GenMassachusetts-L Archives

Archiver > GenMassachusetts > 2007-04 > 1176979785


From: "Betty" <>
Subject: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] "Lost at Sea" and ship, "Jamestown"
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 06:49:45 -0400


Hello,

Someone on the Nova Scotia List just offered a URL for a site offering
information on people "lost at sea."

http://web.archive.org/web/20011109025204/www.lostatsea.ca/index.htm

I continue to look for information on what happened to my ancestor's
brother, John KIDDER, who reportedly "loved the sea" and "died at sea" in
1887. Because of this, I went to the above site and looked for the KIDDER
name in both New Brunswick and Maine sailors. I didn't find that
surname, but, on the Maine list of men "dying at sea," I found several
mentions of men coming out of Gloucester - who died in 1887 !!

And, at least 2 of the men were on the ship, "Jamestown." I did a Google
search for "ship, Jamestown," and found out it is mentioned on many web
sites, and it had quite a history !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Jamestown_(1844)

>From that site, you will see that this ship traveled - all over the world -
for most of the 1800's, and included being sent to Ireland to bring "victims
of the potato famine" out of that country ! The ship sometimes went to
the Hawaiian Islands, and John KIDDER had his oldest son living there during
the 1880's, so he might have been able to get on that ship and go visit his
son.

On this site I discovered that in 1880 the ship was registered in Richmond,
ME, and the ship's captain was C. H. KIDDER.

http://www.leoemm.com/jamestown_english.htm

I don't know who this C. H. KIDDER was, but I will try to find out.

And, the ship, Jamestown, seems to have been active after 1890, so John
KIDDER's "death at sea" could have been from illness / disease, murder, or
falling overboard, etc. So, I am now wondering if there was "bad
weather" in 1887 -- possibly a "Nor'easter" - or, if the ship was in the
Pacific Ocean instead of the Atlantic, could there have been a hurricane or
typhoon, etc.?

Betty (near Lowell, MA, USA)







New List created on Feb. 1: CAN-USA-MIGRATION

For Genealogy researchers, please remember to check the archives of the
Lists & Boards for both your surnames and place-names.


This thread: