Henry MOttlee working in India- how do I find him?

[Kylie B]

THanks Charlotte
I have checked out the Gazette- there seems to be a lot about him being eligible to claim the inheritance, but nothing about him actually getting there and getting it- nothing in the Aussie papers either, and I would have thought after all the attention about the claim, that if he did get it there would have been some followup stories of the glass bottle collector from Ballerat who inherited 17000 pounds- not at all an insignificant amount of money even now....but there doesnt seem to be anything more.

All very odd- and very frustrating!!
KYlie B

[charlotteCH]

I understand the frustration but keep plugging away at it- I've had similar situations and after a VERY long time something has given... and I can put togther what happened.

It needs great perseverance

charlotte

[ShaunJ]

I couldn't see anything for him in the London Gazette...nothing turned up in searches for him or his wife. Nor have I been able to find the supposed newspaper advertisement about the inheritance in the Gale newpaper database or NLA. Nor can I find the solicitor named in the 1891 reports (Cullmer of Chancery Lane).

There was a man by the name of W Cullmer of 27 Chancery Lane who regularly published books of advertisements for next of kin ("of 30,000 names ") at 2s 6d a copy but I can't see any ads for that after 1884.

[ShaunJ]

William Cullmer was an heir hunter and was still active in 1901 when he is described on the census as a Geanologist ***

can anyone make out the second word?

[behindthefrogs]

I suspect it is short for scientist.  It seems to be in different handwriting and so I suggest it was added by the person counting the census as a classification for genealogist.  It would also seem that he was probably wrongly classified by someone who didn't know what a genealogist was.

David

[Kylie B]

Well Well Well- that would explain why I havnt been able to find a solicitor by the name of Cullmer!!!

Do you think there ever was an inheritance then...maybe it was all a hoax and Henry went all the way back to the UK to find there was no money- would explain why we hear no more of the story.....

And it also poses the question then- was the info in the advert actually right about India?? Alhtough there is still the family stories, and of course the Town clerk letters in Australia....but I think something just does not sit right here

Hmmmm- where to now then?
Kylie B

[regross]

As you say nothing in the UK papers that I can find
but this in the UK archives

Probate will of Hen. Phillips Foster of Newark, chemist DD/H/172/49  1892[/u]

These documents are held at Nottinghamshire Archives

Contents:
John Matthew Walker of Newark, and Thos. Bescoby of E. Retford, solicitor, executors and trustees. All real and personal estate to them, to pay £100 to housekeeper Mary Weaver (acknowledgment for over 25 years' service); residue to nephews Thos. Phillips F. and Chas. Motley F., both of Australia.

Seal of Nottm. Probate Registry. Parch. Will: 28 Nov. 1891.
prob: 3 Feb. 1892

However the surname is Foster with MOTLEY as another given name

Lots of other stuff re MOTLEY nothing for MOTTLEE MOTLEE etc.


good luck

Robyn

[behindthefrogs]

Around 1900 genealogy was a very active hobby.  While a lot of information was being transcribed and published such as the heralds' visitations and parish registers a lot of the work involved searching original records.  There was a certain mystery to this activity which lead to an open market for experts to research the families of the middle class and upwardly mobile.

David 

[regross]

Hello again

Have you checked the holdings in the British Library.
http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/catblhold/all/allcat.html

It seems they have a category India Office Family History research

The  India Office Family History Search database contains 300,000 brief records for births, marriages, military and naval service, deaths, burials, baptisms, bonds, pensions, wills and brief biographies of Europeans in British India up to 1947.

RObyn