Penang Straits, Singapore, India then UK??

[Pinang]

Hi susiee,

I am trying to trace F W Harris who worked in the Mercantile Bank Penang and married Dorothy Plum in St Georges Church there on 15 April 1922.

Is he related to you?  Is he Frederick William Harris I wonder?

Thanks

The Newspaper
"Planters Mail" Malaya.
Is a very useful tool  for the Colonian period, it was the  expat jungle drums of the day,  the National Library in Canberra,  Australia   have  films, im not sure who else has them though.

Also, ...the   " Singapore Straits Times"

These 2  papers helped / or sealed finally a  long 70 year  search for the burial place of my  Grandmother,

Mary Helen Harris
Died in Europeon Hospital  in Seremban in Aug 1931

She and my Grandfather Ernest Frederic Harris had been in Malaya and elswhere up there for many years from Australia when Mary died   at a young age post surgery.

Thanks to the Planters Mail  we  found her obit with everything we needed,       my  Father and his brother were at school in Melbourne when she died  and   were never told of the "details"  which seems incredible  now,  but in 1931  it seems that was the deal  for kids.

She is  buried in the Catholic section of the Seremban Cemetry but the grave  is now  not recognisable   like many,  and  many were damaged n WW2, so  we  cant even fix the  grave  as  they are just inable to be identified sadly.


Oh just saw your link to SST  Superhoop.

I have searched almost every archive available for any record of her death, so did all the other family,  no one ever found anything anywhere. Thats the only record we ever found.

[Sir Robert]

Your grandmother Joyce lived in my fathers house in Portland square, she lived with her mother Nora in part of the house and my grandmother Freda and her husband. I met Claude once when he came to visit in the 60's. He taught me how Malayans wore Sarongs and introduced me to Krupuks Malayan prawn crackers in the early 60's that was a big deal then! I also met Michael and Robert Quinlan, they we a lot older than me (I remember them as "Teddy Boys") we heard a lot of bad stories about them and were discouraged from getting involved with them.As kids we were frightened by them!
I never knew the relationship between Joyce & Nora because Joyce looked completely different form Nora, Joyce had a very Oreintal look about her. Nora died and my Grandparents (Freda & husband) moved into sheltered accommodation, Joyce would visit sometimes when I was came to visit. My family lost contact with Joyce as Freda was the strong link. Saw her a couple of times around the Hewlett Road (Chelenham) area. Just read Jeff Gawthorne's excepts. Unbelievableall about my family WOW!
That's all folks

[Pinang]

Hello Sir Robert,

Great to hear from you! If Freda was your grandmother you must belong to one of the Barnett branches of the family. I have just recently been in touch with Michael and Paul Barnett, so if you are not one of them I wonder who you are?

I have published a book about the Samuel O'Keeffe family including what little I then knew about Freda, Nora and their sister Irene. Would love to learn more and correspond with you.

I will send you a private message and we can take it from there.

Jeff