"Doug Laidlaw" <blackhole@afraid.org> wrote in message news:fpi8v6-a1a.ln1@dougshost.douglaidlaw.net... > Sharon wrote: > >> William Trevelyan, his wife Julia and daughter Elizabeth Jane (born 2 May >> 1860 Collingwood) departed Melbourne in May 1861 on the ship Sussex for >> London. It is believed the wife Julia died on the voyage. >> >> William and the daughter Elizabeth who was renamed Julia Thomas, have >> been >> found back in Cornwall where the daughter (Julia Thomas) died 2 Sept >> 1861, >> age 17 months. >> >> I am unable to find any record of the ship Sussex in London with >> reference >> to deaths at sea. Can anyone help please. >> >> Regards >> Sharon > > I read somewhere that BDM events at sea were recorded at the next port of > call, regardless of nationality. That may or may not help. > > Doug. Doug: That depends on the laws of the country in which the ship is registered and the laws of the country where the ship next called. All this is time dependent. Sharon: Let us assume that the ship is British-registered and that the deceased is English. Then at that date the following should have happened: (1) An entry would have been made in the official log book of the ship. The log book will be found at The National Archives (TNA) at Kew in series BT 99 (or possibly BT 165) or at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. You will need to find the ship's official number (try the CLIP website) to locate it. (2) The event would have been recorded in the registers of the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen - these records are at TNA and the volume reference is BT 158/2. I think that some are now online. (3) The event should also have been reported (I stress should) to the General Register Office for England & Wales. Look in their index to Marine Death Registers (not the regular ojnnes) that are widely available and online. Hope that helps. If you want further details then you will need to read my book on the subject of Tracing Births, Deaths and Marriages at Sea. cheers Chris