Violet Coulson - married a Malay Prince and became 'Sultana' of Penang

[dtcoulson]

Hello people,

Wikipedia has this entry on Violet Coulson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Coulson

Is there some way we can get a fix on this lady in the historical records?
There is not even a birth year to start with.
Does anyone have a suggestion of where we could start?

Thinking perhaps the 1939 register, as she returned to London prior to that year.

Obviously I am wondering if she is a distant relative of mine.

Thanks
-DC

[crisane]

Another article which says Violet's Muslim name was Puteh Bte Abdullah.
http://1malaysiasehatisejiwa.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/tunku-abdul-rahmanbiography-1st-prime.html
There is a Violet Coulson travelling to Singapore age 31 on 15 Jan 1934. Occupation Nil.

[rosie99]

Wiki mentions that he met Violet in London c1927

One to consider on 1930 electoral register 
12 Kitson Road, Camberwell
Violet Coulson
Elizabeth Ann Day
Emily Georgina Day.

1919 same address and family also a Joseph Coulson - Joseph not there from 1923

I think this one may be too old looking at possibilities on the previous census

[rosie99]

There is a Violet Coulson travelling to Singapore age 31 on 15 Jan 1934. Occupation Nil.

Her address in England was 91 Grandison Road, London SW11

[rosie99]

If you are looking for a death you would need her next married name 

The couple divorced officially in 1946.

Coulson then resumed the management of her restaurant in London. She later married an American who served in the United States armed forces as Judge Advocate in England.

[dtcoulson]

Fantastic inflow of data already! Thanks people.

Violet Coulson sailing to Singapore in 1934 is consistent with wikipedia article.
That reveals birth year as 1902/3.
Also address, which is great.

Violet Coulson married Tungku Abdul Rahman who later became Malaysia's first prime minister. 

Various brief online accounts of their relationship but they are largely repetitive of one another, and none give her age.

There is an online book that came up under a Google search (sorry did not store the link) which claims that she was older than her husband. Also identifies her marriage place as the Mosque on Arab St in Singapore (not Geylang Serai as other sources claim).

One version says she was the landlady of the place Abdul stayed as a student.
It is said that she managed a restaurant/hotel in London, but I don't know if that fits well with Abdul being a student in Cambridge.

 Also wondering if she could truly have been manager of a pub/bar/hotel at a young age. Perhaps she was an assistant in her Dad's pub in 1927 and took over the management in the 1930s, before leaving for Singapore?

If we can identify her parents,  I can work backwards to see if there is a connection with relatives I know.

Thanks all.
-DC

[dtcoulson]

Oh lucky... I still have that text link open on my browser:

Britain Through Muslim Eyes: Literary Representations, 1780-1988
By Claire Chambers

https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=tCeFCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT62&lpg=PT62&dq=violet+coulson+tunku+abdul+rahman&source=bl&ots=Me0JQepzLQ&sig=aE0Hqmx1BpjItLPWlaycaKc34jY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO9fKEg7jWAhVLUbwKHaZAAbg4FBDoAQhHMAU#v=onepage&q=violet%20coulson%20tunku%20abdul%20rahman&f=false

-DC

[dtcoulson]

This book (previous post) says the couple divorced in the UK in 1938.
There would be a paper trail no doubt?

-DC

[nanny jan]

From the National Archives:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/divorces/