British Citizens in Singapore 1900's

[LauraC]

Hi

I am researching a family who lived in Ipswich in 1911-1919. The newly released 1911 census shows the children's place of birth as STRAITS SETTLEMENTS SINGAPORE RESIDENT.

In the period I am looking at the mother was a widow with private means. So my questions are as follows:

How do you begin to look for info about British residents in Singapore?

What was the family likely to be doing there?

Any suggestions most welcome

Thanks

Laura

[coombs]

Hi LauraC

Welcome to Rootschat

Firstly what are the names of your Singapore born British Citizens?

It is very likely that there was a soldier or sailor in the family and they were stationed there for a while.

Ben

[LauraC]

Hi

Thanks for the quick reply

The children are

Enid Wathen born 1900
Jack Wathen born 1905

Mother Maud Wathen, born London, Regents Park 1872. Father is currently not known.

I thought that he was either in the armed forces or maybe some sort of civil servant? Maud is listed as having private means in the 1911 census..

L

[coombs]

Hi Laura C

Try these sites

http://www2.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.htm

http://user.itl.net/~glen/BritishinSingapore&Malaya.html

Ben

[ShaunJ]

The Times of 11 July 1905 has the announcement of the death of Charles Trevelyan Wathen in Singapore on the 6th, aged 31. Second son of William Hubbert and Katherine Cadogan Wathen of Westerham Kent.

[aghadowey]

Looks like that death is spot on Shaun.
Charles married Maud Evelyn Dacre Crispin and here's a lovely family tree:
www-leeper.ch.cam.ac.uk/FamilyTree/1750-1749.htm

Maud seems to have travelled around the world quite a bit in 1920s and 1930s. let me know if you want more details on that, Laura.

P.S. marriage may have taken place in Bombay, India.

[ShaunJ]

Here you go - Charles Trevelyan Wathen married Maud Evelyn Dacre Crispin in 1898:

http://www-leeper.ch.cam.ac.uk/FamilyTree/1750-1749.htm

[ShaunJ]

A search in Google books brings up this reference:

" The Admission Registers of St. Paul's School from 1876 to 1905: Edited with ...‎
by St. Paul's School (London, England), Robert Barlow Gardiner - 1906 - 537 pages

Page 207
Wathen, Charles Trevelyan (May 20, 1874), as above. Left in U. Matric., December
, 1890. North Borneo Police. "

[ShaunJ]

You can apply for birth/death certificate from the Singapore authorities :
http://ica.gov.sg/e_services_overview.aspx?pageid=307&secid=306