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Other Countries / India: Where was my father and what did he do?
« on: Thursday 11 October 18 00:32 BST (UK) »
I would be grateful if anyone can assist with where I might be able to find some information regarding my father who was born and lived in India for approximately forty years. I would like to know what he did in India and when he returned to the UK.
My father, Thomas Edward Ley, was born in Bombay on 6th December 1905. His father, Sidney Alexander Ley, was serving in the Royal Engineers in Bombay. At the end of his service in 1908 he remained in Bombay with his family and worked at the Bombay Mint. He retired in 1927 and returned to Topsham in the UK where he lived until his death in 1944. My father's elder brother, Sydney George Ley, remained in Bombay and also worked at the Mint. He stayed in Bombay until finally returning to UK in 1958.
I have visited the India Office Records at the British Library and was able to find entries in Thakers India Directory and The Times of India Directory for both my grandfather and uncle in the government entries for the Mint and in the lists of European Residents for many years between 1910 to the 1940’s. My father does not appear in the lists of residents, however, I don't know what the criteria for being included was. It only shows what appears to be the head of the household so I am assuming if perhaps he lived with his brothers family or in lodgings he would not be recorded.
I have found passenger lists showing my father travelled from Bombay to London in January 1934 returning to Bombay in July 1934. However, I have been unable to find any other trace of him in India. He returned to UK sometime between 1934 and 1950 when he married my mother but again I have been unable to find any trace of him in the UK apart from an entry in the Lyme Regis Electoral Register for 1950. Unfortunately he died in 1951.
My father, Thomas Edward Ley, was born in Bombay on 6th December 1905. His father, Sidney Alexander Ley, was serving in the Royal Engineers in Bombay. At the end of his service in 1908 he remained in Bombay with his family and worked at the Bombay Mint. He retired in 1927 and returned to Topsham in the UK where he lived until his death in 1944. My father's elder brother, Sydney George Ley, remained in Bombay and also worked at the Mint. He stayed in Bombay until finally returning to UK in 1958.
I have visited the India Office Records at the British Library and was able to find entries in Thakers India Directory and The Times of India Directory for both my grandfather and uncle in the government entries for the Mint and in the lists of European Residents for many years between 1910 to the 1940’s. My father does not appear in the lists of residents, however, I don't know what the criteria for being included was. It only shows what appears to be the head of the household so I am assuming if perhaps he lived with his brothers family or in lodgings he would not be recorded.
I have found passenger lists showing my father travelled from Bombay to London in January 1934 returning to Bombay in July 1934. However, I have been unable to find any other trace of him in India. He returned to UK sometime between 1934 and 1950 when he married my mother but again I have been unable to find any trace of him in the UK apart from an entry in the Lyme Regis Electoral Register for 1950. Unfortunately he died in 1951.