however he appears a whole decade younger in the census

Year: 1881
Month: Oct
Day: 18
Surname: BOWDLER
Forenames: Henry
Residence: Soudley
Age_at_death: 11 m[onth]s
Officiating_Minister: W[illia]m Lynes
Event: Burial
Cause_of_death:
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P85/1 IN 1/13
Page_No: 117
Parish_Chapel: Cinderford St Johns

1881
Joseph Bowdler abt 1854 Township of East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Head Westbury On Severn - East Dean, Gloucestershire
Emily Bowdler abt 1858 Township of East Dean, Gloucestershire, England Wife Westbury On Severn - East Dean, Gloucestershire
Henry Bowdler abt 1880 Maidenham, Gloucestershire, England Son Westbury On Severn - East Dean, Gloucestershire
Jane Bowdler abt 1876 Littledean, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Westbury On Severn - East Dean, Gloucestershire
Thomas Bowdler abt 1877 Manchester, Lancashire, England Son Westbury On Severn - East Dean, Gloucestershire

"Sir- The officer and boat's crew of the SS Seaham Harbour wish publicly, through the medium of your paper, to express their heartfelt thanks to Mrs Woodrow, of the Avonmouth Hotel, for her great kindness to them on being landed during the recent gale after endeavouring to save the life of a man from the wreck of the Ada Maria. Signed The Officer and Crew, SS Seaham Harbour, Kingroad, October 17th 1881"

There was later a public auction at Dundas Wharf, Redcliff of damaged wheat from the Ada Maria. "700 sacks of kiln dried American spring wheat"

Another casualty in the area was reported in the Daily News on Saturday October 15th 1881 under the heading 'Terrible Gale'

"Gloucester. At Little Dean, a boy named Bowdler was standing to-day at his father's door, when the wind blew with violence, and the boy's head being caught by it, he was killed on the spot."

I thought there may be relatives interested in either Mrs Woodrow or the poor lad Bowdler.

Agreed !

"WRECKS AND LOSS OF LIFE AT AVONMOUTH"

Our Avonmouth correspondent states:- "The sloop Ada Maria was swamped in Kingroad this morning. With the exception of one man, the crew got to shore safely. One poor fellow, who was left, took to the rigging. The captain of the SS Seaham Harbour, a steamer neaped in the roads for Gloucester, sent his life-boat to take him off. The boat reached the wreck safely, and the crew flung the life-line to the man, but he failed to secure himself, and was washed away and drowned. The Seaham boats crew had a narrow escape in beaching their boat abreast Battery Point, but they got safely to shore.

From another source we learn that a passing steamer took off the three men during the height of the gale. The Ada Maria was a sloop of 44 tons, and belonged to Mr Galbraith, of St Vincent's Parade, Hotwells. There was no little excitement at the mouth of the river owing to small craft being driven ashore one after another, till at one time there were five or six vessels on the banks on the Severn side, and one was swamped off Nelson Point, near the Lighthouse. The smack Victoria, bound from Lydney to Ilfracombe with coals, foundered below the Swash, but the crew were saved.

The article continues referring to other vessels and the whole page had news of the storm in the surrounding areas.

I hope this is of interest. The tying together of the inquest and the news report of the day makes it so much more real doesn't it?

Off. Ships No. Name Current Date Adopted Port of Registry Tonnage
69408 ADA MARIA 1877 Bristol 44

I guess this is the death record

Name: Male
Year of Registration: 1881
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Chepstow
County: Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire
Volume: 11a
Page: 2 or 7

Eyemouth Disaster
October 14, 1881
A severe storm struck the southeast coast of Scotland. 189 fishermen were killed, most of whom were from the small village of Eyemouth.

An Inquisition taken this 22nd day of November 1881 at The Three Salmons Inn, Beachley in the parish of Tidenham on view of the body of an Adult Male Person Unknown

The following Jury were Sworn

David Miller
Charles Trayhern
Henry Price
Joseph Hughes
William Jones
William Farr
Joseph Trayhern
Charles Trayhern Senr
Philip Saunders
George Evans
Robert Hyatt
James Trayhern

Witnesses:

William Thomas Trayhern: Beachley
Henry Saunders: Beachley
William Goulding: Tidenham, Police Constable

Verdict (Cause of Death)

“ Found dead upon the sands of the River Severn in the parish of Tidenham, supposed to be a man known as “America Jack” who was drowned from the “Ada Maria” in Kingroad [?] in the Great Gale of 14th October last”