Hallo, My first visit to your forum - I am not certain whether Ramsgate comes within your remit and apologies if it does not. I recently found a Will of one of my maternal gt. grandfathers who 'drowned at sea' in 1891 I then bought his death certificate that shows his body was found 'on the High Seas off Ramsgate' and that an inquiry had been held. I contacted kent-eng@rootsweb.com and was advised to contacted Ramsgate Library and I was kindly sent a copy of the report of this inquiry in the Kent Coast Times of 30th. July 1891. Cutting this to the minimum, it appears that this Londoner used to visit a lodging house in Ramsgate ... presumably for the family summer holiday. On this occassion he was last seen by his wife when he left their home in Newington . 9th.July. It would appear that he visited the lodging house keeper who last saw him on the evening of the 10th., giving him his watch etc. to hold ..... James sent his wife a post card at about 7.20 that evening, which she received about 10 that evening (!), saying that he had left his watch etc with the lodging house keeper. 11th. July he boarded the paddle steamer ORIEOLE (official number 95435) at Ramsgate, and shortly after was lost overboard. His body was found 8 miles off North Foreland on 23rd. July and an inquiry was held on the 25th. Although there were strong hints that he may have committed suicide, the jury returned a verdict of 'Found Drowned' which is not very satisfactory. The paddle steamer ORIOLE ran between London Bridge, Ramsgate and Great Yarmouth, calling in at Harwich. (She later ran to Margate). I have checked with the MUN archives in Newfoundland which holds most of the 'Bristish Registrar of Ships and Seamen' records, and they have the original crew list for the ORIOLE for 1891, but not the log books. It is very unlikely that a coastal ferry would have kept passenger lists at that time and so I will gain nothing from those records. I would assume that he and his family took the ORIOLE from London to Ramsgate as part of their holiday in Ramsgate. On this occassion, it would be interesting to know whether he joined the ship at Ramsgate on her return journey from Gt. Yarmouth to London, or on an outward journey from Ramsgate to Gt. Yarmouth. If the latter, this might indicate that he had intended to jump overboard and that the direction of the ship was irrelevent. If the ship was bound for London, his going overboard may have been accidental. I wonder therefore if anyone might know where I might find a copy of the ORIOLE's schedule for July 1891. She was built for and at that time owned by the General Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. Thank you, Chris

Chris, I am so glad that contact with the Ramsgate Library proved fruitful. Thanks for letting us hear the result of your enquiries, Anne On 19 Oct 2010, at 07:52, Chris Woods wrote: > Hallo, > > My first visit to your forum - I am not certain whether Ramsgate comes > within your remit and apologies if it does not. > > I recently found a Will of one of my maternal gt. grandfathers who > 'drowned > at sea' in 1891 > I then bought his death certificate that shows his body was found > 'on the > High Seas off Ramsgate' and that an inquiry had been held. > > I contacted kent-eng@rootsweb.com and was advised to contacted > Ramsgate > Library and I was kindly sent a copy of the report of this inquiry > in the > Kent Coast Times of 30th. July 1891. > > Cutting this to the minimum, it appears that this Londoner used to > visit a > lodging house in Ramsgate ... presumably for the family summer > holiday. On > this occassion he was last seen by his wife when he left their home in > Newington . 9th.July. It would appear that he visited the lodging > house > keeper who last saw him on the evening of the 10th., giving him his > watch > etc. to hold ..... > James sent his wife a post card at about 7.20 that evening, which she > received about 10 that evening (!), saying that he had left his > watch etc > with the lodging house keeper. > > 11th. July he boarded the paddle steamer ORIEOLE (official number > 95435) > at Ramsgate, and shortly after was lost overboard. > His body was found 8 miles off North Foreland on 23rd. July and an > inquiry > was held on the 25th.