Looking for a fresh pair of eyes on finding info about my great grandfather

[deetur]

I had an interesting reply from Bisichi this afternoon.

"It appears he was involved in a failed prospecting mission to Malaya for Tin on behalf of the company in 1919 and his engagement then subsequently ended."

The attachment told a slightly more detailed version (obviously he was just being polite  ).

"At the instigation of Waters of NNT an expedition for the joint account of NNT and Bisichi was sent to Malaya in 1919 to search for tin. An account was opened with the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank, and Messrs A E Thomas and J T Balmer were despatched with the necessary prospecting equipment. The expedition was a fiasco and Thomas and Balmer were ordered home and not re-engaged. Peterson Simons & Co who had offices in London and Penang, were engaged to clear up the mess and dispose of the equipment, which took until 1923 to complete."

Wow, what an amazing response from Bisichi to your query. Well done for asking them, and to the person who looked that up for you.
The story does sound rather comical (if you don't mind me saying!)

I wonder when exactly Joseph's services were dispensed with. I had begun to think that James who died in Rangoon in 1921 might actually have been Joseph, as you speculated in Reply #22.

Isn't it? To be honest I wasn't expecting to hear back from them. Funnily enough the book I ordered on the history of Bisichi Mines arrived today too and that's where his source came from. I have also asked some Nigerian folk who know a lot about the Bisichi history if they can find out anything. Will obviously report back here if anything is uncovered.

The newspaper article mentioning Bisichi was dated around Jun 1920 I believe which was the one on here that mentioned the solicitors etc. So we know in 1920 that Joseph was still alive.

I think as there is very little on James Twigg-Balmer that's what is making me think are they the same person? Would also fit with Elizabeth being a widow by 1921.

I am looking back over my old research of the Joseph Twigg family (William and Mary Twigg's family) to see if there's anything more there that I missed the first time.

[maddys52]

I agree, what a helpful lot at Bisichi.
It does make you wonder whether James and Joseph are one and the same, except Joseph says his next of kin is James in SA. I think Joseph is in China and James in SA around the same time.

[heywood]

I am sure this will have been posted in this long thread, but if this is one or other of the brothers, it is likely to be James going to Nigeria, as the birth is abt 1873, unless it is Joseph fibbing about his age.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68GP-WTG2?lang=en

[deetur]

I am sure this will have been posted in this long thread, but if this is one or other of the brothers, it is likely to be James going to Nigeria, as the birth is abt 1873, unless it is Joseph fibbing about his age.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68GP-WTG2?lang=en

This could be James as it only states J T Balmer and mining as the occupation.  However....

There is a journey from Africa to England later in 1917 which is definitely Joseph (he is named and address matches the one he shares with Elizabeth). Year of birth is given as 1872.

Joseph also lies about his age on the Freemason records, unless the service papers are where he is lying about his age.

[Sc00p]

I had an interesting reply from Bisichi this afternoon.

..... Messrs A E Thomas and J T Balmer were despatched with the necessary prospecting equipment. The expedition was a fiasco and Thomas and Balmer were ordered home and not re-engaged.....

Just to add some context...
"A E thomas" was Albert Ernest Thomas d.25-May-1923 Barmouth.  He was a well respected and international mining engineer coming from a Cornish mining family.  His Brother, Father and Grandfather had all been the managers/captains of Dolcoath copper/tin mine for some 50 years.

Joseph Twigg Balmer on the other hand (according to the only evidence so far) seems to have taken up a mining career on the boat trip from Shanghai before signing up.  Customs clerk to Mining engineer seems a bit far fetched to me but he must have impressed someone after his desertion. 
Edit: I've just seen the 1908 Freemasonry register give his profession as "mining engineer".

A E Thomas was also a Freemason, another of his brothers was master of Hayle lodge.

[Neale1961]

 A E THOMAS
https://nmrs.org.uk/resources/obituaries-of-members/obituaries-of-members-names-beginning-with-t/albert-ernest-thomas/


Added - Did A E Thomas and Joseph meet in some South African mine?

[Sc00p]

Joseph also lies about his age on the Freemason records, unless the service papers are where he is lying about his age.

If he was really born in 1872/3 he would have been too old to join up. I believe the age limit was 38 in 1914.  Might be why he wasn't detained after his desertion and appears to have travelled freely during the war years.  I wonder if he needed to get back to the UK (or away from China) and a sponsored ticket back was an easy option.

Doesn't explain the freemasonry discrepancy though.

[jonwarrn]

Waltair Lodge, Visakhapatnam
Joseph Twigg Balmer resigned 10.7.1911

[jonwarrn]

Ancestry don't seem to have all of Islington for 1918 in the London electoral registers 

Joseph is not listed at West Lodge, Barnsbury Square in the spring 1919 register.
George and Georgina Botten in the Division 1 voters
In Division 2 were Douglas Alison, Robert Younie, Charles Cowden and Edward Young.
Alison, Younie and Young were absent (military) voters.