Hello all,
I'm trying to learn more about my 3rd great-uncle George James. He was
apparently shipwrecked and survived to return to Swansea. I found this
tantalizingly vague clue from a US newspaper article, dated 27 Jun 1935:
"George James...died June 12 in the Swansea hospital...of an acute attack
of bronchitis. He was for years foreman of the Cory-Yeo Patent Fuel
company, and received recognition for his technical work with the firm
during the World war. Previously he had been mate on a number of ocean
vessels. At one time he was 11 days in a lifeboat without food or water
with other survivors of a ship wrecked off the coast of Brazil."
Tried as I might, I've been unable to find record of a shipwreck off the
coast of Brazil that would match this story. George was born in 1866, and
in the 1901 and 1911 Census he was in Swansea working at a patent fuel
works. My guess was this experience happened in the 1890s.
Searching the online Welsh newspapers has been an exercise in futility thus
far. Any recommendations on where I could find more information about this
incident?
Regards,
Gordon R