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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: AprilLan on Sunday 23 February 25 15:00 GMT (UK)
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Hi,
I'm trying to find out about an ancestor of mine, Constance Lancaster (b. 1859 in Hastings), who travelled to India in 1891. I found her mentioned in another post from 2009 and someone replied that she travelled on the Goorkha from London to Madras on 4th November 1891. Travelling as a single lady, however accompanying 2 children. This is very specific so I assume there is a record somewhere.
I cannot find any information about this boat. Would it have been the HMS Ghurka (although this was a torpedo boat). There was an SS Goorkha built in 1897, so it couldn't have been that.
I also found a list of ships arriving at Madras in 1891 and 1892 and this boat is not listed. Most seem to be boats coming coming from South Africa - is it likely she changed ships there?
Any idea which direction I should go in next? Really stumped with this!
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FindMyPast have the record with images. If you don't have a subscription you can buy the image with a free account.
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/help/articles/4405440232977-what-are-findmypast-micropayments-
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Ancestry also have the image - I've looked at it & she is Mrs Lancaster - not Miss
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This could be the Goorkha, notice the first owners were the British India Steam Navigation Co.
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01tob/
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01toc/
02 November 1891
The Homeward Mail
Regards,
Daisy
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Other info about the journey,
05 November 1911
Southern Echo, Southampton, Hampshire
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Passenger list is on FindMyPast. She is listed as Mrs Lancaster, but there are four columns after the name listing ages of Male and Female adults, the first two are for married adults, the second two for single adults. Her age has been put in the single female (4th column). Looking at other entries on that page and preceding two, it seems that the clerk has entered ages of any adult female, irrespective of whether Miss or Mrs in 4th column if they are travelling without a husband. Only married woman travelling with husband are entered in column two. 5th to 8th columns are for children and infants. (children being between 1 and 12). This is for English people . There are then duplicate sets of 8 columns for "Scotch", Irish and Foreigners. So we know Mrs Lancaster was English, age 33, travelling with a 7 year old girl and a female infant
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Is your Constance the one who died on 9 Feb 1896 in Agra of Enteric fever?
How do you know she came to India in 1891? She could have travelled any time between 1891 census date and her death date.
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Oops, sorry it was meant to say,
05 November 1891
Southern Echo, Southampton, Hampshire
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Sorry for the late reply!
LizzieL - Yes, she is the same Constance who died in Agra in 1896. I was in Agra three weeks ago and went looking for her grave after having found the will probate. Unfortunately St. Paul's Cemetery was not accessible, but I was able to find the church and the reverend, who kindly listened to my story and took me inside the original church. Low and behold, there was a memorial to Constance on the wall! Will try to add the photo here. Unbelievable. She served with the Church Missionary Society for 3 years, which means she had to have arrived around 1892, possibly leaving England late 1891. She was the principal of a girls school, which is still running. The reverend actually took me there to meet the current principal, who not only knew of her by name (something recorded in the school history), but asked if I had a photo to add the the gallery of past principals!
Thank you for the explanation of the column entries on the passenger list - that must have indeed been her and the 'Mrs' in the newspaper was simply a typo.
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Here is a poor quality shot of the memorial.
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Constance Lancaster was accepted as a missionary of the Church Missionary Society in June 1892 and
it was tentatively decided to send her to Agra:
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Church_Missionary_Intelligencer_and_Reco/IrA_AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=miss+constance+lancaster+agra&pg=PA638&printsec=frontcover
It appears that she was posted to the Girls High School in Agra in 1893:
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Proceedings_of_the_Church_Missionary_Soc/860_AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=miss+constance+lancaster+agra&pg=PR25&printsec=frontcover
Another mention here confirming that she travelled out in 1893:
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Christian_Budget_and_News_of_the_Day/WeQkRZ79KfcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=miss+constance+lancaster+agra&pg=RA20-PA26&printsec=frontcover
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Another mention: in the CMS annual report for 1893:
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Proceedings_of_the_Church_Missionary_Soc/860_AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=constance+lancaster+church+missionary+society&pg=PA96&printsec=frontcover
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ShaunJ - thank you, that's amazing. I was going to look into CMS archives next - they are extensive! If only they had a photo.
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She may not be recorded on passenger lists for ships leaving the UK. Many people preferred a slightly faster route to India, by cross-channel ferry and train to a Mediterranean port, and then by steamer via the Suez Canal.
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HI,
I think I've found her going to India. This page says Missses E.E THOMPSON and C. LANCASTER for Agra and Miss W.B.J. WILKINSON for Muttra left london on October 21 and arrived in November. The above entry shows that they are talking about 1892.
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01tqd/
FindMyPast and Ancestry have images of the passenger list,
Departure Date: 20 Oct 1892
Ship: Peninsular
Destination Port: Bombay, India
Miss THOMPSON
Missionary
Age: 28
Miss WILKINSON
Missionary
Age: 30
Miss Lancaster
Missionary
Age: 26
Arrival in India,
https://search.fibis.org/bin/aps_detail.php?id=1783736
If it is her then it looks like she was fibbing about her age she should be about 32.
Daisy
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Well found, Daisy !
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I never would have found her without the Church Missionary Society info. that you found :)