I would appreciate any help or advice in locating Richard Hamilton (b1826) who died a violent death in a Canadian Gold Rush between 1874 and 1891.

Richard Hamilton is my 3rd Great Grandfather but his mystery has made him loom larger than his 1/32nd of my genetic heritage. He was born to a landed family in Ireland, a family who took to the sea and built things that bore their name. Richard was the eldest son of the heir to the property.

At age 20, he joined the merchant navy as a midshipman, and, story has it, attained the rank of Captain before he quit the merchant navy in 1861. He married in Ireland and then decided to emigrate to South Africa. He and his wife sailed his own boat from Dublin to Durban, South Africa where they met and stayed with the Governor in Pietermaritzburg.

He tried farming but found it hard and the farm ultimately failed. His wife died in childbirth but he remarried and had three more children in Durban.

Then, after the birth of his last daughter (my great-great grandmother), he learned of a Gold Rush in Canada. He sailed for Ireland to ask for money. Obtained it, and sailed for the USA to head for Canada.

The family was told he was murdered on a train during a fight after a gambling dispute. The actual notes from his grand-daughter say:

"He went to Ireland to try and raise money from his grandmother and then went to Canada to make money from gold. He was travelling in a train, got involved in an argument while gambling and was shot in a fight. "

We have no family records of the date of death, one note in the family says he died in Boston.

Its a mystery. We would love to find out what happened to Richard Hamilton.

Shannon