Sinking of THE NORTHFLEET

[Stafford]

I have several relatives who may have been on THE NORTHFLEET when she sank in the English Channel whilst anchored off Dungeness in 1873. The list I have includes names, age and occupation but since their names are quite common I cannot be absolutely sure it is them. Are there any records including addresses and next of kin available? Were death certificates issued? What details would they have included?

 

[Mutters]

Somehow, I doubt there would be next of kin or addresses listed.
Not sure about the death certificates, I would have thought there should be.

The actual sinking of the Northfleet was on 22 January 1873. I don't know the registration district for Dungeness, I think Lydd was the parish so maybe Sheppey. There would be a lot of deaths registered in the March quarter of 1873 seeing as 293 people were drowned.

It might be worth checking newspaper reports. I do know it was in the London Illustrated News and probably others but maybe a local paper gave more personal information about some of the casualties.

I will see if I can search for more help to answer your questions. I do know we have members in the area with local knowledge who may be able to help more.

 

[Mutters]

Trove has a very detailed account of the tragedy.
http://
trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/28693307

I tried putting a few of the more unusual names into FreeBMD death registrations for March 1873 but none came up.

 

[Stafford]

Thanks Mutters,
I have an e-book on the Northfleet it mentions a relief fund which issued compensation to relatives of the deceased. I'm hoping records may have survived with details of next-of-kin.
One of the names I am interested in was a crew member. No details were given apart from his name.

 

[Mutters]

It was said that the captain and all of the officers perished.
Perhaps you could give us the name of the crew member. It might help us search.

 

[Stafford]

This query revolves around my search for members of the Webb family.
Crew member: William Webb.
Passenger: William Alexander. I'm fairly certain William was Sarah Jane Webb's first husband who deserted her for another woman and died at sea. Next-of-kin records would definitely confirm this. I am relying on family folk lore but his age fits.
Passengers: Thomas and Catherine Webb and their children are not immediate family members. I have managed to trace them through census records. I think George is Thomas's brother and not the George I am researching. http://www.genealogy-specialists.com/threads/tracing-sarah-webb.934/#post-9008
I realise this is a long shot but I cannot find George and William after 1871. I'm wondering if they were on the ship with their brother-in-law.

 

[Chimp]

There are several (loads) mentions of the sinking of the Northfleet in the Britsh newspaper Archives too.

 

[AnnB]

Just had a very quick look for anything which may be of use, but have to go out in a minute, so will just post this before I go.

From Reynolds Newspaper 2nd February 1873 (part of a very long article)
Mr Davidson said that another widow had turned up. One of the passengers named George Webb, had run away from his wife and she with a child was now in Wandsworth Workhouse, having been left destitute.


Don't know if this is of any use? If it is I'll try and find more later

Best wishes
Ann

 

[Stafford]

Oh dear! Sounds like a distinct possibility. The cad! Probably ran off with his brother in law! Poor great grandmama possibly lost her husband and brother! Thank you Ann I shall explore the possibility.

 

[Huncamunca]

If you have a subscription to Findmypast, you should be able to see a list of those who died on the 'Northfleet'. I can't see a way to navigate from one image to the next/previous, so I think you will need to use the printed list to give you names to search for here:

http://www.
findmypast.co.uk/search/at-sea/deaths

N.B. Some of the spellings in the original list are most odd: I had some difficulties finding the Webbs, as George is listed as Wabt, and Thomas and his family as Webt.

Mostly the handwritten list on FMP gives no more information than the one in the e-book, but you will find out whether poor little baby Webb was a boy or a girl.

From newspaper reports, some bodies were beyond recognition when washed up. Some of these were buried at Lydd (again, from the newspapers) and there is a memorial there to William Norman, passenger on the Northfleet, and 'five others unknown' who were drowned:

http://www.
kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Libr/MIs/MIsLydd/MIsLydd.htm

It isn't clear how many bodies were recovered. I can see what looks like William Norman's death registration in the Romney M(arsh) district in Q1 1873, and there are a few registrations for 'unknown' people in the same quarter.