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Descendants of Abraham Martyrose Chater
The more I have
researched, the more I have come to the conclusion that this family of mine had
some form of connection to the Armenians in Calcutta. The Chater name comes up
again and again as Armenian, having been changed over time from Astwachator and
other variations of the spelling. The Armenians in India were hard working,
people, innovative, traders and merchants. They were particularly relied upon
by the British who put them into trusted administrative posts.
To see
images of the Chater Family Bible follow this link |
|
The Armenian Church of Holy Resurrection in Dacca
|
Biographies of
some of the Chater Family
Abraham
Martyrose Chater – of Dacca
Abraham Martyrose Chater and his wife Magdaline had
the following child (that I know of):
-
Arrakiel Arratoon
CHATER
-
b: Tuesday
11 October 1832 at 7a.m. at Dacca.
-
d: 25 November
1884 Dinapore,
-
bur: 25 November
1884 Dinapore
-
-
1st marriage to
Elizabeth Florentine on 4th October 1851 at Mymensing, Dacca. She died on Friday 20th November
1857 at 6p.m. in Mymensing, aged 25.
-
2nd marriage: to
Rachel Jahans
(click for Jahans family) on 12 February 1858. She died on the 26th October 1865.
-
3rd marriage: to
Caroline Sophia LETTS on Monday 2 April 1866, Dinapore
-
Occ: Clerk in a
Government Office.
-
Arakiel Arratoon CHATER
(b 11 October 1832, Dacca,
d 25 November 1884 of Abraham Martyrose and Magdalene)
Arrakiel’s date of birth eluded me for four years.
Then eventually, the Family Bible gave me the information I had searched long
and hard for! Not only did the Bible have the date of birth of Arakiel, but
someone had studiously written the time of birth, 7a.m. and the day, Tuesday.
This kind of information is consistent throughout the Family Bible and I have
annotated my notes here in this document to reflect this very personal
information. I had established from records at the OIOC in London that he died
on 25 November 1884 in Dinapore, aged 52. His death and burial records indicate
that he stayed in the employ of the Government as a Head Clerk in the
Collectoriate. Arakiel, as mentioned above, married three times, firstly to
Eliza Florentine, next to Rachel Jahans and lastly to Caroline Sophia Letts.
The marriages and the children are listed below.
-
-
-
1st Marriage - Arakiel and Eliza
Florentine married on the 4th October 1851, Mymensing, Dacca. Their children were:
Magdalene
CHATER
(b
Friday 13th May 1853)
Elizabeth CHATER
(b
2 February 1856, d Saturday 3 October 1880)
Martyrose CHATER
(b
Tuesday 25 October 1857, died September 1858)
Eliza
Florentine died on Friday 20 November 1857 at 6p.m. only a month after giving
birth to Martyrose in the October. Arakiel was widowed and left to look after
a 4 ˝ year old, a 21 month toddler and a new born baby boy. It is of little
surprise to see that he quickly remarried. Having lost Eliza in November
1857, Arakiel married again in February 1858. His second marriage is detailed
next.
-
2nd
marriage - Arakiel Aratoon Chater married Rachel
JAHANS on 12 February 1858.
They had the following children:
Abraham CHATER
b 15 June 1859
d: 24 May 1914 at the Presidency General Hospital, Calcutta
bur: 25 May 1914 The General
Episcopal Cemetery, Calcutta
Occ: Post
Master General.
Married Annie Rosabelle (Isabelle) De SOUZA 4 June 1883
at Arrah
(click here
for children)
Sultana Sophia CHATER
b 30 October 1860
married James RAMAGE
18 August 1881,
Dinapore.
Arratoon CHATER
b Sunday 16 March 1862, Calcutta
Sadly, just
like Rachel's mother (Rachael
Jahans) before her who
also died young and probably after childbirth, Rachel
died on 26 October 1865. Arakiel was widowed for a second time, and at the age
of 36 was left with five children between the ages of 12 years and 2 years.
Remarkably, he married yet again very quickly and six months later in April
1866 his third marriage took place.
3rd
Marriage - Arakiel Aratoon Chater married Caroline Sophia LETTS on Monday 2
April 1866 in Dinapore. Caroline who was a young 16 year old. His occupation
was listed as Clerk in a Government Office and their witnesses were I.F.D.
CRUIZ and Catherine MARSHALL who signed with her x mark. Arrakiel’s address
was given as just Arrah. For her part, Caroline, at the age of 16 years of age
was marrying a man more than twice her age and taking on his six children from
two previous marriages. Not an easy task, even by today’s standards!.
Arakiel and Sophia had the following children:
1. A boy born on Tuesday 6 March 1867 but who sadly died on Wednesday
7 March 1867.
2. Henry CHATER
(b
Friday 4 September 1868, d Saturday 24 October 1868)
3. Georgiana Katherine Josephine
CHATER
b Monday 25 October 1869
marr: Thomas Allen 20 July 1885, St. Lukes
Dinapore
4.
Angelina Grace CHATER
Thursday 14 September 1871
bap: 24
September 1871, Arrah,
married:
Albert D'CRUIZE 31 December 1884, St. Lukes Church,
Dinapore.
5. Arakiel Johanes
(b
Monday 17 November 1873 at 4.30am.)
married:
Margaret
Agabeg
6. Emma Mabel CHATER
(b
Saturday 23 October 1875, Arrah, baptised 20 November 1874 Arrah)
Married
Theodore Adolphie MAUGEY 11 April 1893, R.C. Chapel,
Barrackpore.
Children of Emma CHATER and
Theodore MAUGEY see MAUGEY page.
7. Eugene Ethel CHATER
(b
Friday 31 August 1877, baptised 12 October 1877)
married Wilfred Alfred
Jenkinson 18
November 1898 Dinapore.
Children
of Eugenie CHATER and Wilfred JENKINSON see JENKINSON
page
8. Rachal Caroline Beatrice CHATER
(b
Friday 30 May 1879)
married
William
Van Ristell 16 Jan 1907 Calcutta.
children of Rachel CHATER and William VAN RISTELL, see VAN RISTELL page
9. Osburn CHATER
(b
Thursday 25 August 1881 at 4p.m., Allahabad, d 26 Aug 1883, Tirhoot)
Following
new findings concerning Osborne CHATER further investigation into Osborne needs
to be made. Information previously situated here MAY BE INCORRECT,
please be aware of this. I am trying hard to get the full, correct
information and will post my findings as soon as I have them.
10. Fredrick Charles CHATER
(b
Wednesday 21 November 1883 at 3p.m.)
A subtle and
interesting point worth mentioning is what I believe to be some sort of naming
convention for the male side of Arakiel’s family. On studying the pages of
the Family Bible, I have noticed the following:
Arakiel’s
first son was named Martyrose. Martyrose was the middle name of Arakiel’s
father – Abraham Martyrose Chater
Arakiel’s
second son was named Abraham. Abraham was the first name of Arakiel’s father
– Abraham Martyrose Chater
Arakiel’s
third son was named Arratoon. Arratoon was the middle name of Arakiel
himself.
Finally,
another son was named Arakiel. Arakiel of course being the first name.
So the naming
convention that I see, is middle name then first name of the grandfather then
middle name and first name of the father.
However, this
naming convention was not used by Abraham when his children were born.
Children of
Arakiel and Elizabeth - 1st marriage
Magdalene CHATER
(b
Friday 13th May 1853) (of Arakiel and Elizabeth)
Magdalen
married Bartholomew BAILEY on 22 May 1871 at Dinapore
R.C. Church. He was 25 years old and listed as living in Allahabad and Magdalen
was 18 and listed as living in Arrah.
Elizabeth CHATER
(b 2
February 1856, d Saturday 3 October 1880) (of Arakiel and Elizabeth)
No
personal details known
Martyrose CHATER
(b
Tuesday 25 October 1857, died September 1858) (of Arakiel and Elizabeth)
No
personal details known
Children of
Arakiel and Rachel- 2nd marriage
Abraham CHATER
b 15 June 1859
d: 24 May 1914 at the Presidency General Hospital, Calcutta
bur: 25 May 1914 The General
Episcopal Cemetery, Calcutta [click
here for photo of the grave]
Occ: Post
Master General.
Married Annie Rosabelle (Isabelle) De SOUZA 4 June 1883
at Arrah
Abraham,
according to family lore, is believed to be have been born in Calcutta. One of
three children of Arakiel Arratoon Chater and Rachel. He appears to have been
connected to the Armenian Church of St. Nazareth, in Calcutta around 1871.
He
is listed in Thackers Directories for the years 1873,1874 and 1880 as “A.
Chater, Head Clerk Collr’s Office, Shababad”. In 1875 he is listed in Thackers
as “A. Chater, Head Clerk, Collr’s Office Arah”. Between the years of 1884 and
1892 inclusive, he is listed in Thackers as “A. Chater, Post Master, Port Blair,
Andamans”. Between 1893 and 1898 inclusive he is listed in Thackers as “A.
Chater, Clk General Post Office”. Between 1899 and 1901 inclusive he is listed
in Thackers as “A. Chater Postmr. Purneah.
Abraham married
Annie Rosabelle Isabelle DE SOUZA on 4th June 1883 in Arrah. He was
aged 24 and Annie was aged 16 (she was born 6th February 1867 in
Purneah).
Witnesses at the marriage were Thomas WEBB, John Carley PRATT and Christopher
Bermingham DE SOUZA. If the dates are correct, she was 3 months pregnant.
Again, if the dates listed are correct, within a year of marrying Abraham, they
went from Arrah to Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, where he became
Post Master there. Abraham and Annie went on to have 10 children, six of them
in Port Blair and the remaining children elsewhere. If the dates listed are
correct, then it seems that Abraham and Annie left Port Blair sometime after
August 1890. their seventh child was born in 1897 in Calcutta. Annie died on
16 December 1927 and was buried the next day at the Lower Circular Road
Cemetery, Calcutta.
The Children of
Abraham and Annie are:
1. Walter Albert Ross CHATER
(b
Monday 31 December 1883 Port Blair)
2. Ida Ellen Julia CHATER
(b 6
April 1885 Port Blair d 13 August 1885 Port Blair)
3. Herbert Alfred Henry CHATER
(b25
February 1886 Port Blair, d 1 July 1944 London)
Herbert Alfred Henry CHATER
b: Thursday 25 February 1886 Port Blair, Andaman Islands
bap: 9 April 1886,
d: 1 July 1944 Twickenham, London.
bur: 5 July 1944, Borough
Cemetery, Twickenham, London
Occupation
Customs Officer with the Indian Civil Service.
1st marriage Florence Louise
TAYLOR
lived with: Mary Howson
Children of Herbert CHATER and Florence
TAYLOR
Henry
Walter John Chater
Cyril
Alexander Chater
Henry Walter John CHATER
b: Sunday 21 October 1923, Calcutta,
bap 16 December 1923, St. Thomas's
Church, Calcutta
d: 19 December 1940 M V
Arinia Merchant Navy in World War II.
for a small biography of Henry and
his time in the Merchant Navy on the MV Arinia, following this link
(Anyone interested in tracing
ancestors who died in the Wars might like to visit
www.cwgc.org
which is a very comprehensive site set up by the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission.)
Cyril Alexander CHATER
b: Monday 20 October 1924 Calcutta,
bap: 23 November 1923, St. Thomas's
Church, Calcutta
d: 13 October 1983 Southampton
Occ: seaman.
Married living ROBERTS
Children of Cyril CHATER and living
Roberts:
Nathaniel
Henry Thomas Chater
daughter Chater - living
Nathaniel Henry Thomas CHATER
b: 8 May 1955
Southampton,
d: 25 July 1974 Southampton.
daughter CHATER living
Children of Herbert CHATER and Mary
HOWSON
Son CHATER b -
living
Stella Elizabeth CHATER b 1932 d 2001 London
Norma Mary CHATER b 1938 d 1998 London
4. Bernice Constance Stella CHATER
(b
11 July 1887 Port Blair)
5. Cyril Steven CHATER
b: 28 September 1888 Purneah
bap: 4 Feb 1889
d: 20 July 1945 Calcutta.
Bur:
20 July 1945, St. Thomas' Church, Calcutta
[click here for photo of the grave]
Occ: Sgt. Calcutta
Police.
Married Grace Eola PEARSON 19 February 1917 Calcutta.
6. Annie Irene Elsie
CHATER
b:
6 April 1890, Port Blair, Andaman Islands
bap: 12 Aug 1890
marr: Robert Melville SHARPE 9 October 1907,
Calcutta
7. William Allen CHATER
b: 10 June 1892, Port Blair, Andaman Islands
d: 17 April 1893, Dinapore
8. Mary CHATER
b: 8 December 1895, Calcutta
d: 14 April 1896, Calcutta
9. Victor Paul
CHATER
b: 10 October 1897, Calcutta
bap: 5 January 1898, Calcutta
d: 4 February 1905
10. Hugh Gerald CHATER
b: 16 March 1899, Purneah
d: 15 September 1945, Calcutta
bur: 16 September 1945, Calcutta
Occ: Railway Accountant
marr: Ivy Muriel GREEN 22 February 1924,
Thoburn Methodist Church (b: BEF 1903)
Children of Hugh
Gerald CHATER and Ivy GREEN
Iona Muriel CHATER
b 25 June 1925
bap 12 July 1925,
St. Thomas's Church, Calcutta
Sylvia Geraldine
CHATER
b 22 May 1930
bap 7 June 1930,
St. Thomas's Free School Street
11. Mabel Violet CHATER
b: 10 November 1900 Purneah
bap: 1 Jan
1901
occ: steno-typist,
married Joseph Percy George
REEKS 4 Nov 1935 India.
12. Cynthia
Isabel
b:
6 September 1903, Monghyr
bap:
29 November 1903, Monghyr
died:
15 December 1917, Calcutta
Bur:
15 December 1917, Episcopal Cemetery, Calcutta
[click
here for photo of the grave]
13. Lionel
Edgar
b:
10 December 1909, Bankipur
bap:
30 Dec 1909, Bankipur
married Edna
Nance AVIET (b: 22 September 1917 India)
Sultana Sophia Chater (of Arakiel and Rachel)
(b
30 October 1860)
Sultana married
James RAMAGE on 18 August 1881 in Dinapore, she was 17
years old and James was 26years old. James’s profession is listed as Overseer
PWD, Investigation Branch, Bengal. Their addresses were given just as Dinapore.
Interestingly, the witnesses were E. Petit, Arrakiel Chater (her father) and
Arratoon Chater, her brother.
Arratoon
CHATER (of
Arakiel and Rachel)
(b
Sunday, 16 March 1862, Calcutta)
No
personal details known about Arratoon.
Children of
Arakiel and Caroline - 3rd marriage
A
boy born on Tuesday 6 March 1867 but he sadly died on Wednesday 7 March 1867.
(of Arakiel & Caroline)
No
details.
Henry CHATER
(b
Friday 4 September 1868, d Saturday 24 October 1868) (of Arakiel & Caroline)
No
personal details known.
Georgiana Katherine Josephine
(b
Monday 25 October 1869) (of Arakiel and Caroline)
Went
on to be known as Josephine and married Thomas ALLEN on 20 July 1885 at St.
Lukes Church, Dinapore. Josephine was 16 years old and Thomas was listed as
“Full Age”. Her residence was listed as Dinapore. Father: Abraham CHATER
(deceased). Witnesses: John FIELD & A. CHATER, this could well be her brother
Arathoon. Married by Banns, ceremony performed by A.L. Mitchell, Chaplain of
Howrah.
Angelina Grace CHATER
(b
14 September 1871, baptised 24 September 1871 of Arrakiel & Caroline)
Angelina married Albert DE CRUIZE on 31 December
1884 at St Luke’s Church, Dinapore. She was aged 15 years and living in
Dinapore. Albert was single, aged 31 and his occupation was listed as Drum
Major 10th A.I. He also has a listing as a Bugler with the 15th
Native Infantry. His address was given as Benares. The witnesses at the
marriage were Sampson WHITE and Thomas JONES. Albert DE CRUIZE was born on 11
March 1854 at Barrackpore and baptised 27 August 1854 also at Barrackpore.
Arakiel Johanes
(b
Monday 17 November 1873 at 4.30am) (of Arakiel and Caroline)
No
personal details known.
Emma Mabel
CHATER
(b
23 October 1875, Arrah) (of Arakiel and Caroline)
Emma married Theodore Adolphie MAUGEY (b BEF 1869) on 11 April 1893 at the
Roman Catholic Chapel, Barrackpore. Emma was aged 17 years and Theodore was
single and aged 25 years. He worked for the E.I.R. Witnesses were Thomas
Albert D’CRUZ and Clement MAUGEY. Research about Emma and Theodore have found
that they went on to have seven children.
Family
picture of Emma and Theodore.
Maurice Stanley VAN RISTELL b BEF 1914. He married his first cousin Eugene
Gertrude MAUGEY in October 1935, she being the daughter of Emma Mabel Chater
and Theodore Adolphie MAUGEY.
Eugene Ethel
CHATER
(b 1
October 1877, baptised 12 October 1877, married 18 November 1898, Dinapore)
(of Arakiel and Caroline)
Caroline was pregnant with Eugene in January 1876, just 3 months after the
birth of Emma. Eugene married Wilfred Alfred JENKINSON 18 November 1898 in
Dinapore aged 20 years. Witnesses were W. CARTER and Arrakiel J&R CHATER.
Wilfred was a carriage examiner with the E.I.R. at the time of marriage. They
went on to have 2 children.
Alexander Alfred Jenkinson
(b
24 August 1899 Jamalpur)
Erick Victor Jenkinson
(b
BEF 1905)
Rachel
Caroline Beatrice CHATER
(b 8
August 1879) (of Arakiel and Caroline)
Caroline was pregnant with Rachel in the November 1878, a year after the birth
of Eugene. Rachel married William VAN RISTELL
(b BEF 1866), on 16 January 1907 in Calcutta. She was aged 24 years and
William was aged 41 years. Witnesses were A.E.V. RISTELL and A.J. CHATER.
(Is AJ CHATER her brother, Arakiel Johanes). William was an Assistant Goods
Officer with the East India Company at the time of his marriage. My research
so far has only one child, from this marriage.
Osburn CHATER
(b
25 August 1881, Allahabad d 26 August 1883) (of Arakiel and Caroline)
Caroline was pregnant with Osburn in December 1880, just 4 months after the
birth of Rachel.
I am
in some confusion about the name Osburn. In the Chater Family Bible the name
is clearly Osburn. However, in searching the records at the OIOC in London, I
have found various spellings, but none match Osborn. Even on his baptism
record his name is written Osborne, so right from the very beginning of his
life, people weren’t quite sure how to spell his name. Maybe it wasn’t the
“done thing” to correct the registrar or whoever was recording the name at the
time. And so, further records were carried on with the original mistake and
then additional errors were inserted at various other points of records being
taken.
In
my research, I have come across several Osborne’s, Ossy’s, Ossie’s, Oscars who
all seem to have married Daisy Elizabeth, Elizabeth Daisy, Adeline, Addie or
Addy.. To confuse matters even further, when registering the birth of a
child, he never seemed to use the same name more than once! So, I have found
it particularly difficult to actually pin down how many children and how many
Osborn’s there are!. However, I am working on this little dilemma and will
hopeful solve the mystery of Osborne, his various name variations and his
wives, in the not too distant future!.
However, my research in the summer of 2004 discovered that tragically, Osborne
(for that is how it was spelt on the death record) CHATER died at only 2 years
of age in the most terrible of circumstances. After much searching through
the records at the British Library it was a sad discovery to find that Osborne
died because a wall of his house fell on him. He is buried at Somastipore
Cemetery Tirhoot State Railway.
Fredrick Charles CHATER
(b
Wednesday 21 November 1883 at 3p.m.) (of Arakiel and Caroline)
It
appears that Fredrick Charles CHATER became known as Charles Fredrick CHATER.
He married May Lorrean (unknown) and went on to have seven children.
They were:
Albert Julian CHATER
Herbert Noel CHATER
Olga Iris Mary CHATER
Ronald Stuart William CHATER
Frederick Trevor CHATER
Mary Hazel CHATER
Grace prescilla CHATER
Children of
Abraham and Annie
Walter Albert
Ross CHATER
(b 31 December
1883 Port Blair, baptised 15 March 1884) (of Abraham and Annie)
No personal
details known about Walter. However, as mentioned, if the dates are correct,
Annie was 3 months pregnant with Walter when she married Abraham. In the Family
Bible there is the following “Walter Albert Ross Chater eldest son of Abraham
Chater married………” then there is a space as if a date should have been written,
but hadn’t.
Ida Ellen Julia
CHATER
(b 6 April 1885
Port Blair d 13 August 1885 Port Blair) (of Abraham and Annie)
Annie fell
pregnant in July 1884, 6 months after the birth of Walter. Ida was baptised on 9
July 1885 but died in infancy. She was buried on 14 August 1885, the day after
she died. There is little to suggest that she was buried anywhere other than
Port Blair. She was only four months old.
Herbert
Alfred Henry CHATER
(b
25 February 1886 Port Blair, baptised 9 April 1886, d 1 July 1944 London) (of
Abraham and Annie)
Annie fell
pregnant in May 1885, 9 months after giving birth to Ida. The early years of
Herbert’s life in Port Blair are unknown. As far as I have been able to find out
he was the third of 13 children. Herbert’s career seems to have been with the
Indian Civil Service as a Customs Officer. How he got involved with the Indian
Customs has yet to be established, but it is quite likely a family member, maybe
an uncle or a cousin may have played a role in him going in that direction.. He
is listed in Thackers Directories between 1920 and 1925 (these dates put his age
at 34-39 years) inclusive as “H.A.H. Chater, Customs Officer, Custom House,
Charnock Place”
This transcription is taken from
Thackers Directory 1924. This shows a complete list of all Herbert’s colleagues
in the Customs Department, many of whom would have been friends as well as
colleagues.
Customs Department, Custom House, 1
Charnock Place.
Collr of customs – W.W. NIND, B.A.
offg
Asst. collrs, Appraisement,
S.N. GUPTA, I.C.S. and
A.L.D. KIERNANDER.
Prev serv. S.C. SATYAWADI, M.A. and
A.E. HALDEN.
Audits, M.E. RAHMAN.
Statistics, C.H. JOSEPH, M.B.E.
Treasy offr, R.R. SAKSENA, M.A.
BSc. LLb.
Supdts, Impt, H.E. MEDLYCOTT.
Cashier, Bepin BEHARY
Sen, Audits, W.A. STODDARD,
Correspondence, D.E. O’SULLIVAN.
Accts. F.W.W. YOUNG,
Statcl. V.C.W. UNGER,
Expt, H.T.C. AMUE.
Ex audit, H.K. VANSPALL.
Appraiser, R.W. LESLIE.
Depy supdts, statcl. Gopinath
BYSACK.
Accts. K.C. ROY.
Impt, N.M. BOSE.
Correspdce, B.B. CHATERJEE.
Cash, Benoycharan ROY.
Ex audit, A.M. RAHA.
Recd-kpr, .M.N. DE.
Appraisers
R. RICE, P.K. THOMAS, C.V. WARDEN,
A.L. KIERNANDER (on depn), C.A. MANSON, E.A. MOORE, J.H. WILSON, C.W. CLEMENT,
A.E. WARE, H. BLONG, D KNOX-ORD, P.M. OONVALA, Neville CHANDRA, H.M. MUKERJEE,
H. MATTHEWS, V. BERKELEY, A McCREADY, G.N. DUTT, S.C. ROY, Samuel BOSE, J.C.
BANERJEE, H. WILLIAMSON, H. MUKERJE, E.C. JACKSON (Chittagong), H.A.N. DURHAM,
E.A. SMITH, B.B. SEN, W. COUSINS, N.P.K. SARKAR, K. FALOON, F. BAKER AND C.
KELLETT.
Preventive Service
Supdt, prev serv, S.C. SATYAWADI,
M.A.
Asst supdt. A.E. HALDEN (offg).
Chf inspr, J. CARAPIET (offg),
Insprs, J. CARAPIET, R.F. McKENNA,
H.R. BLACKWELL, B.J. TWEEDDALE, M.N. FITZGERALD, H.E. BORTHWICK, E.L. ADAMS, A.E.
SIMPSON, G.H. HODGES, O.W. JONES, C.V. DOVER, L.A. COOKE AND F.C. LLOYD.
Offrs, T.G. CAMPBELL, W.C.
BLAQUIERE, F.G. HOGAN, E.O. CLARKSON, P.A. WALLACE, J. BURNETT, P.O. GEORGE, W.T.
CUNLIFFE, A.J. COMECHE, L. PICACHY, C.E. SMITH, O.H. ROWE, G.A. St. CLARE
FULLER, W.A. BRITTAIN, J. MEERZA, P. PAUL, C.J. B’JOHN, E.C. WOODWARD, J. MINOS,
C.P. COLLINSON, A. PREMINGER, M.B. RANGEL, T.C.J. LORIMER, G.M.E. BURNETT, F.J.A.
BUIKE, F. THOMSON, H.W. THOMPSON, T. FOSTER, T.W. LATIMER, H.W. FULLER, W.F.
TEMPLEMAN, R.C. MOSS, L. CHAPLAIN, J.O. D’SILVA, E.D. CLARK, W.E.A. KERR, G.E.A.
LUCAS, T.E. BUTTERWICK, B.H. HOLMES, P.A.L. ROE, H. REBELLO, A DIAS, C.B.X.
NELSON, F.O. TAYLOR, J.D. ANDERSON, S.H. PETTY, C.C. MARSDEN, A.O. VAZ, O.W.
McGUIRE, S. NICHOLLS, G.L. ANDERSON, W.A. MEYERS, C.C. KELLETT, C.J.S.
FREDERICK,. H.A. VEARS, F.E. SHAVE, W.B. SERRAO, L.J. LEFEUVRE, H.H. PINTO, A.W.
DEVEREUX, W.W. LOVEGROVE, E.A. KNIGHT, J.C. HALL, W. Henry HART, H.E.A. WOOD, J.
GOMES, W.C.A. EDWARDS, H.S. BARLOW, A FURTADO, F.G. ABBOTT, H.R. VALLIS, K.C.E.
FALLOON, H.E. BREMNER, E.J. LEICESTER, R.T. TISSENDIE, L.P. VAILANT, S.R.A.
D’SILVA, K.C.F. BOILEAU, F.G. MEARS, J.G. SINGLETON, H.A.H. CHATER,
F.T. SMITH AND E.B. SCOTT.
At
the age of 36 years Herbert married Florence Louise Taylor on 5 January 1923 in
St. Giles, London, the marriage certificate states she was 28 years old. Herbert and
Florence had two children in quick succession, they were:
Henry Walter
John CHATER
(b Sunday 21
October 1923, Calcutta, d 19 December 1940) (of Herbert and Florence)
Cyril Alexander
CHATER
(b Monday 20
October 1924, Calcutta, d 13 October 1983, Southampton) (of Herbert and
Florence)
Between January
1923 when Herbert and Florence married, and October 1923 when Henry was born,
they left London and travelled to India. Florence fell pregnant immediately
after marrying Herbert. It is not known where they lived, other than Calcutta.
They are believed to have stayed in Calcutta for a couple of years, and then
returned to London, setting up home in St. Margaret’s Road, Twickenham. Family
lore says that they had 2 homes, one in Calcutta (presumably to be close to his
Customs work) and the other in Port Blair, where he grew up. However, this is
unsubstantiated.
Herbert
travelled a great deal with his job and a lot of his customs works was conducted
undercover, his title being Preventative Customs Officer. Herbert was very good
friends with Leslie A. “Hutch” Hutchinson (b 1900, d 18 August 1969). He was a
famous cabaret pianist and singer, performing regularly at the London Pavilion
and Quaglino’s, and quite often Herbert and Hutch would travel to various
locations around the world together.
It would appear
that some time after Herbert and Florence returned from India, there was some
domestic discord and Florence moved out of the house in Twickenham to a rented
house directly opposite. No sooner had Florence moved out then Herbert’s
new, younger partner moved in. Mary Howson (b 1909 d 2000, London) Herbert and
Mary went on to have three children. It is my understanding that the children
Herbert had with Mary were brought up in the house he shared originally with his
wife, Florence:
living
CHATER
(b living) (of Herbert and Mary)
Stella
Elizabeth CHATER
(b BEF 1932, d
2000 London) (of Herbert and Mary)
Norma Mary
CHATER
(b BEF 1939, d
1990, London) (of Herbert and Mary)
Herbert
and Florence were never divorced. Florence was left to bring up her
two boys single-handed. It would have been difficult for her to manage the two
young boys on her own effectively as a one parent family, and as I understand, she lived in Portsmouth for
sometime. Herbert had little or no contact with his first two children and
when their first child, Henry was killed in WWII in 1940 at the age of 17
Florence
moved to Weymouth, where she settled until her death in 1975. Herbert
continued to live in London.
Herbert
died from diabetes at the age of 58 yrs at the house in St. Margaret’s Road,
Twickenham with Mary his partner, at his side. He was buried at the Borough
Cemetery, Twickenham, Middlesex on 5th July 1944 at Plot 134, Class
A, Block 1. There have been two further internments with Herbert since his
death, these being his daughter Stella and his life partner, Mary. They died at
ages 65 and 91 respectively in the year 2000.
On 13 June
1944, just 17 days before his death, he hastily made his last will and testament
thus cancelling previously made wills and testaments.
In it he bequeathed his estate to Mary Howson. However, his death certificate
states the informant of death to be Mary Chater. By this time Mary was
calling herself Mrs. Chater but they had never formalised their union.
Bernice
Constance Stella CHATER
(b 11 July 1887
Port Blair, baptised 10 October 1887) (of Abraham and Annie)
No personal
details known about Bernice. However, Annie fell pregnant with Bernice in
October 1886, 8 months after giving birth to Herbert.
Cyril Steven
CHATER
(b
28 September 1888 Port Blair, baptised 4 February 1889, d 20 July 1945,
Calcutta) (of Abraham and Annie)
Annie fell
pregnant with Cyril in December 1887, just 5 months after giving birth to
Bernice.
Again, there is
no information currently available on the early years of Cyril’s life in Port
Blair. Clearly, he went to the mainland where Cyril married Grace Eola PEARSON
(b BEF 1895 d 15 Feb 1919, Calcutta) on 19 February 1917, in the Thoburn
Methodist Episcopal Church, Calcutta when he was 29 years old. Grace was 23
years old when she married and her occupation was listed as a nurse. Their
witnesses were J.W. REYNOLDS and W. CHATER (was this his brother Walter
Chater?). Cyril spent his working life as a Policeman and attained the rank of
Sergeant. He died at 56 years of age from Pneumonia and was buried
at the Lower
Circular Road Cemetery, Calcutta. It is not known if they had any children. My
research on this particular member of the family has shown that sometimes he was
called Cyril Steven and other times he was called Steven Cyril.
Annie Irene
Elsie CHATER
(b 7 April 1890
Port Blair, baptised 12 August 1890) (of Abraham and Annie)
Annie fell
pregnant with Annie Irene Elsie in July 1889, 10 months after the birth of
Cyril. Annie Irene Elsie married Robert Melville SHARPE (b BEF 1874) on the 9
October 1907, in Calcutta. She would have been 18 years of age and he would
have been 34 years of age. His occupation was listed as Deputy Magistrate and he
was single. Witnesses were A. CHATER, (is this Abraham Chater, her father?) H.
MOSS and I. SIMPLETON. It is not known if they had any children.
William Allen
Chater
(of Abraham and Annie)
B 10 June 1892,
Port Blair
D 17 April
1893, Dinapore
And so, 3 years after the birth of Annie Irene Elsie, Annie gave birth to her
7th child in Port Blair. William Allen Chater lived just 10 months.
Mary Chater
(of Abraham and Annie)
B: 8 December
1895 Calcutta
D: 14 April
1896 Calcutta
Following the death
of William in April 1893, Annie went on to have Mary who was born in December
1895, only to survive 4 months.
Victor Paul
CHATER
(of Abraham and Annie)
(b 10 October
1897, Calcutta,
baptised 5
January 1898, Calcutta,
d 4 February
1898).
In
December of 1896 Annie fell pregnant again. What sort of thoughts might
have been going thru her mind at this point, only she will ever know.
Having lost the last two babies in infancy, she must have been feeling so
determined not to lose the next child. Victor Paul was born in October
1897 and tragically for the whole family, he too died after only 4 months of
life. The entry in the Family Bibles reads “Darling Sonny
Victor Paul departed this life on 4th Feb 1898”. Clearly a terrible
tragedy for Annie, she had by now, lost 3 babies in succession.
Hugh Gerald
Chater
(b 16 March
1899 Purneah,
d 15 September
1945, buried 16 September 1945). (of Abraham and Annie)
Annie, having lost
her 3 previous children as babies must have been longing for a child to hold
again, Having buried Victor Paul in February 1898, by the June of that
year she was pregnant again. I can't help wondering if it was planned or a
mere coincidence that Hugh Gerald and her next child Mabel Violet were born in
Purneah, the very same town that she, Annie had been born and brought up in.
Maybe she went back there to have Hugh and to be close to her family, or maybe
it really was just a coincidence that she and Abraham were based there.
Who knows. Anyway, Hugh was born and survived and went on to marry and
have children of his own.
Hugh married
Muriel Ivy GREEN on 22 February 1924 at the Thoburn Methodist Church. They went
on to have 2 children.
Iona Muriel
Chater
b 25 Jun 1925,
Calcutta
baptised 12
July 1925, St. Thomas’s Church, Calcutta
Sylvia
Geraldine Chater
B 22 May 1930
Baptised 7 Jun
1930, St. Thomas’s, Free School Street
Mabel Violet
CHATER
(11 November
1900, Purneah,
baptised 1
January 1901) (of Abraham and Annie)
Annie fell
pregnant with Mabel in February 1900, 11 months after the birth of Hugh Gerald. Mabel married Joseph Percy George REEKS, 4th November 1935,
India. It was a registry office marriage, and as far as I have been able to
find out, I haven’t information on witnesses. His occupation was listed as
Storekeeper, Civil and Military. He gave his address as 1 Marquis Street,
Calcutta. Mabel was listed as a Steno-typist and gave her address as Suite 5,
Chowringham Lane, Calcutta. They were both aged 31 years old.
Cynthia Isabel CHATER
(b 6 September
1903, Monghyr,
baptised 29
November 1903, Monghyr,
died 15
December 1917 Calcutta,
buried same day
at the General Episcopal Cemetery, Calcutta). (of Abraham and Annie)
Lionel Edgar CHATER
(b 10 December
1909 Bankipur,
baptised 30
December 1909, Bankipur). (of Abraham and Annie)
Lionel married
Edna Nance AVIET (b 22 Sep 1917). And they emigrated to Australia. It is
therefore possible that the Chater name continues in the Antipodes.
New
information obtained Dec 04:
Lionel and Edna emigrated to Australia sometime in the 1960's, hopefully more information to follow.
January 05. It has
now been confirmed that Lionel Edgar and his wife Edna Nance nee Aviet,
emigrated to Australia from Calcutta in 1969. Their son, James Malcolm
CHATER had migrated earlier in that year and subsequently was Lionel
and Edna's sponsor for entering Australia. When Lionel and Edna
arrived in Australia, they went to stay with Edna's sister and her husband
Agnes Anna and Joe ALECK in Sydney. This was also where James Malcolm
CHATER stayed when he arrived after leaving Calcutta.
Lionel served his
apprenticeship to be an engineer in Calcutta. Firstly with the Eastern
Bengal Railway between 1924-1929, then at the Vizagapatam Port between
1933-1937, followed by the Asiatic Shipping Co. Ltd for part of 1937
where he was a marine engineer and finally the Commissioners for the Port of
Calcutta between 1938-1967 as a foreman (AMF MARINE).
Children and
Herbert and Florence
Henry
Walter John CHATER
(b
21 October 1923, Calcutta,
baptised 16
December 1923,
d 19 December
1940) (of Herbert and Florence)
Cyril
Alexander CHATER
(b 20 October
1924 Calcutta, baptised 23 November 1924, d 13 October 1983 Southampton) (of
Herbert and Florence)
Cyril
was born in Calcutta at 9.15p.m on Monday 20 October 1924, and spent the first
few years of his life there. It is not certain when he and Henry returned to
England permanently but it is thought sometime in the 1930s. However, it is known that they lived in
St. Margaret’s Road, Twickenham for a time. Cyril married living Roberts. Cyril and
living went to live with her sister Irene after the wedding.
They then went on to rent a flat in Millbrook and eventually settled on buying
and small terraced house in the centre of Southampton. Cyril and living went on
to have two children, they were:
Nathaniel
Henry Thomas Chater
(b 8 May
1955, d 25 July 1974)
daughter
Chater (living)
Cyril spent
most of his working life at sea. The first application I have been able to
find for a British Seamans Identity Card was applied for on 31 October 1949,
when he was aged 25 years although he probably had one earlier than this.
There are records of several re-issued cards.
He sailed on many ships, these
included, The original “Queen Elizabeth” in 1953, the “Saxonia” between April
1960 and August 1962, the “S.S. Nevasa” between September 1962 and October
1962, the “Capetown Castle” between October 1962 and December 1962, the “Queen
Mary” between December 1962 and April 1963, the “Northern Star” between April
1963 and July 1964 and then between January 1965 and October 1965, the “S.S.
Iberia” between July 1964 and December 1964, the “Oronsay” between November
1965 and March 1966, the “S.A. Oranje” between April 1966 and June 1966, the
“R.F.A. Tidepool” between July 1966 and December 1966 and finally the “R.F.A.
Olna” between January 1967 and October 1967. He was sent home from Singapore
from the R.F.A. Olna having slipped up on deck incurring a back injury. From
the late 1960’s until his death in 1983, he worked for the local water
authority as a telephonist. It was no doubt a job he could do that didn’t
give him too much trouble with his on-going back problems.
During World
War 2 his medal records, held at the National Archives in Kew, show that he
was awarded the WW2 medal and the Atlantic Star medal.
He died on 13
October 1983 at his home in Southampton. The cause of death was listed as (a) Ischaemic heart failure (b) coronary occlusion & (c) Atheroma. His body was
cremated at Southampton Crematorium.
Children of Herbert and Mary
living
CHATER + living
(b living) of Herbert and Mary
they had two children:
all living
Stella Elizabeth CHATER
(b unknown,
d 2000) of Herbert and Mary
Stella
married Karol Rac. They had three children:
all living
Norma Mary
CHATER
(b died
1998) of Herbert and Mary
Norma married. They had two children.
all living
Children of
Cyril and living
Nathaniel Henry Thomas CHATER
(b 8 May 1955, d
25 July 1974) of Cyril and living.
daughter
Chater – living (of Cyril and living)
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