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Death of child at sea

Death of child at sea

Posted: 18 Sep 2013 7:20AM GMT
Classification: Query
Looking into a family story, not sure if it's true, of a child dying at sea.

Name: "Unknown" Fedorow (girl) - spelling of last name could be a variant

Ship name: Bulgaria
Departure: 24 May 1899 Hamburg, Germany
Arrival: 5 June 1899 Halifax, Canada

Not sure where I can search death records at sea. Any suggestions?

Re: Death of child at sea

Posted: 10 Oct 2013 12:38AM GMT
Classification: Query
As far as I know, you would search for a passenger manifest, just as for any passenger. Sometimes (not always) the death is noted on the passenger manifest, sometimes including the date. Have you found the child on the manifest you mention? And the death is not noted?

Re: Death of child at sea

Posted: 10 Oct 2013 4:42AM GMT
Classification: Query
There was a death of one child reported on the manifest for the ship Bulgaria arriving in Halifax on 5 June 1899. The name appears to be Maria Huston, appearing on the passenger recapitulation as having died on 26 May of "affliction of the lungs."

On the family's manifest page, the name appears to be Marja Hunton, an infant less that 1 year. She was accompanied by presumed parents Zurko and Eudokia Hunton. They were nationals of the Austrian Empire and bound for Winnipeg.

No name close to Fedorow on the manifest.

Re: Death of child at sea

Posted: 11 Oct 2013 11:43AM GMT
Classification: Query
In 1899 there was no Austrian Empire... but there was an Empire of Austria-Hungary, which existed from 1867 to 1918

Robert

Re: Death of child at sea

Posted: 11 Oct 2013 3:20PM GMT
Classification: Query
Okay, to be perfectly accurate, the manifest column headed "Nation or Country of Birth" carries the single word Austria.

Re: Death of child at sea

Posted: 12 Oct 2013 6:49PM GMT
Classification: Query
There were four Bulgarias but this one was most likely that belonging to the Hamburg America Packet Co., Hamburgische Paketfahrt Actien Gesellschaft (HAPAG). I am not sure of the actual regulations governing ships flying the German flag but a ship flying the British flag had strict instructions as to "Death at sea" which included the ship being stopped, the Captain conducting a funeral service and burial, duly weighted, into the ocean. It would have to be recorded on the Captain's Log. I am fairly sure that something similar would apply for most European ships at that date. Suggest you try to find what Archives exist (Google Hamburg America Packet Co.) and find someone to ask if the Captain's Logs have been preserved. A great many are at the International Maritime Centre in St. John's Newfoundland. If you follow links through Family Search they also have "Deaths at Sea" but I am not sure which countries they cover.Worth a try anyway.

Re: Death of child at sea

Posted: 26 Nov 2013 6:49AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 26 Nov 2013 6:53AM GMT
Surnames: FEDOROW
Hi, What is your source of information re the name of the ship Bulgaria
Departure date and place - arrival date and place.
Surname FEDOROW
Where did the family settle ? What Nationality is the family ? Where was the place of birth ?
http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=1068
State Archive in Hamburg Germany - may be able to help - advise
Cheers, Stella
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