BARLOW family drownings - 1812.

Don Hancock · BARLOW family drownings - 1812.

Hello All,
Any thoughts and/or suggestions about the the following events would be appreciated:
Whilst researching my wifes' BARLOW family (et al) living in the North Meols area, and making use of the St. Cuthberts register transcriptions on microfiche, I discovered the following series of rather tragic drownings that took place on Sunday the 28th of June 1812. The burials took place on June 30th, July 8th and July 11th following. The burials being scattered over a period of many days no doubt due to the bodies being washed ashore at different times. The names of those recorded are: -
THOMAS CORNER aged 25; WILLIAM CORNER (his son) aged 1yr. and JANE RYMER aged 17, (who I suspect is also related, but the connection is not yet researched). All of these were buried on the 30th of June 1812.
A further burial, that of MARY CORNER ( nee BARLOW), aged 24, the wife of Thomas and mother of William was buried on the 8th of July.
The last of this group, NANNY (ANNE) WRIGHT (nee BARLOW) aged 35, was buried on the 11th of July 1812. Nanny is the elder sister of Mary Corner (above), buried three days previously.
There is no reference to Nanny Wright's husband NICHOLAS WRIGHT and, so far I have not yet found any burial for him at any any later date so, it may be that he also perished but his body was not recovered.

Now, the reason for quoting all of this is that I would love to discover if there is any source of information that anyone knows of that possibly records this event and would enable me to determine what actually occured and why.
Any thoughts and suggestions would be gratfully accepted.

SeaCopRimmer

Have checked in the Annals of Southport and there is nothing listed there; not sure when the 'local' newspapers started, but I think it was after this date. Liverpool may have had a newspaper which reported something like this - it's a long shot (try contacting the Liverpool Echo and see if they can help).

I have found the burial, in St Cuthbert's Churchyard, of a Nicholas Wright, aged 68, on 28.11.1836 - could be him?

Jane

Southport Visiter started 1844 so whatever happened is far too early to be reported.

I take it nothing is mentioned in the parish register? Sometimes there is a little information added

unsworth

now who was it that listed a site for ship wrecks. I checked it out and went back to 1600's I'll try and find it again.

unsworth

found it

http://www.marine-heritage.connectfree.co.uk/morcbaywrecks.html

Don Hancock · BARLOW drownings 1812.

Hello again,

Thank you all for your messages.

To 'Unsworth' - I had already found the Marine Heritage web site, but there is nothing published there. However I have now posted the same query on their forum to see if that produces anything. I will let you all know what turns up.

To Jane - I only have the register transcript m'fiche and they do not reproduce any 'notes' etc made by the vicar of the time. It will be worth a look at the registers when we next get to Preston.

I also have a smear of egg on my face! I own up to missing Nicholas Wrights burial. Thanks for pointing that out. Now I know he was not one of the party. (Possibly stayed at home to look after the kids!).

Germaine

Adding to this thread as I am finding it interesting.
Germaine
x :grin:
Wonder if there will be anything on the
http://www.old-merseytimes.co.uk/

Don Hancock · BARLOW family drownings - 1812

Hello Germaine,

Thank you for your suggestion. What an interesting site. That should cause me to 'waste' many more hours at the very least!
I have just looked at the shipwrecks and inquests sections, (and a few others), but they only go back to 1815 and 1849 respectively.
Thanks again.
Don.

Germaine

Ah Shame they didn't cover the year you need Don. But glad you found the site interesting. I do

I would have a look back now and again they seem to add things.
Germaine
x :grin:

unsworth

I just had a thought pop into my head. does the southport lifeboat institute still exist if not what happened to all their logs. wouldn't they have had record of any drownings in the area. I seem to remember as a child my grandad talking about them. also fog bell had a log book where did it end up?

Jane

Southport does have a lifeboat but....this one has only been with us since the 1980's. For quite a few years we had no lifeboat here. It is NOT RNLI but self funding. So I wouldn't have thought the present crew would have any of the old log books.

The fog bell on Marshside Road is merely an empty building. I would hope there is nothing inside - it would be in a dreadful condition. The roof had to be repaired fairly recently. I think Seacop may be able to add more.

There is a local 'expert' on shipwrecks. He takes guided walks out to look at remains of shipwrecks. In fact he is to be in a TV programme this evening - BBC1 Inside Out at 7.30. Martyn Griffiths.

I have tried putting Southport shipwrecks into Google and quite a few sites come up - including one for Martyn -

http://www.martyngriff.co.uk/

so that may be worth trying Brian

Germaine

Only a thought but do you think they may not have drowned in a ship wreck but were out shrimping and got hit by the incoming tide. Was thinking that with women being with them, did they not lke woman on board ship in those days.
Oh thanks for the programme reminder Jane I hadn't seen that will watch it.
Germaine
x

Dotty · Oh yes,,,

What a good idea. I think you're probably right. The sands at Southport are deadly (pardon the pun)!

Dotty

Germaine

:grin: good one Dotty
It was just with women being there I thought. Could be
Germaine
x :grin:

SeaCopRimmer

I think it could have been hand putting for shrimps and caught by the tide or by fog; they could also have been fishing in a 'family' boat - women frequently went with the men to fish in shallow waters.

The Fog Bell housing was last used by the Southport Fisherman's Association; I was offered the key to the building but seeing as there was no door !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do know who hold the papers from the Association - when I next see him I'll ask if there was a list of local ships/drownings, etc. In fact, I need to go and see him, he has my grandad's lifebelt (corks and all) so I might just ask him if he wants to hand over any papers - might be useful to the NM(S)FHS

unsworth

see I just knew I'd jog a memory somewhere. sometimes old memories of conversations between older relatives pop up at the most unexpected times. I may not have all the answers. but I figured some one would know what I was talking about. thanks to all you psychics out there.

Bez

As suggested previously, there may well be a record of the inquests in the Liverpool papers of the time. As you know the date of the deaths you could phone Liverpool library and ask them to check for reports of the inquests. In those days inquests were held immediately (not adjourned as they are today) and they were often held around the body of the deceased.

One of my ancestors lay on a hotel table while the inquest was held around him.

Dotty · Gruesome...

Oh Beryl you can really tell a tale...

Dotty

Bez

What do you mean - gruesome????
The daft beggar had been on a day trip to Southport and had too much to drink. When the train stopped for some reason outside of Wigan he got out to relieve himself. When the train started to move again he missed his footing trying to get back in the carriage and fell under the wheel. His chest was badly crushed and he died a couple of hours later in the hotel he'd been taken to. That's the reason he was there.

Thank goodness for newspaper reports.

Roger

I have noticed that unexpected deaths of the period came under the jurisdiction of the Ormskirk coroner. The Quarter Sessions Petitions in the Lancs RO (Ref QSP) include coroners' expense accounts when they travelled to hold an inquest and I have obtained information on a couple of inquests in North Meols in the past. It used to be possible to search for names in the Quarter Sessions records using a card index file in the searchroom in Preston but it was removed when the index was put onto the a2a website. Unfortunately they put all the records except the coroners' accounts online! I am sure the staff in Preston would be able to help to search for an account for the inquest on the Corner family and others.

The coroners' accounts generally only give very limited information about the circumstances of deaths, but would confirm that there was an inquest. Actual reports of coroners' inquests of the time are held in the Palatinate of Lancaster records at the National Archives in Kew. Records for the years 1807-1823 are filed under PL 26/295. I have used these records but it is not a very rewarding experience. All the records for each year are in folded bundles held together with string. Judging by the numbers in each bundle the vast majority of inquest reports for Lancashire have not survived and I have never found anything I was looking for.

As mentioned earlier, newspaper reports may help. Obviously it was too early for Southport papers and there does not seem to have been anything published in Ormskirk at the time. However, the Preston Journal and Croft's Lancashire General Advertiser was published between Feb 1807 and Aug 1812. I understand it is held by the Harris Library in Preston. Also, the Liverpool Mercury was published from 1811 so it may be worth checking the Liverpool Record Office.

I hope this helps

Dotty · Nesh...

What a sad little story Bez, even if it was his own daft fault! I remember my mother telling me that her grandad was kept in the parlour with pennies on his eyes before his funeral and I thought that was gruesome as well. It just seemed too...too...

Roger, what a fascinating post. I shall save that in my family history file for future use.

Dotty

Don Hancock · BARLOW family drownings - 1812.

Thank you all for your suggestions about possible sources of information. Some of these have already been tried with no results. Particular thanks to Roger for his comprehensive guidance as to the location of coroners records, which I have found from previous experience are notoriously difficult to unearth, even if they still exist, and then can be rather short on the details. However, I will still give them a try as soon as I get time.

Regards to all,
Don.

jodylloyd · Re: BARLOW family drownings - 1812.

SeaCopRimmer

Have checked in the Annals of Southport but there is nothing mentioned. May have been recorded in a Liverpool newspaper?

Barbara Cawker

Nanny Barlow and husband Nicholas Wright were my 4xGt Grandparents.
Very interested to read this post.
I remember riding my bike down Marshside Road as far as, what we still called the Fog Bell in the 1950s.

Jane

And its still there. In fact there was something about it in last weeks Visiter........found the link

http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk...059318011805114&sa=Search#354

SeaCopRimmer

The Botanic Gardens Museum still has the anamograph (?) bits which were situated next to the fog bell prior to its removal to the present site; the (then) lady in charge of the museum didn't know what she had but when I showed her the old map she brought the equipment up and said "That's good - we know where that belongs now". I have said for some years that the building should be put to practical use, but the RSPB feel it's too far from the Reserve for them but I'm sure the local schools could benefit; it would also be useful for 'inland' schools to do coastal research?

Barbara Cawker

Hope the Fog Bell restoration works out - reading about it brings back memories.

BARLOW family drownings - 1812.

BARLOW drownings 1812.

BARLOW family drownings - 1812

Oh yes,,,

Gruesome...

Nesh...

BARLOW family drownings - 1812.

Re: BARLOW family drownings - 1812.