Pre WW2 Singapore Census and Marriage records

[jnorriss]

Do these exist or were they destroyed by the Japanese?   I am trying to locate a marriage record for Hugh Kirker McIntyre and a 'Thea" Foster Brown around 1938 and any reference to the couple as Thea is only known via a note in the sinking of the Tanjong Pinang when being evacuated from Singapore.   Hugh had a chiropractic clinic in Singapore until the war during which he was in Changi Prison.   I am hoping that the marriage record would provide details of Thea as I cannot find any records for her in the UK or the USA.    She was apparently born around 1915 in the UK and and met Hugh in the USA around 1936/7.    Any help would be much appreciated.

[fastfusion]

welcome to rootschat>



click on link and it may give some ideas on how to do material for Singapore>

https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Family_History_Records_at_the_National_Library_of_Singapore


Generally after about 1885 civil registry for British Subjects born in the Commonwealth are available on microfische at larger genealogical societies, some large libraries and WRO offices throughout the United Kingdom.    Partial lists of those same microfische appear on Findmy Past....   check the free index search engine first if u dont have sub..........     the entry of birth or death or marriage will be somewhat similiar to those appearing on freebmduk so copy the "cat number" area of the listing precisely, then you can order the documentation from WRO in UK.

War files ex Singapore.......if British then check the index of National Archives [UK] and there may be a listing of the file.... if it survived.    There are returned servicemen leagues for folk affected by Japanese Occupational Forces.......   
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I strongly suggest you contact the Singapore Library in the link by mail NOT email.

I would also be asking for an address for archival materials regarding immigration to the USA/ Canada.    I would also venture your reasearch into Australia at that time as some refugee vessels made it to the northern border ports of Australia...........   check NAtional Library of Australia, also check Trove,    Australian National Archives,   and on the back of ancestry.com are "Ships Lists"    .... to access them quickly enter your folk names + Ships Lists into google.........


hopefully in all that you may get lucky and find some material

good luck
fusion
 

[jnorriss]

Thanks,

I have been in touch 2 years ago and was told that they can only help if I have a particular date as they cannot search through the records and that I would have to do that.    At this time I know that Thea arrived in Singapore most probably from the USA around 1937 and that she married Hugh sometime before the start of the war.     As I cannot get to Singapore I have been trying to see if there was anyone in Singapore who may be able to help and has a local ID which I also understood was needed to access documents.    Anyway thanks for your info.

[ShaunJ]

Can't see anything for him in the NLB newspaper archive except this 1940 announcement of a change of address (to 2 Chatsworth Avenue, Tanglin): http://tinyurl.com/ojl5n3v

[jnorriss]

Many thanks for your reply.

I had seen that advertisement as well as fashion articles that were written by a Georgina and Thea in the Straits Times.   Re the latter I was wondering if they were written by the Thea I am interested in but the Straits Times was unable to provide any background.   Unless I can coop someone in Singapore to assist me it seems I will have to travel to Singapore.

RGDS

[jorose]

Do you know where in the US they might have met?

Found the marriage by searching on "Dorothea":
The Straits Times, 14 August 1939, Page 2
August 10 at Singapore, Hugh McIntyre to Dorothea Mary Brown
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19390814-1.2.4.1.aspx

An Englishwoman by that name, single, a secretary, b. 1904, arrived into NY in 1936:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-22072-24612-76?cc=1923888

Her relative at home was mother, Emily Newton Foster, 49 Beechwood Avenue, Sherwood Rise, Nottingham.
Her destination.... wait for it... wait for it... Palmer School of Chiropractic, Davenport, Iowa.

[ShaunJ]

Now there's a breakthrough! Well done Jorose.

The family is in Nottingham in the 1911 census. Likely remarriage for mother Emily Newton Brown (nee Edwards) to Robert Foster in Nottingham in 1Q 1913.

[jnorriss]

Thank very much

That is tremendous news and I am extremely grateful.   I have tried various variations on Thea but had not thought to do that in the Straits times data.   Also never found it when searching for Hugh.   Anyway this info is terrific and will help fill in the last remaining hole in what was a very interesting life which I have summarized in the Familytreecircle website at http://www.familytreecircles.com/notes-on-life-of-hugh-mcintyre-53772.html.   

Thanks again

RGDS

[jorose]

Glad to help! I was pretty pleased with myself when I spotted it!
The sg newspapers have funny OCR I find, sometimes need to play a bit - I thought of which names "Thea" might be short for, searched just on "Dorothea", then limited it by year and she popped right up!

This looks like a reference to Dorothea/Thea's death:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT8V-849
(searching on the film number, I think this is from a register of overseas British deaths of some form)