Who Do You Think You Are - Olivia Colman 9th Jul

[Blaquiere Talbot]

Emigration
1818 • Calcutta to UK
Departure Nov 1818 Name of Ship "James Sibbald" Captain Forbes. Miss Charlotte Hunter. Child Passenger Origin Calcutta. Destination Europe.

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by Blaquiere Talbot

Many thanks KiteRunner (shades of Kabul?). I have now reviwed all the other comments and added them to my tree. Oh Dear! Seraphina is indeed a mystery woman. Two and possibly three (Donclere) "husbands". Very modern! I have been doing my family for 50 years but have never come across an unique surname! I agree Donclere must be an anglicised version of a Portuguese or maybe mixed race name? Somewhere I read Seraphina supported her sister in a Portuguese convent but I can't find it again. Also complicating it is that her 2nd husnand? William Slessor was also born in Portugal (his father was a British General and Governor of Opporto). So somewhere Harriett says she is supporting a niece in Portugal (again I can't find it!). Does anyone have legible transcript of Hunter's will and the Chancery dispute? Ditto Elizabet Goreham? Yes Charlotte married very well. Richard Bevan was a banker whose grandfather co-founded Barclay's Bank! There is a portrait of him on-line also his father "Silvanus Bevan of Riddlesworth Hall 1790". As for Charlotte's father he was HM 19th Foot who were in Ceylon for a long time "In April 1801 the regiment was deployed to Ceylon for service in the Kandyan Wars.[13] The regiment lost six officers and 172 other ranks in a massacre there in June 1803 and then remained on the island to enforce British rule.[16] The regiment did not return to England until May 1820." So Charlotte must have been born in Ceylon. However Seraphina could have come from anywhere in or enroute to Ceylon. Goa? Monty Python would pronounce that "goer!".

Like I said before, Seraphina doesn't seem to have been legally married at all, to anyone. Hence why she is a spinster in her will. Harriot Slessor's will (see post #21) says "the remaining 50 must be given to my daughter Louisa de Soza towards paying a Pension in a Convent in Portugal."

[kiterunner]

This is a transcription of Dunbar Hunter's will:

In the Name of God Amen I Dunbar James Hunter do Will and bequeath the property I am now possessed or may hereafter inherit in the following manner viz I appoint my beloved Daughter Charlotte Hunter my Sole and entire heir to all propertys whatsoever I do will and bequeath to Madame Seriphina Donclere her Mother the Sum of Fifty pounds Sterling Money per annum for her natural life and at her Death to return to my heirs and one hundred pounds Sterling to pay her passage from this Country In the event of the Death of my beloved Daughter before she is married or attain twenty one years of age I do make my beloved Mother Mrs Elizabeth Goreham and Dear Brother Robert Hunter joint heirs and Guardians to my beloved Daughter I do appoint William Andrews Esqr Executor in this Country I do make this my last Will and Testament this 19th day of August 1803 at Trincomalia in the Island of Ceylong Signed D J Hunter Major 19th Regt of Foot & Lt Coll. Witnesses J. Crookes, J. W. Ottley

I might have a go at some of the other things that you asked about tomorrow.

[kiterunner]

The first part that appears after Dunbar Hunter's will:

Septr 15th 1806

Appeared Personally Elizabeth Goreham of King Street Portman Square in the County of Middlesex Widow and Alexander Gordon of Old Broad Street Attorney at Law and made Oath as follows (that is to say) First the said Elizabeth Goreham for herself saith that she is the Mother of Dunbar James Hunter late of the Island of Ceylon and Major of His Majestys 19 Regiment of Foot and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Esqr deceased that the said deceased having duly made his Will at Ceylon he therein named William Andrews Esquire Executor in that Country and who as this Deponent believes only proved the said Will in the proper Court at Ceylon where the original Will now remains that shortly after the death of the said deceased the said William Andrews transmitted to England a Copy of the said Will of the said deceased certified to be a true Copy by the said William Andrews and by Ricfhard Young and D Mardenaes (?) Lieutenants in the said 19th Regiment of Foot and which Copy is now hereunto annexed and the Deponent believes the same to be a true and faithful copy of the said Last Will and Testament of the said Deceased and she furthre deposes that she verily and in her Consciences believes there is not now in England any other or more authentic Copy of the said Will of the said deceased than the aforesaid Copy hereunto annexed save and Except that she believes there is in the possession of the aforesaid William Andrews who now resides in England a Copy of the said Will annexed to the Probate thereof by him obtained at Ceylon at aforesaid and this Deponent Lastly saith that she believes it will be for the benefit of the Estate of the said Deceased that Letters of administrations with the aforesaid Copy of the said Will annexed of the Goods of the said Deceased should now be granted under the Seal of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury without(?) writing(?) the arrival of an authentic Copy of the said Will from Ceylon aforesaid And the said Alexander Gordon for himself saith that as Solicitor for the said Elizabeth Goreham he hath applied to John Peale of Hatton Garden London the Solicitor for the same Williams Andrews requesting to have the aforesaid Probate and Copy of the said Will delivered over to him but he hath not been able to obtain the same Eliza: Goreham Alexr Gordon The same day the said Elizabeth Goreham and Alexander Gordon were duly sworn to the truth of this affidavit Before me C Coote Surr.

[kiterunner]

And the other bit after Dunbar Hunter's will:

On the Seventeenth Day of September in the year of Our Lord One thousand Eight hundred and Six Administration with the Copy of the Will annexed of the Goods Chattels and Credits of Dunbar James Hunter late of the Island of Ceylon and Major of his Majestys 19th Regt of Foot and Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Esqr deceased was granted to Elizabeth Goreham Widow the ?????? Guardian appointed by the High Court of Chancery to Charlotte Hunter Spinster a Minor the Residuary Legatee named in the said Will save and except his Goods Chattles and Credits lying and being in the Island of Ceylon aforesaid and limited until the original Will or a more authentic Copy thereof should be brought into and left in the Registry of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury but no further or otherwise in the use and benefit of the said Minor until she shall attain her age of twenty one years or until the Further Order of the said High Court of Chancery she having been first sworn duly to admr No Executor but William Andrews for the Island of Ceylon.

[kiterunner]

And this is my transcription of Elizabeth Goreham's will and probate info:

In the Name of God Amen I Eliza Goreham being in poor health I do hereby make my last Will and Testament and as it hath pleased Almighty God to take from me my two dear and valuable Sons Robt and Dunbar Js Hunter I therefore will and appoint the Infant Daughter Charlotte Hunter of my beloved son Dunbar Js Hunter to be my sole Heir to all property I die possessed of only burthened with the after named Legacies as a trifling mark of my esteem and respect for them I will and name Grant Allan and Alexander Gordon Esquires both of the City of London to be my Executors and Trustees to the above named Charlotte Hunter till she is of Age twenty one years old to each of these Gentlemen I leave twenty Guineas and to my much esteemed Sister in Law the true and faithful wife of my dear and valuable Brother Alexander Maclellan to her I leave thirty Guineas as a small mark for her great kindness to me and to my Son in Law George John Goreham I leave to him the sum of one hundred pounds and to my Nephew George Maclellan to him I leave thirty Guineas but should the above named Charlotte Hunter die before she is Married or at the age of twenty one years old I then name my Daughter in Law Mrs McIlraith formerly Miss Goreham the oldest daughter of General Goreham George John Goreham and my Nephew George Maclellan as joint Heirs to all property I die possessed of Failing the within named Charlotte Hunter that is to say If she dies before she is Married or at the age of twenty one years old this I leave as my last Will and Testament So help me God. I further leave to my Cousin Mrs Ann Heron the Sum of twenty Guineas Eliza Goreham Brompton Row May 30 1811 Witness Geo Jenner. See Affidt after Act.

Proved at London 11th May 1815 before the Worshipful John Daubeny Doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the Oaths of Grant Allan Esquire and Alexander Gordon Esquire the Executors to whom Administration was granted having been first sworn duly to Administer.

6th May 1815
Appeared Personally Alexander Munro of Great St Helens London Gentleman and made Oath that he knew and was well acquainted with Eliza Goreham late of Brompton Row in the County of Middlesex Widow deceased for several years before and to the time of her death and hath several times seen her write and write and subscribe her name to writings whereby he hath acquired a knowledge of her manner and Character of handwriting and subscription and having now viewed and perused the paper writing hereunto annexed purporting to be and contain the last Will and Testament of the said deceased the said Will beginning thus "In the name of God Amen" ending thus "the sum of twenty Guineas" and thus subscribed "Eliza Goreham" and bearing date the thirtieth day of May 1811 this appearer saith that he verily and in his Conscience believes the whole body series and contents with the interlineation "Charlotte Hunter" between the fourth and fifth lines of the first page of the said Will and also the names "Eliza Goreham" set and subscribed thereto to be of the proper handwriting and subscription of the said Eliza Goreham deceased Alexr Munro same day the said Alexander Munro was duly sworn to the truth hereof before me John Daubeny Junr.

[Blaquiere Talbot]

Wow! This is simply amazing! How on earth do you read that appalling writing? So I think we can assume "Madam Serephina Donclere" was probably a Portuguese and possibly Dutch mix "The Portuguese Burghers are largely descendants of the Sri Lanka Mestiços, the people of mixed Portuguese and Sri Lankan descent (commonly of a Portuguese father and a Sri Lankan mother) who appeared in the 16th century, after the Portuguese explorers found the sea route to the Indian Ocean. When the Dutch took over coastal Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), the descendants of the Portuguese took refuge in the central hills of Kandyan Kingdom under Sinhalese rule. In time, the Dutch and Portuguese descendants intermarried. In today's Sri Lanka, the Creole is limited to the spoken form. Most of the speakers are the Burghers in the Eastern province (Batticaloa and Trincomalee)". Also this "The arrival of the Portuguese on Sri Lanka’s (Ceylon) shores in 1505 had a profound impact on local society and the Sinhalese. For one thing, the Portuguese title of Dom, originally applied to nobles and churchmen. Caught on by undergoing a slight change to Don to precede the proper names of local men. J.W. Bennett noted in his work, Ceylon and its Capabilities (1843), how the Sinhalese of his day still aspired for Portuguese names and titles. Adopting names such as Don Louis and Don Christoffel. “German Barons” he says, “are scarcely less plentiful than Ceylon Doms and Dons, and the latter appendage is just as easily assumed as the former title”.
I have also traced "Mrs Bridget Watson". Another mystery! She was born "Maria Elizabeth Crommelin" but christened "Bridget Watson"! She eventually married Mordaunt Ricketts! What the connection with Seraphina was I don't know - yet! I love mysteries! We have a Sinhalese friend who is a professor of linguistics so I will ask her about Donclere.

[Janet]

Could it have been Don Clere, then?

[Blaquiere Talbot]

I have to await responses from my Ceylon gurus!
Richard

[Blaquiere Talbot]

Re Donclere: Initial response from one of my Singhalese gurus: "Hemi:
Thanks for your email. I have started inquiries as this copy of mail shows. The name not sounding Portuguese is not necessarily important because much of the Ceylon burgher community also came from the De Meuron regiment which was a mercenary force employed by the Dutch and had every European ethnicity in it. They were disbanded in 1796 when the Dutch surrendered, and most of them settled down as "burghers" in Ceylon. Will let you know of my search as it progresses.
Ernest