For BMD records use the SEARCH box on www.kabristan.org.uk if your ancestor is not available send us your query. Someone else maybe able to help if we can’t.
For BMD records use the SEARCH box on www.kabristan.org.uk if your ancestor is not available send us your query. Someone else maybe able to help if we can’t.
Hi,
I would like to know the ancestors of Commodore Donald Victor Hunter of the Ceylon Navy. I believe he is my grandfather’s cousin through my great grandmother Louisa Alexandra Irene Andre Hunter (her married name was Crowther). I think they were born in Kandy or possibly Trincomalee, being from a naval family. I believe that Donald Victor Hunter was famous in Ceylon and is buried at St Peter’s Church, Fort Colombo. I want to know who his father and grandparents are.
Hi John
Not sure if it’s the same person or not, but I have a Donald Victor Hunter born 24-May-1917 at Colombo on my tree. He was the son of Donald Hugh Alexander Hunter (1877-1924/25) and May Pearl Brenda Speldewinde (1887-1960).
Darren
Some additional details:- Donald Hugh Alexander Hunter’s parents were John Hunter (c1830-1883) & Emma Grace Redlich (1852-?). John was previously married to Emma’s half-sister Charlotte Frederica Redlich (1837-1873) and had children from both marriages, although I don’t have any record of a Louisa Alexandra Irene Andre Hunter, although do have one unidentified female Hunter born circa 1865 at Trincomalee.
Hi,
This is exactly the one I’m looking for. Could I get access to the family tree?
Can you please help with locating any information for a Lt. John Collier of the 56th or 59th Ceylon Regiment of Foot who married a Mary Anne circa 1810. Looking for any marriage, baptism or burial details on any Collier but especially John and his family. I’m sorry that is all I have and have been trying all avenues to locate documentation.
Thank you for any help you can send my way.
We have Anna Collier baptism at The Dutch Church Colombo, burial of William Collier at St Paul’s Kandy, marriages of Thomas Christie and Ann Fitzpatrick COLLIER and Herbert Erskine Cates & Amy Marion Collier, burial at Colombo Thomas Collier, COLLIER, Jaspar (Ceylon Roll of Honour WW1 1914-18, COLLIER Thomas buried at
Holy Trinity Nuwara Eliya,and marriage of Dr Charles Collier and Christina Johnston …at Trincomalee. Unfortunately we do not have Lt John Collier.
Regards
Eileen Hewson FRGS The Kabristan Archives
Hi Eileen
Dr Charles Collier and Christina Johnston where my 3rd gr-grandparents.
is there any information about children of theirs who were born and possibly died in Sri lanka? Their youngest daughter, Mary Anne Elizabeth was born back in England and may have been their only child to have descendants.
Chris Jorgensen
Unfortunately, I do not have these names on my data base. You could try Ceylon Database. Also someone reading this may be able to help you. We have a high number of people who interact on this site.
Regards
Eileen Hewson FRGS
Hello,
I am investigating my family history. My great-grand father, Mr William M Elliott-Wright, and great-grand mother, Kathleen Fair Elliott-Wright, worked on tea farms in Ceylon in the lat 1890s/early 1900’s. The estates were Old Maddegama C125 and Bellwood C114.
Do you know if these estates are still in existence/functional, or where they would be located now? Would you by any chance have any information on this or know of anyone who might be able to help?
Many thanks in advance for your help.
Allan
Hi Allan
Have a look at the History of Ceylon Tea website (https://www.historyofceylontea.com/). The Ferguson Directories and Planters Association publications will likely contain more information on the estates and possibly your family. There is also a register of estates on the site.
Darren
Hi
Looking for any additional information on a Malcolm Claude Brace, who was buried at the General Cemetery in Colombo in 1943, aged 57 (born c1886). There do not appear to be any UK records for him and apart from the burial, the only other Ceylon reference that I have for him is the 1942 Ferguson Directory that lists him as an Auctioneer & Broker, residing in Baillie Street at the Fort in Colombo.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Darren
Looking for my maternal great grand father Aristidi Petranelli who married Elizabeth Jansen,
maybe around 1850 (a guess). They had four children – Lester, Mary, Amelia and Nellie.
Thanks.
Sorry, I made a mistake, Aristidi Petranelli married Elizabeth Jansen (not Jansen)
Hi,
Looking for any details regarding Robert Wishart/Wishard (or name variation) who was a private in the 73rd regiment of Foot. Had children in VDL (Tasmania) before being sent to Ceylon. Have been unable to track beyond sailing for Ceylon. Had a reference to his wife Elizabeth or Eliza marrying to a George Rogers or Rodgers also in the 73rd? Unknown if this Rogers also survived Ceylon as many men were lost due to the conditions?
Very pleased to find this site! From the Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union (on line!) from 1914, I found a slightly edited Baptism Record for a William Henry Raymond, baptised on 27 April 1813 at Matara. The parents shown were John Henry Layard and “Maria …….”. Facts make it cleat that this was an illegitimate son, and Mr. Layard later took him to England for his education.
It is possible that the genealogist who prepared this note (Vol 7, No. 1, p. 29) in the JDBU omitted the mother’s surname out of delicacy —
A knowledgeable Sri Lanka genealogist (in the UK) has told me that records from the Dutch Church (probably) in Matara might now be in the Wolvendaal Trust Bambalipitiya, Colombo. Might it be possible to retain somebody in Colombo who is familiar with the records kept there, to see if this baptism record still exists, and what the original shows as the mother’s name?
I am writing an article about this family and it would be an important element, if it can be known. Working from the U.S., so a visit to Colombo is not an option. Have already contacted the DBU and one specialist in Sri Lanka.
Thank you to anybody who can direct me to locating this 1813 record.
At a guess I would say the records are with the Wolvendaal Trust Bambalipitiya Colombo but I do not think you will find out the surname of Maria. It is unlikely you will find it because the DBU would not have left it off so many years later. I doubt if you will find it on the birth record. The girl was probably a local girl. As you are probably aware the white population often had mistresses from the native population. I am posting this in the hope someone else may be able to help. Alas my contact for genealogy in Sri Lanka died in a motorbike accident.
I’m researching my family tree staring with my grandmother. she was born in Sri Lanka 1905 in Colombo.
Her name Doris Blanche Wilson, daughter of Albert Thomas Wilson (b.1866 England) and Frances Winifred Corteling (Nee Ambrose, born about 1870 in Sri Lanka).Frances was married to Laurie Stephen Corteling before. Don’t know anything about when and where they were married or when Laurie died. Neither do I know when and where Frances was born. But I do know who her father was: Adam Clarke Ambrose (b. 1834-ish Jaffna, died 1910). Frances had at least one brother Edgar (b. 1873 Colombo). Again no further details about Adam and Edgar. Any help grately appreciated (dates of BMD, siblings etc.)
Thank you !
Please use our SEARCH FACILITY on top right hand side of HOME page on http://www.kabristan.org.uk your relatives if we have them will show up here.
Eileen Hewson FRGS The Kabristan Archives
I found the Kabristan site several years ago and, thanks to help from Eileen, was able to expand the information I had already gleaned from the British Army Chaplain records regarding my 3 x and 4x great grandparents and their family.
My 4x great grandfather was Thomas Barnes, a Quarter Master Sergeant with the 90th Foot Regiment based in Sri Lanka (Colombo and Kandy) in the early 1800s. I had already found my 2x great grandmother, Louisa’s baptism/birth certificate in the online Army Chaplains records for Dec 1841, but this only listed her mother as Elizabeth – I could find no record of a marriage for Elizabeth and Thomas.
After contacting Eileen she found records in the church archives from St Paul’s Church, Kandy which showed that Thomas and Elizabeth had another daughter, Mary Ann, in June 1844. Unfortunately, Elizabeth died in Dec of the same year, but I have so far found no further records relating to Mary Ann.
Further advice, from Eileen led me to contact the church in Kandy to request copies of the church registers, but initially the fees were too high. However, several years later I tried again having kept an eye on the church web site and I am pleased to say that I now have photographic copies of the relevant church registers. The baptism details are brilliant as they not only give provide confirmation of Mary Ann’s parentage but also name her God parents.
Unfortunately, I have been unable to find further information relating to the family, so still do not know whether Mary Ann survived and came to England with her sister and father nor if, when or where, Thomas and Elizabeth married. Since I have been unable to find a surname for Elizabeth I have no idea of her background; was she English, Dutch, Sri Lankan – maybe one day I will find these missing links, but in the meantime thank you to Eileen for helping me. I will continue to check the site and hope that one day I will find the answers.
Thank you for your story and your kind words. Good luck with your research.
Regards
Eileen Hewson FRGS The Kabristan Archives