Genealogy Chat

My husband's great-grandmother EMILY NEWTON died sometime in the 1920s when travelling between England and Ireland (or vice versa?) to visit her son. She slipped between the ship and the shore when embarking (disembarking?) and died. I don't know whether it was instantaneous - she was old, born in 1850 in Cheadle so in her 70s. My mother-in-law says she was probably 7/8 when it happened, but she doesn't remember details like this well! She was born in 1917. I have searched and searched for her death, to no avail. I suppose he could have died at Fishguard, or Liverpool, but she lived in London so I don't know what route she would have taken. If anyone has any ideas how I can trace her death, please let me know. I have been trying for ages!

Sorry if this isn't much help...Just thought, people do travel up to Stranraer to cross. Could she have done that?

Also Holyhead. Was it definitely at the English end of the journey? Jay

My mother-in-law is very vague about it. She remembers her grandmother dying when she was 7ish and that it was 'between ship and shore' and that she was visiting Ireland - that's all. Her uncle (Emily's son) married an Irish girl and settled there, but she (m-i-l) doesn't know where in Eire. I tried trawling through death indices but had no luck. Would the death be normally registered, or would it be regarded as 'death at sea' or be treated differently from a normal death?

Would have thought there may have had to be an inquest. Yes. it would be in the GRO index, if the death took place in England or Wales. If she was declared dead at the scene, the registration dist would be the port. If she was taken to hospital and died there, then it would have been where the hospital was. Jay

There's also a crossing from Milford Haven in Wales to Rosslare in Eire that's been going a long time I believe - there's a statue of Brunnel there, who built a famous jetty or something. Bx