The Devon FHS WWWBoard

Lost at Sea

Posted by Sally Topliss on 22/5/2021, 5:28 pm

Could someone inform me of the situation if someone is lost at sea and no body is found. Is the death registered in any way at all? One of my distant relations apparently was lost in January 1956, but I cannot find a death registration.
Sally

Re: Lost at Sea

Posted by Deborah O'Brien on 23/5/2021, 9:15 am, in reply to "Lost at Sea"

Doesn't someone have to apply for a declaration of presumed death after 7 years? See https://www.gov.uk/get-declaration-presumed-death

Re: Lost at Sea

Posted by Deborah O'Brien on 23/5/2021, 9:17 am, in reply to "Re: Lost at Sea"

I also found this: BT334 - Registers and Indexes of Births, Deaths and Marriages of Passengers and Seamen at Sea, 1891-1972

In an ideal situation, all these entries should appear in the GRO Marine Registers but in practice there are many omissions as records were not always forwarded. The GRO Marine Registers themselves began much earlier than the BT records mentioned above but again there are many omissions in the early years. In order to search for a record of an event at sea, it may be necessary to search all of the above sources.

Re: Lost at Sea

Posted by Sally Topliss on 23/5/2021, 10:43 am, in reply to "Re: Lost at Sea"

Hi Deborah,

Thanks for your interest and replying. My ancestor was a fisherman so probably would not have been on that register. I have checked the Government archives but without success. There does not seem to be a death reg. at all.
Sally.

Re: Lost at Sea

Posted by Deborah O'Brien on 23/5/2021, 10:59 am, in reply to "Re: Lost at Sea"

In which case it probably required a declaration of presumed death. If there was no need to have such a thing - no second marriage or inheritance for instance - an application was probably never made.

« Back to index

[ The Devon FHS WWWBoard ]