India ?

[Paul Smith]

Hi all.

Not done any research in AGES (4 years ?), just dipping my toe in the water again. Have just discovered that one of my Gt Grandparents, missing in 1891/1901 popped up in Madras, India in 1898 as a widower, getting married again.

Now.. India... that's a whole new ball game for me. Anyone have any advice on where to find information ? Am thinking of immigration records and possible deaths (as I believe he was dead by 1903, and there's also his first wife, who may have died over here or in India I guess)...

[kiterunner]

FamilySearch has quite a lot of India stuff on its new site (maybe that's where you found the marriage?):
https://www.familysearch.org/

Specialist sites include FIBIS:
http://www.new.fibis.org/

and the India Office of the British Library:
http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/Home.aspx

Findmypast has passenger lists for people leaving the UK, and Ancestry has them for people coming to the UK. Findmypast also has the "overseas" BMD indexes which have some India entries.

If you post up the details that you have then I'll see if I can find anything.

[Paul Smith]

That's fab, thanks.

ALFRED JAMES RICHARD HALL, born 1862 in Brentford, was married to ANNIE WILKONSON (born c.1861, Metherington, Lincs), and they had a daughter, CLARA JANE HALL (born 1882, Richmond-on-Thames).

No sign of any of them in 1891 (or 1901), but Alfred reappears in Madras, in 1898 as a widower, getting married to an Isabella Sophia AYTON (as you correctly stated, this was found on familysearch.

When Clara (my grandmother) married in London in 1903 she lists her father as deceased.

So, I believe that Annie dies sometime between 1882 and 1898, and that Alfred dies between 1898 and 1903. At some point 1882-1998 Alfred goes to India...

[kiterunner]

Hmmm, there is a birth on ancestry for an Isabella Sophia Ayton with father William (as is stated on that marriage) but she was born in 1855! (Your Isabella is supposed to be 35 in 1898) Born in Northfleet, Kent, and baptised in London, in case that comes in handy later.

[Paul Smith]

So she'd "underestimated" her age by about 8 years ? I guess that's possible..?