Can you help to solve an Indian mystery?

[Coates09]

I have just joined rootschat after being told by my cousin that there was info regarding Robert Smith Coombs.
I have been told that my great grandmother was a Mary Smith Coombs born in India approx 1845 ish and that would make RSC my distant grandparent.
I have a cousin in Canada who’s maiden name is Coombs and is a direct descendant of RSC.
If you could send me any info you have I can forward it to Aileen nee Coombs and she may be able to contact you with any info you may have.
Look forward to hearing from you soon.

[Coates09]

Hi Nicdigby
I have been asked by my cousin to clarify a couple of points regarding Robert Smith Coombs. RSC was actually born in Woolwich and his father William occupation was a Waterman and not a Vicar.
Thanks

[nicdigby]

Me again.
I've ordered the death cert from the GRO for him.

In the meantime, I've come forward a generation and would much appreciate help with finding the four children he had with Agnes Cristabel Coombs in India.

It's important to note that she re-married, in 1935, in India, to Anthony Horne and therefore she changed her surname - and those of her four children - to HORNE.

Specifically:

Eldest was Audrey Ellen Maud Coley born 1923. Her eldest nephew believes she never married and never had children but that she left India late 1940s/early 50s and settled at 64 Belgrave Road, Wansted in East London and then moved to Birch Hill, Bracknell, berkshire where she died around 2010.

Questions:

1) I've found a death record 2015 in Surrey for Audrey Horne on GRO but the timings don't fit too well with what her nephew recalls. Can anyone find a different death record?

2) Can anyone find a marriage record - just in case she did marry?

3) I've found an emigration record from Bombay to London in 1947 with Audry Horne but it states she was going to a hotel in St Andrews in Scotland. Bit strange as no connections with Scotland. And Bombay was miles from where they lived in India; all the others departed from Calcutta. Can anyone find anpther emigration record pls?

I as still stuck with this, can anyone help pls?

[nicdigby]

And finally, David Walden Coley. Surname changed to Horne as a boy but as a man he used COLEY.

b 17 Dec 1927, India.

Last seen as a teenager on a train to Bombay. Turned up 50 years later in England having tracked down his sisters (all of them - and him - now deceased) and said he had been in the army in India (probably British Army), got sent to prison for murder and disowned by the parents. Have no idea about whether this is correct but that's apparently what he said.

Died in England.

I have found his birth and death. That's all. Cannot find ANY record of him leaving India. And wondered if anyone could find a record of the murder - I don't have a newspaper subscription and nothing that I can see on FindMyPast, Ancestry, FS or google about it.

Many thanks for any help.

I have found the living relative of the sibling Barbara so no longer need any help with her, but would be very grateful for help with David - the questions above. Still at a brick wall.

Many thanks

[brigidmac]

Still following this fascinating story
Can someone do a summary of findings so far ..have you had. Any photo finds and DNA
And would anyone like indian stamos from the era
Im saving spares from inherited albums and will do a Time Travel DETECTIVE work shop specifically about indian relatives . eventually
Pm me for links

[nicdigby]

Still following this fascinating story
Can someone do a summary of findings so far ..have you had. Any photo finds and DNA
And would anyone like indian stamos from the era
Im saving spares from inherited albums and will do a Time Travel DETECTIVE work shop specifically about indian relatives . eventually
Pm me for links

Thank you.

I've found Barbara's son and spoken to him so I'm sorted with her. He also confirmed that the sibling Audrey never married or had children so am sorted with her.

I am still stuck with David, can find NOTHING about him at all. There must be a tale to be told; disappeared in India, came back into the family life 55 years later, in England, saying he'd been in prison for murder in India while he was in the British Indian Army there. I suspect the story has been subject to Chinese Whispers changes - or has it?! Surely it would have been in some newspapers in India at least? I can find nothing but don't have subs to newspapers.com.

His sister Audrey never believed it was him who returned after a 55 year absence, but his other sisters did. Where did he go? Who did he murder, if that's even true?! Or was it an army accident he was blamed for but he wasn't convicted of murder?? How did he get back to England as there are no passenger ship records I can find and air travel would have been out of his means for decades.

Can anyone help?!

David Walden Coley. Surname changed to Horne as a boy but as a man he used COLEY.

b 17 Dec 1927, India. Gorakhpur or Poona, Bengal.  Son of Louis Coley and Agnes Cristabel Ellen Coombs.
Went to Lawrence Military School, Sanawar, Simla Hills, India.
Then disappeared as a 16 year old on a train to Bombay.
Turned up in England mid 1990s I believe.
Died in England 2014.

[mckha489]

I've been looking Nic.  Like you, I can see nothing at all.


added - but if he didn't turn up in England until the mid 1990s well, air-travel was well and truly an easy thing by then!! and there will be no passenger lists to look at now.

Speaking of my own families experiences. By 1971 it proved next to impossible for my grandfather to travel from the UK to NZ by ship.  He had managed it in 1969, but 1971 he flew. And from then on all trips from NZ to UK or VV by our families were by air.

I realise you are speaking of India, but I imagine it was not dissimilar.

[bearkat]

I've also looked but have found nothing. That may not be surprising if he was in prison.

If he was in the British Indian Army there should be a service record somewhere.

[nicdigby]

Using info given by mckha489, on GRO site click Place an Order [3rd down in menu on right], click Overseas, then Death, then Year 1928, Yes you know reference, enter name, put 229 in reference box then pay - worked for me [though I didn't pay.....]

Hi,
I ordered the death cert for Louis Coley exactly as per these instructions. It's just bounced back to me, saying that the GRO reference is incomplete and they've taken £3.50 for the privilege of looking . This is exactly what I didnt want to happen. Can anyone find me a GRO reference for his death please as I cannot find it.