Alexander McNicol - is this the missing one, or not?.....

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 4:16 pm

Found at NRH - a reference to a death in Marine Records:

Minor records:
022MR ent.212
no.1770 Ship: Sardhana
official number: 87421
date of arrival 28/3/1887
date of death 18/3/1887
Alexander McNicol, male, 23, able seaman
nat: Glasgow, last place of abode: Glasgow
death cause:dropsy, member of crew.

The age at which this Alexander died is "spot-on" for an Alexander McNicol b.1864 who seems to disappear after 1885. In the 1881 he was a Ship Brokers Clerk and my last sighting of him is in a legal document in 1885, when he came into a bit of money. Could this be the same young man? Is it way too far fetched that a Ship Brokers Clerk would end up as an able seaman? Its a bit of a change in career direction, but doesn't seem impossible.

Does anyone know how I find out more about the record above?
Is there ANY way to cross-reference the Marine Record? I asked at NRH but they didn't think so.

Ideally if I can check parents' names or even find an address for the above Alexander this would be a huge help. I'd like to establish if he is, or isn't, the missing Alexander McNicol. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Best wishes
Lesley

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 5:52 pm

Lesley

I've a contact in London who may know if there are likely to be other records that could provide the name of a next of kin, or a street address in Glasow.

David

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 7:33 pm

David,
That would be wonderful if you could find out if anything further is likely to be available. I'm really stumped wiith the two McNicol boys Daniel and Alexander, my great granduncles- I've been on their trail for what seems like ages (over 2years now) and just keep finding nothing after their mention (which implies that they were still alive) in the 1885 legal document at NAS. It seems my grandmother and great-grandmother didn't ever discuss them. The only brother who was ever talked about in the 20th century was apparently Archibald, which seems odd as he died in 1881! It makes me wonder why. You'd think if they'd gone to America/Austalia/South Africa/India/anywhere else exciting then some clues would have filtered down through the family.

Any small step forward would be considered a HUGE leap in my book!!
(and might just save my sanity...

well, whats left of it!)

Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:14 pm

A bit of a google and this looks like it might be the ship Sardhana:

http://www.red-duster.co.uk/AWEIR3.htm
ANDREW WEIR SHIPPING & TRADING CO. LTD (BANK LINE)
From 1885 to 1955
Sardhana Built 1885, Aquired 1891, Tons 1146, Length 215.1, Beams 35.1, depth 21.2 An iron barque built by Russell & Co., she was sold on in 1911 to Scandinavian owners and was abandoned at sea in July, 1918.

Possible pictures at:
http://www.pictureaustralia.org/
and put Sardhana in search box

..and this voyage would have been after Alexander McNicol's death, but maybe indicates that this ship may have made regular sailings between Glasgow and Australia?

http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/s ... g-qld4.htm
VESSEL: Sardhana
DAY/MTH/YEAR: 11 01 1889
ARRIVED: Moreton Bay
DEPARTED: Glasgow
DAY/ MTH/ YEAR: 24 09 1888
SRC FILM PL M1706
IMMIGRATION DEPT (imm/126)

...and this web site suggests an Alexander McNicol may have been to Australia in 1882.
http://www.blaxland.com/ozships/
Firth of Tay (825 tons) arrival Moreton Bay 27th Oct 1882
origin: Glasgow 12th Jul 1882
D Merzagt, master
Ship's Passengers and Crew: M index 36 includes:
McNicol, Alex. source- qsa:m1699

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 3:31 pm

Any records relating to this Alexander McNIC[H]OL are amongst those which have been deposited at the University of New Brunswick in Nova Scotia...................

Minor records:
022MR ent.212
no.1770 Ship: Sardhana
official number: 87421
date of arrival 28/3/1887
date of death 18/3/1887
Alexander McNicol, male, 23, able seaman
nat: Glasgow, last place of abode: Glasgow
death cause:dropsy, member of crew.

David

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 5:47 pm

Many thanks for that David. I've sent an email to the University of New Brunswick making an enquiry. I had a look at their web site at:
http://www.unb.ca/

but could not see any likely looking archives mentioned, apart from:
http://www.lib.unb.ca/collections/loyalist/about.html
http://www.lib.unb.ca/archives/index.html#collections

so hope the email eventually reaches the right department. Am I missing the correct area of the web site??
Will keep you informed of any progress.

Best wishes
Lesley

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 10:56 pm

Yeah ! Wrong website! Why I wrote New Brunswick I have no idea.....

Try Memorial University of Newfoundland at http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/crewlist.php
Sorry about that

David

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 11:18 pm

Oh heck

Clearly, I shouldn't listen to a word you say!!

They will no doubt be wondering what wierdo mad Scotswoman is this?????
Oh cringe.....
After a good rummage around their site I DID find an email address for their archives dept. so I sent ANOTHER email to that address!!

falling off swivvelly chair......

Email sent to correct establishment - only one this time!

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 10:46 pm

Hi David
Well, a quick reply, I'm impressed...
Thought the info might be of interest to others researching similar areas, so here is what they said:

Dear Mr. Bathgate::

Thank you for your e-mail of 26 Sept. 2005 regarding Alexander McNicol on the vessel Sardhana ON: 87421 in 1887.

According to our index we hold crew agreements for voyages ending in a British port for the years 1887(no log) and later yrs.

We would be happy to research/photocopy any of these crew agreements subject to our research charges: $35.00 per hour research fee, .50 cents per page for copies and a recovery charge for postage. Please specify whether you would like your information returned by surface or airmail. Our fees are based on 1 hour to complete a search of 2 years of crew agreements for 1 vessel (or 2 vessels for 1 year). We accept Visa, MasterCard or money orders issued in Canadian funds.

I estimate that searching and photocopying the crew agreements for the year will result in 1 hour of research and approximately 20 photocopies. All copies are reduced from the original size of the agreement 11" x 17" to 8 ½" x 11". We do not copy blank pages in the agreements and/or log books. Quality of the copies varies, depending on the quality of the original document.

It is essential to note that crew agreements are filed by the year in which a voyage terminated. And although the existence of crew agreements for any indicated year is confirmed by our indexes, records for all of a vessel’s voyages for that year may not be part of the collection. Thus despite holding the documents of a vessel for the desired year, we may not have the particular voyage you require. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine the existence of records for a particular voyage until we begin the research process.

Please note that the Maritime History Archive holds approximately 75 percent of the surviving crew agreements and official log books of British registered vessels for the periods 1863-1938 and 1951-1976. The National Archives, Kew, has retained all surviving documents prior to 1861, as well as a 10 percent sample in the 1861-1938 and 1951-1976 periods. All surviving documents for 1861-1862 and years ending in “5" (e.g. 1885) are held at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Please indicate how you wish to proceed and forward your method of payment by e-mail (site not secure, but you can send in parts), phone, fax or regular mail and complete mailing address.

Paula Marshall
Senior Clerk
Maritime History Archive
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, NL
A1C 5S7
Canada

Tel: 709-737-8429
Fax: 709-737-3123

Web Site: http://www.mun.ca/mha

Thinking about it... 8-[
Lesley

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 8:55 am

Lesley

I assume that they mean Can$35 which works out at just under £17 which is not bad for an institution.

I'm well impressed by the speed of the reply. I'd known for some time that many UK records were across there somewhere (

) but it was only when I went looking after your query that I found the current web site and the research services that they offer.

David