British nationals died at sea 1854-1890
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This search allows you to view the original records of the registers in which details of deaths on board ships were compiled. These records were completed by the captain of the ship, or another member of the crew.
When you search the deaths at sea records, you will be presented with a list of individual names. This means you should be able to tell if your ancestor is in the list just by viewing their name – although we always advise you to double check the original image, especially the volume and page numbers, before you order any certificates.
When you view the record you will see any combination of the following information: title, name, sex, date of death, cause of death, age at death, occupation, place of birth, ship's name and any additional notes. Please note that the amount of information in each record varies; not all of these fields will be completed for every death record.
Find out more about these records in our knowledge base.
Can't find who you're looking for? Click the 'search tips' tab above for helpful advice on searching these records.
Search tips
Your search will return a list of individual names and how many credits you will use to view each record.
Viewing the results will incur a cost of 5 credits for each of the individual entries.
Further information on searching our deaths at sea records
This information is contained in a database format and is fully searchable. The minimum information required to perform a search is the last name; adding a first name and a date range is optional. You can also search for variants of your ancestors' names to widen the results you receive.
Simply follow these three easy steps:
Step 1
Enter a last name into the search field, as well as a first name and date range, if known.
Tip: It is best to start with minimal information (first name and last name) and then narrow your search by clicking the link marked "redefine your search".
Pressing "Search" will display your results.
Step 2
The results include your search criteria along with the number of entries found. You will be advised of how many credits it will cost to view the entries, how many credits you currently have and how many credits this will leave you. If there are over 2,000 entries, you will be asked to redefine your search. You may at this stage either click "view the results", "redefine current search", or "start new search".
If you "view the results", your account will be reduced by 5 credits for each of the individual entries.
Step 3
As the search page displays a list of individual names, hopefully you will have found the result(s) that you are looking for. If not, you may wish either to "redefine current search" and narrow the parameters even further or to "start a new search".
If you can't find who you're looking for, following these simple steps could solve the problem:
- Widen the year range. The year you think your ancestor died may not be accurate, so allowing for a longer date span could produce the results you need.
- Always keep the 'Include variants' boxes ticked. Your ancestor's name may be spelled differently to how you think, so the variants search will provide you with results you may not otherwise have received.