In a message dated 08/01/2010 22:19:56 GMT Standard Time, jmartin17@optusnet.com.au writes: "A fatal accident of a very disastrous kind occurred on the Solway Firth on Sunday afternoon, April 26, 1868. Five young men, employed at Annan, set out from that port in a small boat, rigged up with a sail, and crossed the Solway Firth to Bowness, on the Cumberland shore ,,,,,,,,,,,,, This is just the sort of report that arouses my curiosity - probably due to being stuck in with the cold weather in the UK. And to think it was reported in an Australian newspaper. Presumably it would also have been reported in the local Dumfries and Galloway newspaper, and possibly with names. Now's one of those times I wish I wasn't at the opposite end of the UK and could take a look at the local newspaper archives. Carol

The names of the 5 who died in the accident, given in the Glasgow Herald for 28 Apr 1868 are: Joseph THORBURN, fisher Joseph ROSS and Charles IRVING, nursery labourers George KERR, painter John CONNELL, apprentice painter. I have access to local press coverage of this event via my Chesterfield library membership which gives me free access to Infotrac Newspapers, including many 19th century local papers across the UK and the Times Digital Archive, plus lots of other stuff, like the DNB. So I would think that most other local libraries in the UK would offer this to members, worth finding out. Contact me offlist if you're interested in these folk and want more details. Celia Renshaw In Chesterfield UK Bringing lost ancestors home: www.morganhold.com Free strays database; affordable family research services -----Original Message----- From: dumfries-galloway-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:dumfries-galloway-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of johnasaul@aol.com Sent: 08 January 2010 22:35 To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com Cc: jmartin17@gmail.com Subject: SPAM-LOW: Re: [DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY] 5 men from Annan drowned on Solway Firth In a message dated 08/01/2010 22:19:56 GMT Standard Time, jmartin17@optusnet.com.au writes: "A fatal accident of a very disastrous kind occurred on the Solway Firth on Sunday afternoon, April 26, 1868. Five young men, employed at Annan, set out from that port in a small boat, rigged up with a sail, and crossed the Solway Firth to Bowness, on the Cumberland shore ,,,,,,,,,,,,, This is just the sort of report that arouses my curiosity - probably due to being stuck in with the cold weather in the UK. And to think it was reported in an Australian newspaper. Presumably it would also have been reported in the local Dumfries and Galloway newspaper, and possibly with names. Now's one of those times I wish I wasn't at the opposite end of the UK and could take a look at the local newspaper archives. Carol