Smith Family in Rangoon, Burma (India)

[knort33]

8-5-2014

Trying to find a way to determine if Cecile Mary Eleanor Smith (born Oct. 18, 1914 in Bengal, British India) is living or deceased.  Someone by the same first name and last name, or a similar name, perhaps was living in Rangoon, Burma as late as 1964.  I didn't know whether there were census records or some other public records that could be searched to verify citizen status or phone number/address.  She was the daughter of Gerald Vincent Smith and Marie Eleanor Farrell Smith. The goal of my research is to find out if Cecile is currently alive or deceased and to also find out if she had brothers and/or sisters.

I do not know if she ever married or not.  Her mother's parents (Marie Eleanor Farrell Smith's parents) were Thomas Patrick Farrell who died August 21, 1925 at the Rangoon branch of the Roman Catholic Mission of Southern Burma.  His wife, Eleanor J. Ware Farrell died October 29, 1934 in Rawalpindi, Bengal, India and attended the Catholic Church in Rawalpindi.  If someone could help me find obituary notices for either of these persons, perhaps the obits might contain the names of surviving family members whom I could use as additional clues for further research.

Please do not refer me to the indiafamily.bl.uk website as I am already familiar with that.

If anyone knows of a place where I could find telephone directories for Rangoon for 1963-1969,
please let me know.  Thank you.

Genealogical Researcher in the US
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[dawnsh]

The British Library in London has a small collection of telephone directories but I see a day trip may be out of the question

http://www.rootschat.com/links/019uo/

The surviving British India Collection registers deposited at the British Library (only upto 1948 when India gained Independence) have been microfilmed and transcribed by FindMyPast but you'll need a subscription to view the details.

Her parents married in 1911 so there is a chance she has younger siblings. You'll be hampered by the surname Smith, but also there is a 100 year rule on baptisms so you will only see partial transcriptions and no images after 1914.

Dawn

[budden]

Hello

I know this is a long time after your original enquiry but I should be interested to hear more about the Smiths in Rangoon.

Cecile Marie Eleanor Vincent Smith had a sister, Geraldine Marie Smith, born 28/6/1912 in Rangoon. She married in 1932 in Rawalpindi to Walter Budden. She died in 1985, her death registered in Weymouth, Dorset. There may have been one child but if so he died within a few days of birth - all on India family website. She returned to Britain in 1947.

Please do let me know if you have more information on the Smiths in Rangoon. I have nothing on Gerald Vincent Smith - other than his marriage to Marie Eleanor Farrell - or his father Gerald Leo Smith.

[dawnsh]

Hi budden

Welcome to Rootschat 

knort33 is a genealogical researcher and may have been doing this research for someone else. The Smiths may not be his family.

However, he should receive an email notification that you have posted and hopefully come back soon.

Dawn

[budden]

thanks for your reply.

[herefords]

I would like to add my interest in Smith family in Rangoon/Moulmein, specifically the "Mrs.Smit" who ran a guest house. "My" Grace Elizabeth Smith ran a guest house called Allandale in or near Rangoon and was part of a large family of Smiths who had lived around that area from 1840-1940 ish. she had a son Clement Reuben Smith and a daughter who married Frederick Ward Sisley. I am happy to share any information with anyone.

[dawnsh]

Hi herefords

budden hasn't been online here since just after posting but should receive an email and hopefully come back soon.

Dawn

[herefords]

Thank you Dawn.

[barryd]

It looks like quite a few people are looking for Cecile. She is unlikely to be alive at nearly 103 years old.

https://www.google.com/#q=Cecile+Mary+Eleanor+Smith