private vessels, both surface and subsurface.
2. Any death that occurs on a vessel that is floating in (or under) the water constitutes "Died_At_Sea." If the vessel is in dry dock at the time when a death occurred, this is not a death at sea. Reasoning: If we exclude vessels in port on which occurs a death, we have to designate a distance from a port beyond which the death is eligible for inclusion on the list. This distance from port is not always known.
3. Profiles of mariners and passengers who died in storms that grounded their vessels on reefs or on beaches.
4. Profiles of mariners and passengers who died on vessels floating (or sinking) in lakes, such as the Great Lakes between USA and Canada, and Lake Michigan, USA.
5. Excluded are deaths on airplanes that crashed into the sea, unless the plane had been assigned to an aircraft carrier or unless the plane were a sea plane designed to land on and float in the water.
6. Military, commercial and sport divers who died on a dive that originated from a vessel platform. Deaths of divers who began their dive from any shore are excluded. (You have to draw the line somewhere.)

Members are invited to help with the following project tasks.

• Identify profiles of individuals who have died at sea and add them to the project's list.
• Add a "Died at Sea" designation or some other mention to appropriate profiles, as "Died at Sea" has not been accepted a a WikiTree category.
• Expand the scope of this project to include other causes of death not listed above.
• Add the tag, "Died_At_Sea" to your profile to follow developments in this project.
• Take over the leadership this project if you think you can do it better than Dr. Marion Ceruti.
• If and when a category for "Died_At_Sea" is allowed, add it to the appropriate profile above the biography header.
• Assuming this project is allowed to have a sticker for project profiles, we need to select a design for the graphic. The text should read "*** died at sea." where *** is the person's name.

Members – Welcome Aboard

1. David Randall, family historian, genealogist, project leader and WikiTreer extraordinaire.
2. Cathy Lee Brandstetter
3. Robynne Lozier
4. Shonda (Sayers-Howell) Feather
5. N. G. Hill
6. Klaas Jansen
7. Chris Sharkey
8. V. Wilson
9. Brenda Milledge
10. Richard B. Mcguinness
11. Raymond E. Laing
12. John P. Gabriel
13. Elizabeth A. Phillips, formerly Hatton
14. Andrew Miles
15. Deanna R. Davis formerly Peele
16. Ruth Jowett
17. T. R. Carlock
18. Lee D. Dustrud
19. Peggy L. Wilkins
20. Nancy A. Wright formerly Lowrie
21. J. G. Weston
22. E. Lauraine Syrnick formerly Smith
23. Marilyn M. Astle
24. Loretta Buckner
25. Judith C. Blodgett
26. Amanda Myers

For Those Who Die At Sea

There is a special place in heaven for those who die at sea.

They're put onto a fast track to meet the Deity.

For sailors killed in action, while fighting their last war,

The angels bear them onward, home to the distant shore.

Marion Ceruti, 2023

Will you join me? Please post a comment here on this page, in G2G using the project tag, or send me a private message. Thanks!

Project Profiles

Profile Name, Death Date, Ship name if known, Home of Mariner or Passenger

Capt. Benjamin Hornigold , 1719, England

Laurence Moncrief (abt.1760-1793) 1793 "The Rashleigh", Greenwich, Kent England.

John Beasor 1806 "The Earl Camden", Deptford, Kent, England.

Gen-at-Sea Richard Deane 1653 London, England

Capt. Woodes Rogers Sr. 1706 Poole, Dorset, England

Capt. Andrew Buckler, 17 Dec 1735, Baltimore, Barbados

First Mate David Marion Dunbar 1856, Clipper Ship, The Driver, Scotland

Mariner Alexander Joseph Barton 1856 St. Stevens, Berry Islands, Bahamas

Capt. Elisha Hunt Rhodes 1858 Providence Rhode Island, USA

Capt. First Mate John S. Adamson 1858 Providence Rhode Island, USA

Reverend Jeremiah Samuel Johnson Higgs 1883 Bahamas

Mary Elizabeth Albury Higgs 1883 Bahamas

Captain Samuel Robert Hildreth 1883 Suffolk County, New York State, USA

Joseph Alexander Jerman 1914 Key West, Florida, USA

Sarah Lee (Poston) Pope 19 Mar 1902, USAT Kilpatrick, San Francisco, CA

Commander William Lewis Herndon, 12 Sep 1857, S.S. Central America, Virginia, USA

Rodney Jay LaFave abt. 1 Sep. 1994, Sand Point Lake, boating accident involving a medical emergency. His body was never recovered and he has been presumed dead.

Ramp van Moddergat, 6 Mar 1883, 83 Fishermen were lost at sea, from the small village of Moddergat, Friesland.

Master George Beaves 29 April 1876 , fishing smack Two Brothers sank off Isle of May, Fife, Scotland

Boy Reginald Earnshaw 6 July 1941 SS North Devon Shot when ship came under enemy attack off the coast of Norfolk He was 14 years and 151 days old

Percy Helme 17 July 1931 died in a fire on board "MS Bermuda". He was a ship's hairdresser.

Francis Hugh Bacon Assistant Paymaster in Royal Naval Reserve drowned when "HMS Aries" broke in two after being struck by a mine on 31st October 1915. All 22 crew were lost His body was carried by the sea to the coast off Denmark where he was buried.

Harry Gibson 1 Jul 1942 The Japanese captured him at Kokopo hospital and became a Prisoner of War initially held at Rabaul. He died on board the Montevideo Maru when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines.

2nd Hand William Cormack H.M. Drifter "Southesk" Died as result of enemy action on 7th July 1917 - his body was not recovered

Stoker 1st Class George Moore Abbott 27 April 1916 Died after "HMS Russell" hit 2 mines off coast of Malta His body was not recovered

Acting Stoker PO Alfred Ernest Abbinnett 31 May 1916 Died when ""HMS Shark" sank during the Battle of Jutland. His body was not recovered

Private Royal Marine Light Infantry Claude Cecil Abel 22 September 1914. Died when the "HMS Cressy" was torpedoed and sank in the North Sea. His body was not recovered

Homer Russell Saisbury a Missionary on his way to India 30 December 1915 "SS Persia"" torpedoed by German submarine off the coast of Crete His body was not recovered

Boy 1C Walter Anderson 31 May 1916 HMS Defence sank following explosions as a result of enemy fire in the Battle of Jutland . All crew lost . His body was not recovered

Sailmaker Ernest Hill 31May 1916 "HMS Defence" sank following explosions as a result of enemy fire in the Battle of Jutland . All crew lost . His body was not recovered

Signal Boy Edward James Anderson 31May 1916 "HMS Defence" sank following explosions as a result of enemy fire in the Battle of Jutland . All crew lost . His body was not recovered

Boy Telegraphist William Frederick Argyle 31May 1916 "HMS Defence" sank following explosions as a result of enemy fire in the Battle of Jutland . All crew lost His body was not recovered

Boy 1 C Henry Thomas Barker 31 May 1916 "HMS Queen Mary" sank as result of enemy action in Battle of Jutland His body was not recovered

Rev George Stanley Kewney Chaplain and Instructor 31 May 1916 "HMS Queen Mary" sank as result of enemy action in Battle of Jutland His body was not recovered

Thomas Banke Keogh 3May 1850 Child died on route to America on Hercules

Reverend John Robb 7 September 1838 when SS Forfarshire sank off the Farne Islands

James Dawson 7 September 1838 when SS Forfarshire sank off the Farne Islands

Matilda Dawson 7 September 1838 when SS Forfarshire sank off the Farne Islands

Sister Lily Lind 21 November 1916 on board the Hospital Ship SS Maheno on way back to New Zealand Died from tuberculosis contracted whilst nursing French Casualties

Eileen Isabella Ronnie Gibson An actress known as Gay Gibson was pushed out of a porthole in her cabin on MV Durham Castle on 18 Oct 1947. Her body was never found.

Sean (John) Russell Irish freedom fighter member of I.R.A. died believed from a gastric ulcer whilst traveling back from Germany on'U-65 on 14 August 1940 Buried at sea

Clerk Typist Josephine Carr drowned when RMS Leinster was torpedoed by German submarine on 10th October 1918 . She was a "Wren" serving in the Women's Royal Naval Service Her body was not recovered.

AB Edward Hudoom died from pnuemonia on 11 December 1885 whilst serving on SS Mira

infant Nellie Mabel Such died from convulsions on 23 September 1885 whilst traveling on the SS Cuzco to Australia She was 13 months old

Thomas Robertson died when SS Balakani hit a mine on 9th September 1915 in the English Channel.

Stoker Petty Officer Thomas Ryder 5 December 1918 died in an explosion when aboard HMS Cassandra

A B Arthur Frederick Shrapnell 5 December 1918 died in an explosion when aboard HMS Cassandra

Stoker 1C Albert Edward Victor Hill 31 May 1916 HMS Defence sank following explosions as a result of enemy fire in the Battle of Jutland . All crew lost . His body was not recovered

A B William Henry Pullan 2 October 1918 SS Bamse was torpedoed by German submarine His body was not recovered

A B Albert Victor Allison 13 June 1917 SS Darius was torpedoed by German submarine

A B Alfred John Embrey Tipping 24 May 1941 HMS Hood sank by the German Bismarck during the battle of the Denmark Strait

Lieutenant Percy Strickland 31 May 1916 died from wounds received on HMS Dublin during the Battle of Jutland

Arthur Hodkinson 16 Nov 1917 died when S.S. "Garron Head" sank after she struck a mine laid by U-103 on 16 Nov 1917 in the Bay of Biscay

George William Neave 26 Jan 1940 lost when the SS Merisia ran aground in bad weather on the rocks in Bulgham Bay, north of Laxey, Isle of Man and was wrecked. All twelve crew drowned

Edgar Neave 26 Jan 1940 lost when the SS Merisia ran aground in bad weather on the rocks in Bulgham Bay, north of Laxey, Isle of Man and was wrecked. All twelve crew drowned

Skipper William Edward Platten 16 Feb 1900 whilst on the vessel Butterfly, washed overboard & drowned while trawling; about 30 miles east of Fair Isles.

Richard Albert Platten 16 Feb 1900 whilst on the vessel Butterfly, washed overboard & drowned while trawling; about 30 miles east of Fair Isles.

Boy1C Sylvester Merrion 31 May 1916 HMS Black Prince all crew lost when ship came under enemy fire in the Battle of Jutland

AB Bernard Benfell 31 May 1916 HMS Black Prince all crew lost when ship came under enemy fire in the Battle of Jutland

Bugler Cyril Vernon Tawney 31 May 1916 HMS Black Prince all crew lost when ship came under enemy fire in the Battle of Jutland

Deck Hand William Walter Colby 17 May 1917 died when HM Trawler Bracklyn sank under enemy fire

Lifeboatman John Bird 22 December 1810 drowned when the Hoylake Life Boat capsized whilst trying to rescue the ship Traveller 8 crew drowned 2 swam ashore to safety

Lifeboatman Henry Bird 22 December 1810 drowned when the Hoylake Life Boat capsized whilst trying to rescue the ship Traveller 8 crew drowned 2 swam ashore to safety

Lifeboatman John Bird 22 December 1810 drowned when the Hoylake Life Boat capsized whilst trying to rescue the ship Traveller 8 crew drowned 2 swam ashore to safety

AB Seaman Henry Arthur Rockhill 5 November 1940 Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve H M S Jervis Bay sank when acting as a decoy to protect the convoy it was leading. Most of the crew were lost following heavy gunfire from the German warship Admiral Scheer

Master Henry Beecher Hansen Dunning died from natural causes on SS Empire Abbey on 9th February 1946 Born Queenstown Cobh Ireland.

Joseph Garry Assistant Surgeon Merchantile Marine Unit died May 1915 when RMS Lusitania sank Born County Clare Ireland

Stoker !st Class Henry William Abbot died July 9th when HMS Vanguard sank Born Southwark London

Pte John Arthur Abbot died 25th January 1917 when SS Laurentic: hit mines in the Irish Sea in snow blizzard Born Cambridgeshire

Cedric Mossman 29 May 1940 HMS Wakeful, Gateshead, Durham, England, UK

Malcolm W Clarno 3rd Feb 1943 a casualty of World War II, missing in action, at sea after a torpedo hit the USAT Dorchester about 100 miles from Narsarsuaq Greenland. Born, DeWitt County, Illinois, United States.

George Emil William "George" Kaiser 17 Jun 1944 Saipan Island, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

Anne Dusterud formerly Larsdatter aka Helle after May 26, 1842 the departure date of the Schooner ship Ellida from Drammen, Buskerud, Norway to New York City, United States.

Halvor Christiansen about 1876 schooner Activ Århus, Denmark, Atlantic Ocean, Norway

Hamilton George Wentworth Brinston 1 Jul 1942 on board the Montevideo Maru when it was torpedoed and sank off the coast of the Philippines, Australia

Arthur Galbraith 25 Jun 1894 died of cerebral apoplexy in Colombo, Ceylon aboard the Orizba, Australia

Wade Brinston 15 Feb 1982 one of 84 who died when the oil drilling platform Ocean Ranger went down in a storm in the Hibernia Oil Field 315 kilometres (196 mi) east-southeast of St. John's NL Canada, Canada

Henry Gordon Brinston 2 Dec 1940 armed merchant cruiser HMS Forfar torpedoed and sunk by German submarine about 500 nautical miles west of Ireland with a loss of 172 lives, Newfoundland

Douglas Verson Brinston 24 August 1940 HMS Penzance torpedoed & sunk 700 miles SW of Iceland with a loss of 90 lives, Newfoundland

Leslie Atheling Brinston 25 Jan 1917 SS Laurentic armed merchant cruiser that struck two mines in the north of Ireland with 354 deaths, Newfoundland

Henry Sibley 1765 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, en rout to England.

Lawrence Smith 27 Jan 1857 off coast of Houss, Burra, Shetland, Scotland

Robert Mutimer 19 Oct 1851 The Sir Robert Peel between USA and England.

William Hood (abt.1906-1970) 6 Feb 1970 The Lairdsfield County Antrim

Kenneth Campbell (-1970) 6 Feb 1970 The Lairdfield Belfast

Stewart Flood (-1970) 6 Feb 1970 The Lairdsfield Androssen

L McClean (-1970) 6 Feb 1970 The Lairdsfield' Glasgow

J McLeod (-1970) 6 Feb 1979 The Lairdsfield Glasgow

Michael Monaghan (-1970) 6 Feb 1979 The LairdsfieldHelensburgh, Scotland

Robert W Purvis (-1970) 6 Feb 1979 the captain of The LairdsfieldGreat Yarmouth

Donald Robertson (-1970) 6 Feb 1979 The LairdsfieldIsle of Skye

Ernest Thompson (-1970) 6 Feb 1979 The Lairdsfield Lossiemouth

John Vickers (-1970) 6 Feb 1979 The Lairdsfield Bristol

Captain Thomas Kilton 27 Apr. 1753, Providence, Rhode Island

Silas Deane 23 Sep 1789 on board a ship anchored near Deal, Kent, England, which was bound for Boston, USA from London, Egland. Silas Deane was a founding father of the American Revolution. The cause of his death continues to elude historians.

Simon Huntington Sr. 1693, St. Simon & Jude, Norwich, England

Kanō "嘉納 治五郎" Jigorō 4 May 1937, Hikawa Maru Japan

John P. Gabriel 1940s, SS Jonathan Holt

Nils Johan Nesse 1941, Bergen, Norway

Tripp, Charles Owen Hilary

Capt. Samuel Gould, bef. 1751, Charming Mary, Boston, Massachusetts, USA/New Providence, Bahamas

Benjamin Taverner (1880-1942) 14 Oct 1942, "SS Caribou" torpedoed by a German U Boat in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland

Harold Graham Taverner (1918-1942) 14 Oct 1942, "SS Caribou" torpedoed by a German U Boat in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland

Stanley Taverner (1908-1942) 14 Oct 1942, "SS Caribou" torpedoed by a German U Boat in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland

Michael Eugene Armagost (1938-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior. Born in Iron River, Bayfield County, Wisconsin

Frederick J. Beetcher (1919-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Thomas D. Bentsen (1952-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Edward F. Bindon (1928-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Thomas D. Borgeson (1934-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Oliver J. Champeau (1934-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Nolan Franklin Church (1920-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Ransom E. Cundy (1922-1975)One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Thomas E. Edwards (1925-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Russell G. Haskell (1935-1975)One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

George J. Holl (1915-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Bruce Lee Hudson (1953-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Allen G. Kalmon (1932-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Gordon F. MacLellan (1945-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Joseph W. Mazes (1916-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

John H. McCarthy (1913-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Ernest Michael McSorley (1912-1975) Captain of the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald when it sank in Lake Superior in 1975. He and his crew of 28 perished.

Eugene W. O'Brien (1925-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Karl A. Peckol (1955-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

John J. Poviach (1916-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

James A. Pratt (1931-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Robert C. Rafferty (1913-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Paul M. Riipa (1953-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

John D. Simmons (1913-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

William J. Spengler (1916-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Mark A. Thomas (1954-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Ralph G. Walton (1917-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

David E. Weiss (1953-1975) One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Blaine Howard Wilhelm (1923-1975)One of the 29 men who died in 1975 when the iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Joseph Isaac Limbrick (1893-1916) Joseph served in the Royal Naval Reserve. He died aboard H.M.S. Dreel Castle on 10 March 1916.

William Henry Drake (bef.1918-1940) William served in the Royal Marines during WW2. His vessel was the H.M.S. Glorious. He was posted missing and presumed dead.

Steven Paul Feldman (1948-1991) Steven Feldman was a shipwreck diver who died on a dive to explore a German Second World War submarine located in very deep water about 60 miles offshore from Brielle, New Jersey

Christopher Rouse (1953-1992) Christopher Rouse and his son Chrissy were shipwreck divers who died after ascending too rapidly from a dive to explore a German Second World War submarine located in very deep water about 60 miles offshore from Brielle, New Jersey. Christopher died on the dive boat the Seeker.

Christopher Rouse (1970-1992) Christopher (known as Chrissy) Rouse died in a hyperbaric chamber in a New York hospital after being transported there by Coast Guard helicopter so may not meet project criteria. That's right. Death location does not meet Died_At_Sea criteria.

Henry Comstock (1838-1868) aboard the Seabird, a Lake Michigan steamer, cited as the 10th worst disaster on the lake, taking the lives of all but three of the passengers and crew.^[1] His inscription reads: Lost by the burning of the steamer Sea Bird on Lake Michigan April 9, 1868 Aged 30 years. Unknown whether he was crew or passenger.

John Minor Maury (abt.1785-1823) was acting captain of the supply ship Decoy when he contracted yellow fever, and died just off Norfolk, Virginia, on June 23, 1823. John Minor Maury Wiki

George Albert Preston, Jr. 16 Dec. 1914 Captain George Preston lost his life, 16 December 1914, in a severe storm that blew up in the evening off the bar in Nassau. His vessel - a lighter called the Brothers - was cut away from the steamer Esperanza when the lighter Mesina dropped on top of it. The crew of Brothers had been loading outbound fruit and tomatoes aboard Esperanza. Owing to the strong wind, the Brothers was not able to clear the bar and smashed to pieces. Captain Preston and four of the crew - Nathaniel Rolle, Zack Sands, Joe Sawyer and Tom Sands - were drowned. Nassau Guardian, Nassau, Bahamas 19 December 1914.

Two seamen, John Jambow, age 49 and James Thompson, age 50, died off Dollar Harbor on 13 Aug. 1870 after they were struck by lightening. These deaths were reported on the same day, 13 Aug. 1870, at the Island of North Bimini at "A" (Alice?) Town, Bahamas.

• "Bahamas Records," images, FamilySearch [1] entered February 5, 2024, image 488 of 525; Bahamas. Registrar General. Island of North Bimini at "A" (Alice?) Town, 13 Aug. 1870. B. B. Sherman, Registrar.

The sinking of SS Alert on 28 December 1893 off the coast of Australia resulted in the death of

Second Engineer John Kennedy Kilpatrick SSAlert 28 December 1893 sank near Sorreto Australia

Passenger James Newton SSAlert 28 December 1893 sank near Sorreto Australia

Albert Mathieson, captain, age 35, married, no children; residence. St. Vincent-street, South Melbourne J. G. Hodges, chief officer, 32, married, no children; Yarraville. J. Mattison, second officer, 43, single; South Melbourne. J. Thompson, chief engineer, 48, single: South Melbourne.. J. Dodd, steward, 32, married, one child; Carlton. T. Thompson, A.B., 45, married, two children; South Melbourne. J. Williamson, A.B., 27, single; South Melbourne. J. Arthurson, A.B., 25, single; South Melbourne. J. Coutts, A.B., 42, married, three children; South Melbourne. W. Thompson, fireman, 30, single, Williamstown. D. McIvor, fireman, 28, single, Balaclava. W. Stewart, steerage passenger, 60, married, seven children; Collingwood. — Page, steerage passenger, Steiglitz. There followed a lengthy court case taken by the widow of J Kilpatrick and the sole survivor of the disaster Robert Ponting on the ship's lack of seaworthiness and an appeal by the ship's manufacturers ^{[2] [3]}

Septima (Horton) Poulson (1873-1946) Septima Poulson died 22 Feb 1946 at or near Chemainus, British Columbia, Canada "on boat, afloat" as per death certificate. She was born in England.

Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874-1922) Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, Arctic and Antarctic explorer, died 5 Jan 1922 at age 47 aboard the Quest in Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. He was born in Ireland and later lived in England.

Not all deaths at sea were caused by weather conditions. Harvey Watson, born 1849, Mariner of English ancestry and native of Camden Maine, United States of America, died at sea of consumption on 15 Aug 1873. Death was reported on 19 Aug. 1873 to James I. Johnson, the registrar on Saint Stephens Berry Islands, Bahamas and recorded on page 98 of the local death records. Harvey was on the Brig Rachael Coney of Belfast United States, of which the master was Capt. Williams. Death occurred at Lat 25.45 N. Lon 76.10 W.

• "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959," database with images, FamilySearch [2] entered 7 October 2014, Deaths 1871-1874, 1886 > image 369 of 545; Registrar General, Nassau. Parish of Saint Stephens Berry Islands. James I. Johnson, Registrar.

The August 1871 Category 3 Hurricane, (SSHWS), Abaco Bahamas

Early on 14 Aug. 1871, the ship Tybee reported hurricane-force winds to the east of The Bahamas, signaling the presence of a well-formed system. At 00:00 UTC on 14 Aug. the third tropical cyclone of the season was noted, 210 mi (340 km) northeast of San Salvador Island, with 90-mph (150-km/h) winds. Tracking generally westward, the hurricane gradually strengthened. At 12:00 UTC on 15 Aug. the cyclone attained peak winds of 115 mph (185 km/h)—equivalent to Category 3 status on the modern Saffir–Simpson scale, which it maintained until landfall in Florida. Several hours later, the hurricane crossed the northern Abaco Islands and continued westward toward the Gulf Stream. Early on 16 Aug., a barque, the Bridgeport, measured a pressure of 952 mbars (28.1 in. Hg) in the storm's eye. As it neared eastern Florida, the storm curved slightly west-northwestward, before making landfall north of Hobe Sound at 02:00 UTC on 17 Aug. Source: "1871 Atlantic hurricane season," Wikipedia.org [3]

On 16 Aug. 1871, this category 3 hurricane hit the Abaco Islands, Bahamas and caused the death by drowning of 23 mariners, all reported in the District of Green Turtle Cay, Abaco. As is evident from the surnames of the crew, most, if not all of the mariners were from families who lived in the Bahamas for generations.

Name, age, race (English or European, African, Mixed).

1. William Roberts, Sr., 54 E

2. William Roberts, Jr. 34 E

3. Thomas Roberts 20 E

4. Frederic Maura 23 A

5. John Mills 35 A

6. John Lowe 23 A

6. Edwin Saunders 24 E

8. Paul Pinder 23 A

9. Joseph Lowe 24 A

10. John Roberts, Jr. 38 E

11. Lalathiel Collins 26 A

12. John Gates 20 M

13. Ammon Lowe 19 A

14. Charles Sawyer 25 M

15. James Sawyer 21 M

16. Lamuel Sawyer 25 M

17. Joseph Cleare 30 A

18. Charles Duncombe 40 A

19. William Kerr 24 A

20. Joshua Brooks 25 M

21. John Russell 22 M

22. James N. Curry 24 A

23 Samuel Kerr 15 A

Source:

• "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959," database with images, FamilySearch [4] entered 20 May 2014, Deaths 1871-1874, 1886 > image 81 of 545; 23 mariners drowned on 16 Aug. 1871, Registrar General, Nassau, reported on 24 Aug. 1871 in the District of Green Turtle Cay, Abaco to Registrar Joseph C. Saunders.

Troon Dundonald Ayrshire Scotland Related

NG Hill created this table from her home Troon database, exported to CSV and generated in MediaWiki format via the online tool at [5].

Francis Stirling (1839-aft.1880) HMS Atalanta, Royal Navy

On November 7th, 1879, Atalanta left Portsmouth under command of Capt. Francis Stirling, having a crew of 15 officers and 265 men and boys. Early in the cruise yellow fever broke out and the captain decided to run for Bermuda, where he arrived on January 29th, 1880. Two days later the ship sailed for home, expected to arrive in England on, or about, April 4th, 1880. From the date of her leaving Bermuda, January 31st, 1880, the ATALANTA was never heard of again. A terrific gale raged from the 12th to the 16th of February and it is possible that the vessel was overwhelmed by this. The Channel Squadron under Admiral Hood made an exhaustive search over a wide area but without result, and in May the Admiralty was compelled to conclude that the ATALANTA was lost.
Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?134927

Capt. Stirling left behind a wife, two daughters, and a son who was born the day the ship left Bermuda. There is a memorial to the 281 or so men that died at the St. Ann's Church in Portsmouth, England, and Capt. Stirling has his own memorial at the family graveyard at Muiravonside House (which is now a National Park in Scotland).

WikiTree Links, Including Policy and Style

The following guidelines are evolving. Like this project, they are a work in progress.

The category, "Died at sea" does not exist, but we can use "Category:Lost at Sea" and "Category: Buried at Sea."

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:New_Hampshire_Marine_Monument

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:SS_Jonathan_Holt_1941

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Ramp_van_Moddergat 1883

If you wish to link to the project you could use [NOWIKI]This profile is part of the Died At Sea project.[/NOWIKI} at the top of the profile. This might need removing if we get a sticker.

G2G Questions

• https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1679527/advice-for-categorization-of-adamson-3886?show=1679559#a1679559
• https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/328061/at-sea-guidelines

WikiTree Free Space pages relating to wrecks, ships lost at sea, etc.

The wreck of the M V Lairdsfield.

The Norwegian merchant ship, Herstein [6]

External Internet Links

• Blog Beyond The Dash, "A Nautical Tribute: Burial at Sea" 27 Mar. 2019 [7]
• Find-a-Grave, Mayflower memorial for passengers who died at sea, Bradford Street, Provincetown, Barnstable County, Massachusetts USA [8]
• Find-a-Grave, Virtual Cemetery for those declared "Missing in Action" when the USAT Dorchester was torpedoed by German U-boat U-223 south of Greenland in the Atlantic and sunk. [9]
• "Gloucester's Andrea Gail, crew was lost at sea during a 1991 nor'easter, a perfectly awful storm" Boston, Massachusetts USA, [10]
• Lost at Sea Memorials, Archive for the 'Wartime Merchant Marine Action' Category Tower Hill Memorial, London, England [11]
• Lost At Sea Remembrance Book, The Maritime Foundation, UK [12], also see THE REMEMBRANCE BOOK for those lost at sea with no known grave[13]
• Mariners Lost at Sea Database, Nantucket Historical Association [14]
• "The haunting image of a ‘sea cemetery,’" Kelly Grovier, 27 May 2016, BBC [15]
• PORTSMOUTH HERALD, Lost at sea, seacoast online. [16]
• FamilySearch.org, Bahamas Death Records image collections list cause of death. For example, [17]
• Bermuda History of Shipwreck Stories - the Sea Venture, [18]
• Investigating the Princess Sophia, Shipwreck Investigations at Library and Archives Canada. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/sos/naufrages/002031-5100-e.html
• Museum commemorates loss of Royal Navy HMS Birkenhead, 26 Feb 1852, 140 km from Cape Town, 193 saved, 450 died. The remarkable origins of 'women and children first' https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crg022m8jrno
• Some of the men who died at sea from Norway are documented here: [19]
• The names of United Kingdom seamen, including merchant marines, who lost their life during the first and second world wars are posted here: [20]
• "Battling with Waves and Lawyers" 3rd edition. A genuine history of perils of the deep and an authentic record of the most important shipping case ever dealt with in the supreme courts of Australasia. Compiled by J. ARBUCKLE REID. [21].
• Remembering the Princess Sophia, a University of Victoria, British Columbia undergraduate research project, lists crew and passengers with more information on a few. https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/ssprincesssophia/the-sinking/leaving-skagway/passenger-and-crew-list/
• Sable Island: Shipwrecks at the graveyard of the Atlantic. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/sable-island-shipwrecks-at-the-graveyard-of-the-atlantic-1.2755063
• Sinking of the ferry Caribou in the Cabot Strait between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and North Sydney, Nova Scotia by a German submarine on 14 October 1942 https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/caribou-sinking.php
• Information about the 1975 sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior including the names of the lost crew and lyrics of Gordon Lightfoot's ballad about it. https://upsupply.co/journal/the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald
• International Maritime Library of sea disasters [https://internationalmaritimelibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Index_Disasters-compressed.pd
• Sinking of the wooden-hulled Steamship Arctic after collision with steel-hulled French steamer, the Vesta, in fog off Cape Race, Newfoundland on 27 Sep 1854. An estimated 350 lives were lost including all 80 of the women and children aboard the Arctic as the crew put themselves in the lifeboats and launched them only partially filled. Several websites cover the disaster including this one. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-sinking-of-the-steamship-arctic-1774002
• Shipwrecks of Newfoundland and Labrador Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/shawnpowerancestry2
• Over 50,000 historic RNLI records go online for free. The records of thousands of volunteers who served with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and risked their lives to save those in peril at sea are now available on family history site Ancestry, as the RNLI celebrates its 200th anniversary. This includes some who died in unsuccessful rescue attempts. https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/news/rnli-records-ancestry

Not Directly Linked to the Disasters Project

Please note that the Died-at-Sea project has no formal linkage to the WikiTree Disasters project, as the goals of each projects differ one from another. However, some at-sea disasters could qualify for both. For example, the hurricane that killed Reverend Jeremiah Samuel Johnson Higgs also killed enough people to qualify for the Disasters Project.

For more information on the Disasters Project, see [22]. Moreover, the Natural Disasters Team may be of help in identifying wind-related disasters, such as hurricanes that happened more than 75 years ago. [23] N.B. So far, all profiles tracked here on the Died-at-Sea page happened over 75 years ago.