Merchant seaman drowned off Reggio Calabria in 1914

[titch]

Hello,
My wife's Grandfather was drowned off the coast of Reggio Calabria in October 1914 whilst he was on the Merchant ship Trefusis. His body was left with the British Consul for burial. I am trying to find his death certificate, and where he was buried. I have emailed to several of the cemeteries but no one has answered. How and where can I find this information. I ask for your help please.

[suanj]

you can write the name?
suanj

[titch]

His name is Joseph Francis Purcell. On the crew list he was referred to as JF Purcell.
Thank you for your help.
Kind Regards
titch

[mmogno]

#33

http://dl.antenati.san.beniculturali.it ... ewsIndex=0

[titch]

Thank you mmogno. Unfortunately I do not read Italian but it appears to be for a GF Purcell, is that so? I need JF (Joseph Francis)

[Tessa78]

The death act that mmogno posted is for G. F. Purcell, that is true. But your relative's name would be Giuseppe, which is the English form of Joseph. He was most likely Giuseppe Francesco (Joseph Francis) Purcell.

The above record which is dated 23 October 1914, states that the deceased, G. F. Purcell, was a seaman, age 29, and that he died on 17 October 1914 (told by "signora" - possibly his wife) and that he resided in Caterbury, England.
That is all the information the official in Reggio Calabria received to enter into the register.

T.

[mmogno]

....
The above record which is dated 23 October 1914, states that the deceased, G. F. Purcell, was a seaman, age 29, and that he died on 17 October 1914 (told by "signora" - possibly his wife) and that he resided in Caterbury, England.
That is all the information the official in Reggio Calabria received to enter into the register.

T.

@Tessa78
There is a misunderstanding: the text is "... do atto che a ore (s'ignora) del diciassette corrente mese [= October 17, 1914] è morto Purcell G.F., di anni ventinove, nato e domiciliato a Canterbury (Inghilterra), marinaio. S'ignorano tutte le altre generalità.".
a ore (s'ignora) = time: not known.
S'ignorano = All other particulars are unknown.

[Tessa78]

Lol...reading too fast, and typing too fast.

Thank you for the corrections, mmogno

T.

[titch]

Hello,
Thank you all for your answers. I am grateful for your help. The information is everything I have found out so far before I asked for your help. The information in your document would have been provided by someone in the British Consul at the time.
The ship MS Trefusis put into Reggio Calabria on the 14th October 1914. On the 17 & 18 October the ship was "searching". On the 21st October the Vice Consul wrote a letter stating that he had seen the ships log book and JF Purcell had been listed as "desertion". On the 23rd October the same Vice Consul wrote another letter saying that he had seen the latest entry in the log book that said JF Purcell had drowned. The Vice Consul did not give a date of death but confirmed that the body had been left behind by the ship's Captain with the Vice Consul.
Is the document that you have translated for Giuseppe a death certificate or an entry in the Cemetery records? Would a death certificate have been issued and if yes who would have done it and where could I look at it on-line it please
Regards
titch

[cedrone]

The document found by mmogno is a death act written on the death acts register of that year by the Official of Reggio Calabria on request and with the (few) info received from the "Pretore" (Public Prosecutor) of the town.
It's evident that for such an accident there was an investigation, but I don’t know if such acts are taken for ever and could be seen.
More likely some newspaper of that area reported the fact with more details.
I'll look if online is available some newspaper of that age.
But how did you know of the accident?
From those letters of the British Consul?
Was the fact reported by the British newspapers? Was the ship British?

[titch]

Hello Cedrone,
Thank you for your help.
I found out about the incident from a monthly report by the British Merchant Nay organisation. It is the only document anywhere that refers to JF Purcell. I then tracked down the Ships Crew Contract/Agreement which was in Canada. Two pages in this document where for British Vice Consuls to report deaths on British registered Ships that had been reported to them by the ship' Captain (Master). See Attachments.
Joseph's personal effects and outstanding pay would have been taken by the Captain back to England and given to the British Merchant Navy organisation to forward to his named next of kin (his wife). I have tried to get copies of the ship's Log Book from the British National Archives to read what happened on the 17th October 1914, but they have been closed for more that a year because of the Corovirus 2019.The Log Book will not tell me where he is buried.
Kind Regards
titich