In 1915, William died aboard the Hospital Ship “Andania” from a condition called peritonitis. This may have been caused by a bacterial infection or an injury sustained to his abdomen.

William Aldous

Born: 22 APR 1884 in Ditchingham, Norfolk County, England

Father: Frederick Aldous (1857 to 1931)
Mother: Elizabeth Flatt (1861 to 1884)

Spouse: None

Married: None

Children: None

Died: 19 AUG 1915 at sea, possibly off the coast of Malta

Timeline:

1884 Death of mother, Elizabeth
1891 Mundham, Norfolk County, England
1901 Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England
1911 Thwaite St Mary, Norfolk County, England
1915 Death and Burial

Occupation: engine driver aboard a sailing ketch (1901), deep-sea fisherman (1911)

Records:

1891 to 1911 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
Norfolk, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
Web: the UK, Royal Naval Reserve Service Records Index, 1860-1955
The UK, Royal Navy, and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919
UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current

Variations of Surname: None

William chose to become a fisherman instead of working as a farm laborer:

The 1901 England census shows that William worked as an engine driver aboard the Clematis. This vessel was a sailing ketch that used drift nets for deep-sea fishing. They were moored in the harbor of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England.

The 1911 England census shows that William was living at home in Thwaite St Mary, Norfolk County, England. His occupation was listed as a deep-sea fisherman. William probably went home because early spring was not a good time for fishing off the coast of England.

A document on the National Archives website shows that William enlisted in the Royal Navy on 8 AUG 1914 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire County, England. This port city is located approximately 170 miles north of Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England. He served aboard the HM Trawler Osiris.

The British entered World War I on 4 AUG 1914. Many men thought it was their duty to enlist in the British military to fight the enemies of the Allied powers.

On 19 AUG 1915, William died from a condition called “peritonitis“. This may have been caused by a bacterial infection or injury to the abdomen. He died aboard the Hospital Ship Andania.

William may have had a girlfriend when he enlisted. His naval record showed that he had two tattoos on the back of his right hand. One was the name “Edie”. The other was of “clasped hands”.

After William died, his body was buried at sea. This was done because his body could not be kept from decaying until the ship returned to England.

William’s name is listed on the Chatham Navy Memorial in Medway, Kent County, England. The Historic Medway website had a photograph of the inscription on this memorial. The first passage reads:

“This memorial commemorates officers, ranks, and ratings of this Port who died at sea during the wars of 1914 to 1918 and 1939 to 1945.”

The Find A Grave website shows a list of men buried at sea in 1915.  William’s name appears on the left-hand column under “Deck Hand”.

Notes:

Here are some links to websites that helped with my Aldous family research:

Aldous.net (Aldous family history and family tree)
Ancestors of Tim Farr, Descendants of Stephen Farr (family tree)
Reid-Schroeder Genealogies (family tree)
The Tree of Us (family tree)
Family Search (family tree website)
The Internet Surname Database (surname meaning and origins)
House of Names (coat of arms)

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also an excellent source for vital records.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. Records should include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestors.

If you have a unique surname, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are other websites on the internet for countries like Italy and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty. They would then move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!