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Missing death record

By John O |
General Genealogy

Hi all, I have a newspaper report from The Weekly Courier from 31st Jan 1903, the deaths column reporting the death of Ernest A Orrett. It states that on 6th Jan he was drowned off the Bar from MDHB steam barge No 17, aged 27 years, late officer on Messrs. Glynn's steamers, and also with Messrs. Wakenham & Sons.

Thing is, I can't see a death record on FreeBMD or GRO for him. Am I missing something?

Thanks,

John

I think you need to enquire with the GRO for "Deaths at Sea", although I believe you might have some luck finding this database on FMP which is free this weekend.

Birkenhead News, Jan 17, 1903
Indicates not yet found.
Nothing I could see in Deaths at Sea.
Can a death be registered without a body? other than Deaths at Sea?
Not sure, is it 7 years before you can have a missing person declared dead?

Thanks both. Can't find anything online apart from what has been mentioned.

I believe that it is 7 years before a person can be declared dead. I did wonder if he never actually drowned, and somehow survived, but nothing in any newspaper and no other deaths that could fit the age range going forward.