SS Lurigethan - crew list - can anyone help, please?

Hi
I have found an old paper clipping about my great grandfather James Belshaw.
He was sailing on Lurigethan, on passage from Leith to Montreal.
while passing through the Straits of Belle Isle on August 17 he went overboard & wasn’t recovered. The problem is that I don’t know what year this occurred. I think it was in the 1930’s.
is anyone able to help?

 

Can you provide a few more details about him, date of birth? place of birth - the straits of belle Isle are in eastern Canada, presumably his death would be registered in Canada somewhere

Could this be him, born approximately 1904

UK, Merchant Seamen Deaths, 1939 -1953
Name: James Belshaw
Age: 36
Birth Date: abt 1904
Birth Place: Ballywalter, Ireland
Death Date: 5 Nov 1940
Death Place: At Sea


If this is not him, its important you provide as much detail as possible about him, otherwise we can be going down blind alleys - cheers

TD

 

Ah OK I think I have found what you are after or at least some more details that may help others

SS Laurentic (1927) - Wikipedia
The Laurentic had two collisions during her career. The first occurred on 3 October 1932 with Lurigethen of the HE Moss Line


U-Boat Attack Logs
There is a section here which details a little of the incident in October 1932 - under the heading of HMS Laurentic

So obviously not the man in my first post

TD


Harland and Wolff - Shipbuilding and Engineering Works
Collided with the vessel Lurigethen whilst in the Belle Isle Strait in 1932

All serious collisions, near misses and sinkings in the history of the White Star Line : titanic
On the 3rd of October 1932 SS Laurentic collided with Lurigethen of the HE Moss Line. Both vessels remained afloat following the collision.

 

Is there any date on that newspaper clipping, and could you possibly scan it and post?

Hugh McLean is one of our resident wizards who may be able to find out more, meanwhile all that you know will help us help you

 

Hi TD (I’m also known as TD, how weird is that!).
My James Belshaw was 58 when he died. I don’t have his DOB but suspect it was 1870’s in Newtownards, Co Down. (wife born 1877).
I believe that younger James Belshaw was his nephew. (Unlucky at sea the Belshaws).

thanks
TD

 

The OP says they think it was Aug 17 (I assume that is 17th August) but unsure of the year, the links and details show it as 03 October 1932 as that seems to fit with the ship SS Lurigethan (or sometimes Lurigethen) had a collision in Straits of Belle Isle

Hopefully there might be something in newspapers now that there is the possibility of a date to target

TD

 

Cheers TD, but if the clipping is dated August (1932?) then how does it relate to a collision in October 1932?
Lurigethan is a place in Ireland, so presumably the ship was named for that place.
And woe is us, TWO TD'S!!!

 

Ah well thats why this TD is awaiting for the other TD to confirm what TD said earlier in response to TD's original post



TDx2

forgot to say - in the original post the OP (TD) says "while passing through the Straits of Belle Isle on August 17 " my assumption was that they (TD) believe the incident was on 17th August, year unknown, and the date of the newspaper clipping is as yet unstated - thats my interpretation

 

Hi both, I have attached the paper cutting. This is all I have to go on.
Many thanks
TD

 

Uploaded again. Hopefully clearer.

 

This is a link to the James Belshaw (1904-1940) of SS Kenbane Head, whose father is given as John Belshaw, Coast Guard Service.

Belshaw, James McNeilly | North Down & Ards War Dead

This younger James features on nine online trees on ancestry. Two of the public ones show a brother to his father John as follows:

James BELSHAW born 2nd April 1877 East Street, Newtonards, NI and died 1st Jan 1934. One adds the death may have been in the Malay Straits.

 

TRavers - can you upload a copy of the details for him - thats the one born 1877

Ah so he was lost at sea and not caused by the collision with another ship. So the collision was in Oct 1932, so are we saying he was lost overboard in the same area in 1934 OR was he lost at sea in August 1933 and they finally found a body in 1934ish and so registered.

TD2 - do you have a date for the newspaper clipping

TD1

 

Here we go

Eddies Mariner Extracts - regni1935_36

Belshaw James 56 AB Newtownards 67 Bright St., Belfast August 17, 1935 Drowning Lurigethan Belfast

TD

 

Thanks TD you've nailed it, thats a great find and a resource I was not aware of.

This was one of the ancestry trees that gave the death as 1934 in Malaya, no source given.
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/12148414/person/26018737734/facts

 

I wasnt aware of it until about 15 minutes ago - Ancestry database for this type of thing doesnt start until late 1930's unfortunately

Hmm - yes i wonder where the Malay Straits come into it - perhaps another James Belshaw or an error??

TD1

 

As ever with the trees on ancestry once its in there it gets copied from tree to tree. As yu say maybe there was another James Belshaw out there somewhere.

Travers

 

Amazing! You guys rock. thank you so much. Death date now resolved.
Much appreciated
TD

 

Clipping states James "went to sea at age 16 and in his 42 years in ships" making him err err 58 ish....
1877 to 1935 = 58.... simples.....

What you might also be able to find is his Naval records from WW1, he was more than once torpedoed.... shades of Uncle Albert?

For what it's worth, two other Belfast Belshaws fell in the First World War, one didn't even leave the city...
BELSHAW, ROBERT. Rifleman. Service Number 9430. Died 16/05/1917
6th Bn. Royal Irish Rifles
Son of Sarah Jane Belshaw, of 105, Matilda St., Belfast.
Buried at STRUMA MILITARY CEMETERY. Plot VII. Row B. Grave 13.
The Struma River flows through Bulgaria southward to the Greek frontier, then south-east into the Aegean Sea. From the Allied base at Salonika, a road ran north-east across the river to Seres, and it was this road that the right wing of the Allied army used for the movements of troops and supplies to the Struma front during the Salonika Campaign. In the autumn of 1916, the 40th Casualty Clearing Station was established not far from the road near the 71 Kilometre stone and the cemetery made for it was originally called Kilo 71 Military Cemetery. The original plot, Plot I, was set too close to a ravine and the graves in it were moved after the Armistice to the present plots VIII and IX. The remainder of the cemetery consists almost entirely of graves brought in from the battlefields, from the churchyards at Homondos, Haznatar and Kalendra, and from little front-line cemeteries (established by Field Ambulances or Battalions), of which the chief were those at Ormanli (24 burials), Dolab Wood (17 burials) and Big Tree Well (on the right bank of the Struma, opposite Ormanli; 17 burials).

BELSHAW, JAMES. Corporal. Service Number 2575. Died 24/09/1914. Aged 21
4th Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Son of William and Elizabeth Belshaw, of 35, Jenney Mount St., York Rd., Belfast.
Buried at LONDONDERRY (OR DERRY) CITY CEMETERY Memorial reference: GA. Mil. 8.
Headstone inscription "Jesus said Come Unto Me and I will give you Rest" (Mrs B Belshaw, 15, Jenny Mount Street (off York Road) Belfast.
Grave maintained F O C by Cemetery Committee of Londonderry City Council

 

You mean records like this possible if details match

UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939
Name: James Belshaw
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 2 Apr 1879
Birth Place: Newtownards, Down
First Service Date: 16 Feb 1895
First Ship Served On: Caledonia
Last Service Date: 10 Sep 1919
Last Ship Served On: Vivid I
Service Number: 182871

TD

The possible associated birth cert details are slightly different
Ireland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1620-1911
Name: James Belshaw
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 2 Apr 1877
Birth Place: Newtownards, Down, Ireland
Father: John Belshaw
Mother: Anne Belshaw Smyth
FHL Film Number: 255978

This may show the reason for differing ages in the reports

TD

If this him then the record attached to the first record is below

 

Hi Tracey and welcome.

James Belshaw was born on 2.4. 1879 in Newtonards Co. Down. He died at sea on 17.8.1935 ex- LURIGETHAN.

136370 – DUNAFF HEAD – 11.3.1920.
113518 - LORD ANTRIM – 11.1.1921.
136370 - DUNAFF HEAD – 28.6.1921.
144502 – STANLEYVILLE – 23.5.1923.
145433 – MINNEWASKA – 25.8.1923.
142492 - KENBANE HEAD – 4.11.1923.
133508 – HESLEYSIDE – 27.12.1923.
110514 - LORD DOWNSHIRE – 3.2.1925.
128660 – TAMARAC – 25.3.1925.
136364 - FANAD HEAD – 24.7.1925.
142478 - MELMORE HEAD – 8.12.1925.
136686 – WYNERIC – 5.7.1926.
146709 – INVERAVON – 8.9.1927.
160516 - KING WILLIAM – 5.7.1928.
136364 - FANAD HEAD – 7.4.1929.
145520 – PORTSEA – 21.8.1930.
142492 - KENBANE HEAD – 26.7.1931.
163199 – LURIGETHAN – 5.6.1935.

He has some records in the Fourth Registry of Seamen including a mugshot id photo. I have transcribed his service as per the above. If you wish to have the cards send me your email by pm and I will pass on to you.

Regards

Hugh