India: Help please with Baker 1880's West Bengal

[chris2705]

Regarding WHB's address; I have just realized something;

On the Bedford School records of WHB's son Frederick (born in Gwalior) it says that the parents live:-

"Residency, P.O. Gwalior, C. India"

Now, I assumed that it meant that their residency could be reached c/o Post Office (box?) in Gwalior    but I have recently found some new information which narrows things down and I think provides more evidence as to this being the WHB (1857-1909) born to William and Sarah, as his place of death was Morar.

"The headquarters of the political officer were situated in the area known as The Residency, a piece of land measuring 1.17 square miles (3.0 km2) situated close to Morar, about four miles (6 km) to the east of Gwalior fort."

[chris2705]

Don't think it is him, Frederick's full name was Frederick Clarence Scindia Baker (poor lad!)

"Scindia, anglicized from Shinde, and also spelled as Sindhia, Sindia, is a Maratha family in India which included rulers of the Gwalior State in the 18th and 19th centuries, collaborators of the colonial British government during the 19th and the 20th centuries until India became independent, and politicians in independent India."

[chris2705]

WHB death record

I went back to library and had another look at this. Unfortunately their microfiche printer was not the best so I need to do a bit of work to tidy up the copies. What is for sure is:

Place of death; Morar
Profession; "Loco Superintendant, G L Railways"
Date 29 Jan 1909, age at death 51 years 7 months
Father "William Henry Baker" deceased -not sure if William Sr has ever been mentioned as William Henry before?
His mother is Sarah Baker. There is no comment to say that she is deceased so presumably alive still in 1909

The cause of death is difficult to work out, perhaps someone with a bit of medical knowledge might help?

[chris2705]

WHB death record

I went back to library and had another look at this. Unfortunately their microfiche printer was not the best so I need to do a bit of work to tidy up the copies. What is for sure is:

Place of death; Morar
Profession; "Loco Superintendant, G L Railways"
Date 29 Jan 1909, age at death 51 years 7 months
Father "William Henry Baker" deceased -not sure if William Sr has ever been mentioned as William Henry before?
His mother is Sarah Baker. There is no comment to say that she is deceased so presumably alive still in 1909?

The cause of death is difficult to work out, perhaps someone with a bit of medical knowledge might help?

[looby loo]

I've never found William Snr being called William Henry before. But I did wonder why his son's middle name was Henry  as there were no other Henry's in the family, So that explains it.   I can also confirm that WHB's father was deceased.

The info on the Residency Morar is very interesting to say the least and I agree it does provide more evidence.

 I had thought that Sarah died around 1905 but it wasn't a perfect match. But just last night I did more digging and found a much closer match, and think now that she died in 1912.

I always thought that the spinster's were sisters, but last night I found a match for one of them being married and living with Sarah Baker. So maybe your spinster and mine were the two living together. 

You mention a solicitor, so maybe we should be looking for his Will in England.  For them to do a 3yr search we have to have a main date in mind and they will search one year either side of that, so if you could give me the date  I wil write off for a search. 

[chris2705]

This must be a record, 2 weeks without a post on here! Not sure if you saw this from another thread, but the popular consensus on WHB's cause of death was a stroke

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,417962.0.html

[hepburn]

Have you heard from Lou?
 

[chris2705]

PM sent

[looby loo]

   A stoke!!!   Well that solves that little problem, I just oculdn't make it out at all.

  Still not heard back from York regarding his Will. Am keeping fingers crossed they find one.
  The latest on the new connection is that they ordered the marriage cert but unfortunatly the cert doens't include parents names, so we're now in the process of looking for his baptism or birth cert. I haven't any more spare money so cna't order it unfortunatley.  So when we know more I will keep you informed. No good giving you any info on them untill we know they are connected to our Baker's.  

I was wondering as Helena's father was in the military, would it be possible for her and WHB to be married with the Army chaplain?  Seeing as she was under age her father might not have been able to attend but if they married within the army boundaries - ?? what do you think.

I have been working on a tree for a friend and discovered that their ancestor was also married in India and I thought I'd never get anywhere, only to discover his military papers included the marriage details. I know it's not the same, but you just never know what might pop up.


I don't suppose you have a photo of Cedric in his Gurkha uniform do you?   My aunt remembers seeing a photo of one of our Baker's in one and I wondered if you did she might just recognise it?