Parsi names

I wonder if I could ask your far-flung readership for some advice. Somewhere around 1805 to 1807 in Tellicherry or Cannanore Lt Col John Edwards married a young woman called Mooda­vaillah Coppagee. They had a large family and at his death in 1816 he left a large amount of his estate to her.

She is a lady of the shadows for us at present. Could she have been a Parsi whose spelling was distorted… could the gee have been ji? Could she have been a Kappadi or…? And her first name Moodavaillah… could that be some other name corrupted or more recently adapted?

Is there any way in which we could search for her? Can anyone give us some guidance? My Parsi friends are intrigued and suggested I write this letter. Readers who have any information regarding this may contact me at: Earth Trust, Hema Cottage, Bharatinagar, Ketty Post 643215, Nilgiris, Tamilnadu, India. My residence tel no is: 0423-2440167; mobile: 09787749943.

VANYA ORR

Nilgiris, Tamilnadu

orrvanya@gmail.com