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Topic: Mohamddin Peterson of Liverpool (Read 1256 times)
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sgrollitt
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 415
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My partner never knew her grandparents on her father's side. Her elder sister says that their grandfather was an Indian merchant seaman. He married a Danish woman and took her surname. He was hero in New York when his ship got into trouble and he dived into the sea several times (River Potomac?) to save lives. (Was one of those lives saved his future Danish wife?). That would have been about 1920. They married and settled in Liverpool
Looking at the records, Mohamddin Peterson (also seems to be known as John Peterson) married Margaret McLachlan in West Derby in the Dec quarter of 1922 at St Margaret's in Walton.
It is also said that although my partner's grandmother's father was Danish, there was some Scottish ancestry too, which would tie in with the McLachlan surname. There were several Peterson children born in Liverpool between 1923 and 1932 with McLachlan as the mother, including my partner's father.
Can anyone see what became of Mohammdin (aka John?) Peterson and his wife Margaret?
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avm228
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 5084
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi
Mohamddin Peterson's name appears in a Report and Manifest of shipwrecked crew, saved in the North Atlantic, from S/S "Sea Rambler", owners Dover Nav. Co. Ltd, London February 10th 1940:
[in a list of 12 names]
Mohamddin Peterson, aged 49, Fireman, nationality Indian
ETA: the manifest of the M/S Mosdale, which rescued the 12 men, gave a few further details about Mohamddin Peterson when it reached New York on 16 Feb 1940:
- 25 years' service
- engaged 6 January 1940 at Swansea
- height 5ft 11in
- weight 65 kilos.
Anna 
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Ayr: Barnes, Wylie
Caithness: MacGregor
Essex: Eldred (Pebmarsh)
Gloucs: Timbrell (Winchcomb)
Hants: Stares (Wickham)
Lincs: Maw, Jackson (Epworth, Belton)
London: Pierce
Suffolk: Markham (Framlingham)
Surrey: Gosling (Richmond)
Wilts: Matthews, Tarrant (Calne, Preshute)
Worcs: Milward (Redditch)
Yorks: Beaumont, Crook, Moore, Styring (Huddersfield); Middleton (Church Fenton); Exley, Gelder (High Hoyland); Barnes, Birchinall (Sheffield); Kenyon, Wood (Cumberworth/Denby Dale)
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sgrollitt
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 415
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Anna,
That's a marvellous find! Thank you very much.
Simon
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avm228
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 5084
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi again
It appears 13 other men from the Sea Rambler were rescued by the Norwegian vessel M/T Kaia Knudsen "in a raging snow storm in the North Atlantic":
http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/kaiaknudsen.html
Anna
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Ayr: Barnes, Wylie
Caithness: MacGregor
Essex: Eldred (Pebmarsh)
Gloucs: Timbrell (Winchcomb)
Hants: Stares (Wickham)
Lincs: Maw, Jackson (Epworth, Belton)
London: Pierce
Suffolk: Markham (Framlingham)
Surrey: Gosling (Richmond)
Wilts: Matthews, Tarrant (Calne, Preshute)
Worcs: Milward (Redditch)
Yorks: Beaumont, Crook, Moore, Styring (Huddersfield); Middleton (Church Fenton); Exley, Gelder (High Hoyland); Barnes, Birchinall (Sheffield); Kenyon, Wood (Cumberworth/Denby Dale)
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avm228
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 5084
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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I'm a bit confused about the Danish connection. Mohamddin/John seems already to have had a Danish surname (Peterson) before he married Margaret. I wonder whether:
1. Mohamddin had been married before to a Danish Miss Peterson (whose name he took), or
2. the generations have been mixed up, and Mohamddin was in fact (though born in India) half-Danish - his father having married a Dane and taken her name?
"It is also said that although my partner's grandmother's father was Danish, there was some Scottish ancestry too, which would tie in with the McLachlan surname. There were several Peterson children born in Liverpool between 1923 and 1932 with McLachlan as the mother, including my partner's father."
Are you saying here that Margaret also had some Danish blood, or was she straightforwardly Scottish?
I also wonder whether Mohamddin's heroics were not in the 1920s after all, but were connected with the 1940 shipwreck? (After which he was taken to New York).
Anna
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« Last Edit: Friday 19 June 09 18:46 UTC (UK) by avm228 »
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Ayr: Barnes, Wylie
Caithness: MacGregor
Essex: Eldred (Pebmarsh)
Gloucs: Timbrell (Winchcomb)
Hants: Stares (Wickham)
Lincs: Maw, Jackson (Epworth, Belton)
London: Pierce
Suffolk: Markham (Framlingham)
Surrey: Gosling (Richmond)
Wilts: Matthews, Tarrant (Calne, Preshute)
Worcs: Milward (Redditch)
Yorks: Beaumont, Crook, Moore, Styring (Huddersfield); Middleton (Church Fenton); Exley, Gelder (High Hoyland); Barnes, Birchinall (Sheffield); Kenyon, Wood (Cumberworth/Denby Dale)
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sgrollitt
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 415
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Yes I'm sure the family story about the heroic Indian grandfather that got passed down was a little confused. He was a fireman and probably did rescue some of his fellow sailor's lives, but that was before the ship Mosdale rescued his. And the New York connection was that the Mosdale was heading for New York and took the rescued sailors ther.
The family story is that Mohamddin married a Danish woman, and that it is normal practice in Denmark for the husband to take on the wife's surname. If this isn't the case, then I wonder if Mohamddin used the name to help him gain British citizenship.
Being 49 in 1940 at the time of the rescue, Mohamddin must have been born about 1891 in India. And with his name he was probably a Muslim.
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avm228
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 5084
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Yes I'm sure the family story about the heroic Indian grandfather that got passed down was a little confused. He was a fireman and probably did rescue some of his fellow sailor's lives, but that was before the ship Mosdale rescued his. And the New York connection was that the Mosdale was heading for New York and took the rescued sailors ther.
I agree - though just for clarity, a fireman on a steamship was not a firefighter - he was a person who stoked the fires which generated the steam.
The family story is that Mohamddin married a Danish woman, and that it is normal practice in Denmark for the husband to take on the wife's surname. If this isn't the case, then I wonder if Mohamddin used the name to help him gain British citizenship.
But was this Danish woman Margaret, or some previous wife? From what you said earlier - "my partner's grandmother's father was Danish" it sounded as though you thought Margaret was half-Danish. But she doesn't seem to have brought the Peterson name into the picture - and Mohamddin didn't take her surname of McLachlan...
Also, his nationality remained "Indian" on that 1940 manifest, so it doesn't look as though he was naturalised as British.
ETA: obviously the 1922 marriage certificate ought to help clarify some of these points.
Anna
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Ayr: Barnes, Wylie
Caithness: MacGregor
Essex: Eldred (Pebmarsh)
Gloucs: Timbrell (Winchcomb)
Hants: Stares (Wickham)
Lincs: Maw, Jackson (Epworth, Belton)
London: Pierce
Suffolk: Markham (Framlingham)
Surrey: Gosling (Richmond)
Wilts: Matthews, Tarrant (Calne, Preshute)
Worcs: Milward (Redditch)
Yorks: Beaumont, Crook, Moore, Styring (Huddersfield); Middleton (Church Fenton); Exley, Gelder (High Hoyland); Barnes, Birchinall (Sheffield); Kenyon, Wood (Cumberworth/Denby Dale)
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AMBLY
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 4559
Falkland Islands "Desire The Right"
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The 'synchronicity' to Kipling / Professor Peterson is very intriguing....
The Professor was Peter PETERSON 1847 - 1899, who was born in Scotland; his father was John PETERSEN and mother Grace Mountford ANDERSON, they had abt 13 children. Peter was the Professor of Sanskrit at the Elphinstone College in Bombay. As a Commoner of Balliol College in 1870, he was awarded The Boden Sanskrit Scholarship, and spent much time in India. Three of his 4 children (4 that I know of) by wife Agnes CHRISTALL (married 1872 in Glasgow) were born there. His brother, William PETERSON (1856-1921) was for many years the head of McGill University in Montreal Canada, though he eventually returned to England. William's obituary in 1921 said he (so therefore Peter too?) was from a mixed Scottish & Norwegian ancestry. The PETERSON family was from Edinburgh and earlier than that, the generation of Peter's grandparents were from Wall in Shetland - not seen any other evidence of a Norwegian as yet. Peter's grandparents were Revd. Peter PETERSON and Barbara MANN.
Have collected & googled up a fair bit of information on the Peter PETERSON's, the above is a summary. Many of them had "notable" lives - and I am absolutely busting to know who the father of Mohamad Din/John PETERSON is stated to be on the 1922 marriage certificate! 
Cheers
AMBLY
added: actaully there is other evidence of Nordic ancestry - one or Peter's brothers and one of his uncles was named Magnus PETERSON.
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sgrollitt
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 415
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Wow! Great find. I'll let you know as soon as I do who Mohamed's father was.
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ukdescendant
RootsChat Member
Posts: 118
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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" He arrived back in Liverpool in March 1940 on the Georgic. "Gas masks issued to all passengers and DBS as necessary". What was DBS I wonder? Mohamed Din Peterson, 90 Upper Canning Street, fireman. "
Strangely on the Luisitania entry tonight there is a link to a website where DBS is mentioned , it states that it means Deported British seaman .
Sounds reasonable to me.
UKD
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All Liverpool plus other areas as stated
Barlow - Wrexham - NW ,Seddon - Liverpool ,Lawson - Yorkshire ,McGraw - County Down
Laverty - Ireland ,Jones - South Wales ,Knight - Bristol, Rogers - Shropshire,
All Sheffield
Bromley,Pass,Bramley,Pearson
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Ruskie
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 4699
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Sorry everyone I have nothing constructive to add but this is just fascinating and I too am dying to know how it resolves. Could it be that Mohamed took the surname of his friend Prof Peter Peterson who he knew back in India, but there may not be any family connection. He probably got sick of having to spell his Indian surname and thought it might make life easier to be Peterson ...
... or have I missed something?  ...
Added later: Now thinking about the connection to the Kipling story which was published in 1888 (when was Mohamed born? ) ... now my imagination is running away with me and I wonder if Mohamed read this story then decided to 'borrow' the names of the people in it?
What an interesting character.
Can't wait for that certificate ....
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AMBLY
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 4559
Falkland Islands "Desire The Right"
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Hi
Is this the website?
http://www.rmslusitania.info/pages/third_class/index.html
it says : D.B.S. (this possibly means deported British Seaman)
On this website is another possible explanation (the writer has a 'clipped' manner of 'speech'):
http://www.mercantilemarine.org/showthread.php?t=446
"Considering that all Merchant Seamen during Wartime Pay the responsibility of Government, Shipping Companies, etc. was absolved. All Articles of Agreement ceased and merchant seamen were declared DBS, Destitute British Seamen. Before the vessel settled on the Bottom. (Find your own way home Sallies, Red Cross) "
Hi Ruskie
Me n' you both Peter Peterson was dead in 1899, at which time Mohamed Din was by all acounts only about 9 years old....
Peter Peterson had, in the 1891 Census, only 4 children - 3 girls and 1 boy. Only the youngest was born in England.
The boy was John Carlos Kennedy PETERSON born in India 1876 and only 15 in 1891, died Wales 1955. This is such an interesting family - would be so neat to find a link to them with Mohamad Din.
I'd be really interested to know how Mohamed Din looked too, his visage & complexion/coloring? English/Scottish? Indian? A bit of both?
Cheers
AMBLY
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AMBLY
RootsChat Marquessate
Posts: 4559
Falkland Islands "Desire The Right"
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I have to fess up - a lot of British men in India formed intimate relationships with Indian women (and often both parties were high standing in their respective societies).....producing children who were sometimes introduced into English society, so I wondered if Peter......even though he appears to come from quite a pious background and would have been married at the time....
While - we - wait : I was involved in this other thread too, also about a mystery Indian born man with very good connections to English society (and to the Indian as it happens) - we were lucky enough to have a descendant of one of the branches join in with some very interesting relevations - page 2 of the thread is facinating!
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,325850.0.html
Cheers
AMBLY
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