Do you know them?

I am trying to trace present day relatives of my great-great-grandfather’s family (maternal side) and hope that somebody who reads Parsiana will be able to help.

My great-great-grandfather was a Parsi named Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee, born 1810-11. In correspondence, he says of himself: "I am a British Indian subject, of an old established family at Bombay” and "I am a native of and Patell of Bombay.”

He was a merchant who lived and traded in China (Macau) from 1835, until the Treaty of Nankin in 1842, after which he moved to Hong Kong, where he stayed until he went to London in 1856. He married Mary O’Connell in London on June 1, 1857, under the name Henry Putrim (or Rutrim). Strangely enough, his own father’s name appears on the marriage certificate as Henry Putrim too.

His son, Francis Joseph Jehangeir Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee, was born in London on July 16, 1862 and he registered the birth as Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee. I have no details about his daughter Sunabai, other than that she married a Dutch jeweller.

Clockwise from top: Francis Joseph Jehan-geir Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee; his mother Mary O’Connell; his sister Sunabai

Apparently, the only reason he came to England in 1856 was to try and get the compensation he said the British Government still owed him for forfeiting his opium supplies (Nankin Treaty) and finally in 1876 there was a court case in London "Rustomjee vs Regina,” which he lost. I don’t know how long he stayed in England, but he was still there when his son married and he has added Patel to his name on the marriage certificate.

His son Francis married Mary Spence on November 15, 1892, as Francis Joseph Rustomjee Patel and later, when he became a theater manager, he changed his name to Frank Percival. He died in 1914.

I hope somebody will recognize a name or a face on one of the photos, but if not, I would still be more than grateful for any search tips or suggestions. I may be contacted at: Bastian-Schmid-Platz 12, 81477 Munich, Germany; tel: 0049-89-75080028; e-mail: joy.schneider@ gmx.de

JOY SCHNEIDER

Munich, Germany