Author Topic: India: Where was my father and what did he do?  (Read 1330 times)

Offline TedL

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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.

Offline barryd

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Re: India: Where was my father and what did he do?
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 11 October 18 02:00 BST (UK) »
In 1933 Thomas Edward Ley was a 27 year old PRINTER headed for Topsham, Exeter from India and  conveniently able to get off the ship in Plymouth. I wonder if he printed banknotes for the mint if mints print banknotes!

Offline TedL

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Re: India: Where was my father and what did he do?
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 11 October 18 08:22 BST (UK) »
Hi Barryd,

Think there is a bit of confusion on that date, believe it is 1934 and that is my father. I also went down the family link (I didn't say previously that the man who replaced my grandfather as the Mint Warder, William Rawlings, also married his daughter, my aunt) but my father doesn't appear in the Directories as a Mint employee. To muddy the waters even more his occupation when he married is stated as "hotel cook"!

Regards,

Offline brionne

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Re: India: Where was my father and what did he do?
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 11 October 18 10:54 BST (UK) »
Your fathers death entry 1951 Exeter gives his birth as being 1901.    Not 1905 as you have given.
Is this the correct person. Brionne.
Dyer,Wilts,Weare Somerset Dorset Wilts.
Weare/Robinson Ottawa Canada.Petty Wilts.
Simper Wilts.West Wilts.West Vermont.Kelsey Surrey.Chappell
Chapel Essex.McPherson,M Pherson MacPherson
Perthshire Scotland,Cork,Dublin,Drogheda Ireland.
Census information Crown Copy right from
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Offline TedL

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Re: India: Where was my father and what did he do?
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 11 October 18 16:36 BST (UK) »
Hi Brionne,

Thats right the death certificate says Age 50 but as we all know someone else tells the registrar your age when you die. And at that time you didnt need to give a birth date.

Regards,

Offline brionne

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Re: India: Where was my father and what did he do?
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 11 October 18 18:03 BST (UK) »
Response to no 1, Sailing record, Thomas went back out again to Bombay the following year,age 28,occupation Sups Printing.
No sign of him in 1939 anywhere, so did he spend the war years in India.
Dyer,Wilts,Weare Somerset Dorset Wilts.
Weare/Robinson Ottawa Canada.Petty Wilts.
Simper Wilts.West Wilts.West Vermont.Kelsey Surrey.Chappell
Chapel Essex.McPherson,M Pherson MacPherson
Perthshire Scotland,Cork,Dublin,Drogheda Ireland.
Census information Crown Copy right from
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Online mazi

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Re: India: Where was my father and what did he do?
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 11 October 18 20:59 BST (UK) »
Is it possible that your father was actually working for India’s first security printer in Nasik, in 1928 they had the first banknote printing press, and were also printing postage and revenue stamps, high value revenue stamps were virtually the same as money.

They are still in buisiness as security printers as SPMCIL

Mike

Added.  There seems to me to be a connection between your grandfather as mint warden (in charge of security amongst other things) and the printing of banknotes


Offline TedL

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Re: India: Where was my father and what did he do?
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 11 October 18 21:35 BST (UK) »
Hi Mazi,

That is a good lead, I have emailed then on the off chance they have some archives.

Given three family members worked at the Mint I always thought it a possibility but could never find anything to confirm it.

Regards