Margaret Mitchell LEYS born Calcutta 1889, married there 1911...

[tishgibbons]

Hello All!
I have a Margaret Mitchell LEYS born in Calcutta in 1889 to Aberdeenshire native, William LEYS and his second wife, Bridget Doyle. She married Frederick Alfred Leonard GOLDEN in St. Andrew's Church in Calcutta in August 1911. No trace since. Any ideas or tips for searching in India? It was FIBIS who gave me that much information a number of years ago, but I don't know if it's worth catching up with them again.
Tish

[SarahND]

Hello Tish,

Findmypast have several databases involving the British in India: Births & Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths & Burials and Wills & Probate. That said though, I don't see much of obvious interest in the indexes (I don't have a subscription, so can't see the actual documents) except perhaps the death and probate for a William Leys in 1909-10, which you probably already have from FIBIS.

Best wishes,
Sarah

[Currie]

Hello Tish,

This is probably the one you’ve already seen.

The Times of India, August 28, 1911;
MARRIAGE.
GOLDEN—LEYS—August 12th, at St. Andrew’s Church, Calcutta, by the Rev. Geo. J. Chree, Fred. A. Golden, eldest son of Frederick Golden, of Ilford Essex, England to Marguerite, only daughter of the late William Leys, of Aberdeen, Scotland.

While browsing I stumbled across an earlier post https://www.talkingscot.com/forum/viewt ... =23&t=6152

Have you seen this article in The Times of India, 14 August, 1908.

Mr. Leys, Registrar of Hackney Carriages, has had another of his exciting experiences at the hands of the gharrywallahs. The Registrar refused to allow a gharry, with very bad wheels to ply any longer and took away the license. This gharrywalla had figured in the Manicktollah Garden case as one of the witnesses. He brought his gharry to the Carriage Department and asked for his license which was refused as the wheels were in the same condition. He was ordered to remove the gharry after the Deputy Chairman of the Corporation had confirmed Mr. Leys' opinion. There was a policeman on duty who was ordered to see to the matter on the man’s refusal to move, and then came the rush—two or three hundred gharrywallahs set on Mr. Leys, but before any damage was done his staff rushed out of the office and helped to keep the crowd off. Everybody hoped the taxi cabs would have “materialized,” and together with the motor buses would have delivered us from our gharrywallahs—but we hope in vain.

All the best,
Alan

Later
In The Times of India, 16 September, 1908, there’s a lengthy article very critical of Mr. Leys.
“CALCUTTA GHARRYS: Passing through bad Times”
Not sure if I can easily transcribe that as it’s a .pdf and too late today. Just send me a PM with an email address if you want a copy.

Alan

[tishgibbons]

Thank you Sarah - you also helped me with the same family about 13 years ago!! Alan provided the reminder.

Alan - thank you so much - intriguing!! Yes I@ll pm.

Thank You~!
Tish

[SarahND]

Thank you Sarah - you also helped me with the same family about 13 years ago!! Alan provided the reminder.

I had forgotten also!

[Luan537]

I have recently found this site and am intrigued because I have a Margaret Mitchell Leys in my family record.
She was my grandfathers sister. Grandfather being William George Leys first child - son of William LEYS and Bridget DOYLE
I believed that Bridget was a spinster when she married William in Kilkenny in 1886
Have we a connection?

[tishgibbons]

Yes, my 4th cousin, once removed - we are connected! Delighted to find you!

Your g.g.grandmother Margaret Mitchell and my g.g.g.grandfather William Mitchell were brother and sister (parents: Peter Mitchell and Mary Bowman).

William's son, Peter Mitchell came to Ireland sometime in the early 1870s, married the local school-teacher and the rest is history, well, my family history at least.

I had traced your g.grandfather William Leys as far as Calcutta; the birth of his two children William George and Margaret. I then came to a dead end with the marriage of Margaret to Frederick Golden in 1911 and William George's two marriages and the birth of a daughter (won't name here in case she's still alive, would be about 85 now, I think).

I have a lot of information about the family going back to origins in Crathie, Aberdeenshire and can trace almost to the present day in some lines. I'd be delighted to exchange information with you. Would you like to send me a private message and I will give you my e-mail address.

Can't believe you only joined this group yesterday!

So looking forward to hearing from you.

Tish
(from an uncharacteristically sunny West of Ireland!!)

[Luan537]

I thought I pm'd you but have heard nothing back. Only just learning about how to do that. Did you get it. I think you are talking about my mother

[tishgibbons]

I've been watching the site all week hoping to hear from you. No, no PM came but that's ok. I'll PM you and see if you can get it - hang in there!

[tishgibbons]

Hi Luan573 - I sent that private message the other day - hope you got it - fingers crossed to hear from you soon!
Tish