*
*Tracing Your Roots > South Asian > South Asian Perspective on UK Records
* Deaths of Seamen 
 
If your lascar ancestor died at sea, then consult the registers and indexes of births, marriages and deaths of passengers and seamen at sea, which is in National Archives reference (PRO) BT334 covering the period 1891-1972. The registers include both UK and foreign subjects, passengers and seamen. The registers give the following information:

  • Deaths
  • Name of the ship
  • Official number
  • Port of registry
  • Date of death
  • Place of death
  • Name of deceased
  • Sex
  • Age
  • Rating
  • Nationality and birthplace
  • Last place of abode
  • Cause of death
  • Remarks
From these registers, if you have discovered that your ancestors served as firemen or trimmers and you know the name of the ship, you can actually find out the condition in which your ancestor died from the registers of deaths of fireman and trimmers in National Archives reference (PRO) BT167/121-22 for the period 1913-40. It gives:

  • Ship's name and official number
  • Owner's name
  • Nationality and rating of the deceased
  • Number of firemen and trimmers on ship
  • Coal consumption in tons per day
  • Temperature at time death occurred in the engine room, stokehold and bunkers
  • Date of death
  • Locality of the ship at the time the death occurred
  • When and where the deceased joined and the date of his last leaving port
Although the registers do not give the names of the Indian seamen (lascars), they have lots of statistical information. It is sad to read that some of the deaths occurred due to the engine room temperature, which was very high, 38-45°C (102-114°F).

Related information:

< Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5


Creators: Abi Husainy

 
*