Penang Straits, Singapore, India then UK??

[Superhoop]

I have hit a big brick wall and am stuck! I am hoping someone can help me.

My Grandmother was born in Sumatra: Joyce Alberta Catherine Lunberg 6th February 1910. I know her mother was Nora Elaine Lunberg (nee O'Keefe) and she was born 25th May 1886 in the Apothecary's Quarter of the Criminal Prison Penang Straits Settlement. Nora's mother was Charlotte Sophia Alberta Westwood and her Father was Samuel Arthur O'Keeffe (Occupation listed as Apothecary). I cannot locate DOBs for Charlotte or Samuel and cannot find Nora's Spouse? Are there any online searchable databases for Penang?

My Grandmother came to the UK on the P&O Steam Company Ship Corfu. This sailed from Hong Kong to Tilbury Dock London and my Nan joined at Penang. She had my Father Kenneth Michael Quinlan (Died Cheltenham 1972) my Uncle Robert Quinlan (never met him) and my Great Gran Nora(never met her) who are all part of the passenger list. My Grandfather, surname Quinlan left my Nan after they married in India. I had photos of this with a date but a family member took them and I never saw them again  Basically Mr Quinlan deserted my Nan and he returned to the UK and married again. I had never met my Grandfather as my Nan refused to speak about it. I have contacted my Grandfather's son and we have met but the knowledge of the previous marriage and subsequent family did cause them distress so we never met again - very sad for me 

I didn't put Mr Quinlan's full name to prevent further problems with my unknown family.

I wanted to trace Charlotte and Samuel and hoped to find a marriage for Nora but I've hit a dead end. My Nan died in 1999 and she remained tight lipped until the few days before she died. She then mentioned a Gerald O'Keeffe and a Claude O'Keeffe who still apparently lived in Penang. I have just started to trace them again, I know I let the trail go cold but some of the distressed family members are no longer with us.

I'm sorry to start my first input with such a mess but it is starting to get me quite stressed so I would appreciate any form of advice.

Thanks in advance for any small crumb of comfort

Superhoop

[Berlin-Bob]

Hi Superhoop,

I'll add this link from the chatroom here too:

for general genealogical information and some links for "foreign" research I usually recommend the wiki.FamilySearch project
https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Main_Page
in particular, the Malysia page page:
https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Malaysia

Not a lot on it at the moment, but check it regularly, as it's very much an on-going project, so it's still growing.

Another possibility is the Asia page on Cyndislist:
http://www.cyndislist.com/asia.htm
(search for sumatra)

Good luck
Bob


p.s. You can find out more about the wiki.FamilySearch project here:
Topic: New resource from Familysearch: research in other countries
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,259450.0.html

[jorose]

This site has some information on the family:
http://www.derozario.com.au/gen9128.htm

You can search Singaporean newspapers here:
http://newspapers.nl.sg/

If you search for just "Nora Elaine" I believe it brings up her marriage in 1909, to Mr George Robert Lunberg. She is listed as the eldest daughter of Dr Samuel Arthur O'Keeffe.

There's also one in 1934 which mentions Dr. S. A. O'Keeffe as being ill and at his daughter's house (Mrs. J. Gawthorne) in Penang.
(a 1904 entry mentions the engagement of J. Gawthorne to Miss Gwen O'Keeffe, second daughter of Dr O'Keeffe).

[Superhoop]

This site has some information on the family:
http://www.derozario.com.au/gen9128.htm

You can search Singaporean newspapers here:
http://newspapers.nl.sg/

If you search for just "Nora Elaine" I believe it brings up her marriage in 1909, to Mr George Robert Lunberg. She is listed as the eldest daughter of Dr Samuel Arthur O'Keeffe.

There's also one in 1934 which mentions Dr. S. A. O'Keeffe as being ill and at his daughter's house (Mrs. J. Gawthorne) in Penang.
(a 1904 entry mentions the engagement of J. Gawthorne to Miss Gwen O'Keeffe, second daughter of Dr O'Keeffe).

Hi jorose

I simply cannot express how grateful I am - this is starting to fill the void that has been with me for many years. It is very hard to not know who your family were beyond just one grandparent and it's made worse when they lived abroad.

How did you manage to find this so quickly, it's amazing, I am so happy  ...thank you again!

Dave aka Superhoop

[jorose]

I used to live in Singapore for a couple of years; but the trick in a lot of these things is just knowing where all the websites are!

As about George Robert it only says he was assistant at "Hessa Estate, Tanjong Balei, Asaban, Sumatra", you might look him up by the place he worked in.

Also there are some records in WWII in the newspaper of a G.H.A. Lunberg who is described as a Netherlander, although resident in Penang for more than 18 years and born in Sumatra.

I think this is the brother of Joyce; in 1942 there is a marriage for Lieut. George Henry Arthur Lunberg, R.N.R., who is listed as the son of Mrs N. E. Lunberg and of the late Mr G. R. Lunberg of Asaban, Sumatra.  He sadly appears to have died soon afterwards:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2499104

[Superhoop]

I used to live in Singapore for a couple of years; but the trick in a lot of these things is just knowing where all the websites are!

As about George Robert it only says he was assistant at "Hessa Estate, Tanjong Balei, Asaban, Sumatra", you might look him up by the place he worked in.

Also there are some records in WWII in the newspaper of a G.H.A. Lunberg who is described as a Netherlander, although resident in Penang for more than 18 years and born in Sumatra.

I think this is the brother of Joyce; in 1942 there is a marriage for Lieut. George Henry Arthur Lunberg, R.N.R., who is listed as the son of Mrs N. E. Lunberg and of the late Mr G. R. Lunberg of Asaban, Sumatra.  He sadly appears to have died soon afterwards:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2499104

This is stunning! My Nan always talked of Uncle George, she says he was on a boat flying the flag of the Red Cross when it was sunk by the Japanese. I had his Naval License but it is with a family member and cannot be found at the moment. I was hoping to find an obituary for Dr Samuel O'Keeffe but have not had any luck yet. My Nan (Joyce) always talked of friends and family being taken from the area by the Japanese military and many supposedly died building the Death Railway to Burma. My Nan would not even have a Japanese product in the house - she was very bitter and could not forgive or forget!

Gwen is my Nan's Auntie although we always thought they were sisters, my Nan was 1 year older than Gwen. I know Gwen is living in the UK now and I think she is still alive. I would love to visit her but this is a sore subject with them all and I'm not sure what to do. I think J Gawthorne may have died or they separated. They were stoutly religious so separation/divorce is doubtful but not impossible. I have found a Gwen Gawthorne arriving in the UK ca. 1958 but she was alone and had no person of the same name accompanying her.

The DeRozario site has a Dennis O'Keeffe as the son of Dr Samuel O'Keeffe but I can find no record of him. My Nan always talked of Claude and there is a Cyrille Claude mentioned on this site - again I can find no records of him.

Nora (Gwen's sister) came to the UK in 1960 with my Nan, Father and Uncle. She died in 1963, the year of my birth. My father died in 1972 - we never had any contact with my Uncle although apparently he is still living close by. He has spent his life in and out of prison.

It has always been a mystery because my Nan carried an Asian appearance and spoke Malay dialects. We knew she was from Sumatra but the names O'Keeffe conjure Irish ancestors and Westwood seems very English. This is truly fascinating!

Where should I search for parents of Dr O'keeffe, death records for J Gawthorne etc.

Sorry, so many questions, so many memories coming back etc.

Thank you again, you have started to lift a cloud from my mind!



Dave

[jorose]

When you look into the newspaper records for G.H.A. Lunberg he is first described as "Eurasian", him being a "Netherlander" is mentioned in a correction afterwards.
http://www.krancher.org/genealogy_main.html
http://www.igv.nl/index.html
 - some information on these sites on Dutch-Indonesian families. The latter has Lunenburg and Lundberg mentioned.

www.familysearch.org lists Charlotte's baptism in India - it is possible both the O'Keeffe and the Westwood families had British army connections. If so they might appear on some records in England relating to military families although I can't see much at the moment.

In the newspaper there is a mention of a D. T. O'Keefe, Apothecary.
He might be the same as "David T. O'Keefe" who married "Jemima Martha Edwards" in 1854 in Madras ( http://search.fibis.org )

With the "Derozario" site listing Samuel with Edwards as a middle name, this seems like a possible hit for Samuel's parents.

[Superhoop]

Hi

I managed to find some lists showing apothecaries in the Army based in India. I have found a James Westwood, a possible hit for Charlotte's Father. I'm new to this but there was another O'Keeffe listed as an Apothecary (I'm out of my office at the moment but I have his first name on my desk) so it would make some sense they would meet...not definite but a distinct possibility.

I also checked some of the Dutch/Indian sites and found what I think is George Robert's father. There is a listing of a wedding between Johannes Huigbret Lunberg and a Catherine Green (one of my Nan's middle names) so that looks promising. I have also found references to a birth of their two daughters but just dates and no child's name. I later found a marriage announcement for a Marie Lunberg so that is probably one of Johannes' daughters - the dates fit.

I found no reference of George Robert's birth but I have found an announcement in a Dutch paper that shows his untimely death. Someone who scanned the article has added February 1919 so that would fit.

I also found a Adolf Lunberg who was wanted by the Police in The Netherlands. He had committed some crime but I don't know what. He was never found; perhaps he also went to the Dutch East Indies? I am not sure of this but it is likely he was a relation because I have connected with people in the Netherlands and they say it was not a popular Dutch name at that time 1700-1800.

I also found a listing for Johan Lunberg and he was described as a merchant who travelled between the ports. This would fit nicely if this is the same Johannes (Johan) who appeared in the Dutch East Indies. The age range and dates seem to fit - I also have them on my desk.

Can anyone advise how I can trace Richard Francis Quinlan. He was born in 1919 in the Kilkenney area of Ireland, possibly Johnstown or the district main parish which I think is Urlingford. I have checked some Irish sites but there are no links at all. I started researching him about 15 years ago but it was a delicate subject because he remarried and it did upset some members of his new family. Can anyone suggest some decent research sites for Irish Ancestors. I tried Irish Origins but it wasn't great.

Thanks again

Superhoop

[Superhoop]

Well this is a strange one!

I started to search for Lunberg in the newspaper and I found this little gem!

It also shows Gwen O'Keeffe / J Gawthorne but I missed it first time around!

Does anyone know of a way to get hold of marriage/birth certificates etc from Penang?

Thanks