To date, one of the oldest Bayinero (Chamorro Whaler) I have been able to find a record on is a gentleman by the name (allegedly) Benjamin Coring. It’s actually quite difficult to really make out and determine exactly what the enumerator recorded for his last name and Ancestry.com’s transcription.
But I do concur with the transcription that Benjamin was married, died on 10 May, 1869, at the age of 70 (making his estimated year of birth 1799). The cause of death was listed as “Consumption,” which I have recently learned was a term back in the 1800’s that was usually referred to Tuberculosis. Benjamin was a resident of New Bedford, Massachusetts and his occupation was listed as a Seaman.
Ancestry’s transcription recorded his place of birth as “Guam, London Islds,” but based on the original handwritten entry it should have read at least “Guam, Ladrone Isles.” Also, there was a column in the record to list his parents’ name but was left blank; however, their birth place was recorded as Guam.
Wish me luck on trying to find his family that may have survived him.
Bibliography
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Death Records, 1841-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
