If someone died at sea it would be recorded on the Seamans Crewlist and reported to the British Consul at the next port of call. The crewlists would have been handed in eventually, either at the first port of call in Britain after a foreign trip or after a period of time if the ship was a coaster and the information would have ended up on the Marine Register. The Marine Register was how the government kept track of British sailors in the days before we had a regular navy incase they needed them to fight a war. Every seaman had a ticket with a number on it which they handed to the Captain when they joined a ship and got back when they left. I think the Marine Registers are at the National Archives now but arn't very easy to search and are not very accurate for various reasons.Originally Posted by marionq
There are other reasons a sailor could disapear apart from dying. Sailors would be fined for any breaches of disciplin on a voyage ranging from half a days pay for not airing their bedding to one months pay for smuggling. Often a sailor could end up owing the ship money by the end of the outward voyage and have no option but to jump ship without their ticket. Sailors could usually get another ship without a ticket, there were a lot of fiddles going on, I don't think most Captains thought much of the government or their system which is the main reason the register isn't too accurate.
I have a copy of the 1851 Seamens Crewlists for Scotland if anyone has any seafaring ancestors from that time
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