Hi Jim I have a similar problem with a mariner who simply disappeared. FMP has records of deaths at sea, which I am sure you are familiar with. If Thomas Owston had died at sea and his body recovered, there would be a death certificate. If he had died at sea and his body not recovered, if his boat was lost for instance, then there should still be a record. See, for example, James Owston, aged 26 and Thomas Owston, aged 14, both fishermen on the Thomas and Margaret of Scarborough, and both lost at sea in 1881. BT 153 (a record of wages and effects of deceased seamen) says “supposed lost with ship 2/3/81”. It is always possible that there is an indexing issue here, but failing that then it may be that he did not die, but simply abandoned his family, perhaps changing his name and/or leaving the country. I think that is what happened to Thomas Willing, of East Stonehouse, Devon, who was last seen in 1858. His wife remarried in 1865. I have assumed that he was the father of his supposed youngest child, although he may never have come back after the conception. Of course, it is common for mariners to disappear at an earlier period, when no records were kept of ships which were lost at sea, but there should be a record in the 1870s. June Willing Guild of One-Name Studies member no 2117 Willing/Willings One-Name Study http://one-name.org/name_profile/Willing/ Willing/Willings DNA Project https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/willing Dominicus One-Name Study http://one-name.org/name_profile/dominicus/ > On 13 Jun 2016, at 18:51, Jim Owston via <[email protected]> wrote: > > Folks: > > I am looking for city directories for Scarborough in the 1870s. I am > trying to pinpoint a death of a mariner at sea. No burial records > exist as he was not buried in the local parish. His death occurred > between 1871 and January 1878. > > The directories may list his wife as a widow and this may pinpoint a > year of death. > > The sailor's name was Thomas Owston born 1840 - married to Hannah Pockley. > > The date of death will aid in determining the paternity of his > children, as some were clearly born years after his death. The > paternity of several of his older children are in question. > > Thanks for any help in this matter. > > -- > Jim > > James M. Owston, EdD > Owston One-Name Study > #5647 > [email protected] > http://www.one-name.org/cgi-bin/search.cgi?find=5647 > _____________________________________________ > > RootsWeb lists - surnames, regions, software, etc: > http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message