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Archiver > AFR-SEYCHELLES > 2005-03 > 1112121128


From: "STEVEN VEL" <>
Subject: Re: [SEYCHELLES] Brand Family
Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 19:32:08 +0100
References: <008301c533c1$53c12a00$df80000a@clivebar>


Hello Clive,

Thanks for the information on Hubert Brand, it will be interesting to see if
I can find any more on Hubert and Marie Francoise.

Re: BRITISH INDIA STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY LTD
I've had a look at The National Maritime Museum web site,
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/
Information on the company is held in the Caird Library. I could only find
three references to Seychelles,
correspondence re proposed Colombo,Seychelles, Mauritius line, 1898.

There does seem to be quite a lot of information on the company though. Copy
of search summary :


Custodial history: The records were deposited on loan by P&O in
instalments from 1973 to 1979. The collection is deposited on the
understanding that the company has first sight of any work which makes
extensive use of the collection. There are certain restrictions on the use
of the staff records which are more stringent than the normal thirty-year
rule for business records. Minute Books: Calcutta and Burmah Steam
Navigation Company Limited, 1856 to 1862; British India Steam Navigation
Company Limited, 1863 to 1961. The annual reports cover the years 1865 to
1970. Accounts: ships' accounts, 1927 to 1958; general journals and ledgers,
1935 to 1959; specialized accounts for supplies, repairs and stevedoring,
pay and pensions, 1938 to 1969; Calcutta office's general accounts with
London, 1935 to 1955; Passage Books, 1951 to 1969, summarizing passenger
carryings on the various services. British India owned a great deal of
property (godowns, wharves, repair yards, office and staff accommodation) in
India and elsewhere, which are documented in a register of properties, 1889
to 1965, with supporting files. Information about ships' voyages, portage
accounts, etc exists only for the period 1960 to 1970. British India
operated a fleet of landing craft for the Ministry of Transport and there
are files and log books for these, 1966 to1970. Correspondence: letters to
and from the Secretary, 1865 to 1900; files relating to mail contracts,
trooping, relief expeditions, 1863 to 1962. Some confidential correspondence
is included in the collection; three of Lord Inchcape's letterbooks, 1912 to
1932, and two confidential letter files, 1885 to 1893. Staff Records:
records of commanders, officers, engineers, cadets and stewards, 1868 to
1957, are contained in forty volumes and there are extensive pension fund
registers. Technical Records: technical files, 1958 to 1967 relate to major
maintenance and repair work and new buildings. British India issued a yearly
handbook containing detailed information about the fleet, the various liner
services, rates of freight and passenger fares and the company 5 agents;
there is a bound set, 1866 to 1939 and 1949 to 1969. Parallel with these,
although more recent, are copies of the British India house magazines and
news letters. There is also a file of press cuttings on the occasion of the
Company's centenary in 1956.
Collection name: BRITISH INDIA STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY LTD
Extent: Section 3: BIS/: 12ft: 37m
Collection detail: The founder of the company was William Mackinnon
(1823-1893) who, in partnership with William Mackenzie (ca.1810-1853) was in
business as a general merchant near Calcutta. In the mid-1850s they secured
the East India Company's mail contract between Calcutta and Rangoon, for
which purpose Mackinnon founded the Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation
Company Limited, registered in Glasgow in 1856. Within five years of its
founding the company had expanded considerably; from Burma, its ships were
serving Penang and Singapore: by coasting from Calcutta to Bombay, dozens of
small ports along the Indian coasts were being opened up to large-scale
traffic. In 1861 Mackinnon founded the British India Steam Navigation
Company Limited, which superseded the Calcutta and Burmah Company. The
mercantile firm of Mackinnon, Mackenzie and Company, Calcutta, became the
managing agents, a function which they were to fulfil for well over a
hundred years. As, until the opening of the Suez Canal, British India
operated exclusively in eastern waters, and thereafter had a large part of
its fleet employed in 'foreign-to-foreign' trades, it developed a
distinctive organization. The Calcutta office had wide decision-making
powers as managing agents, and were the operators of the eastern services.
All but the most complicated repairs and overhauls were carried out at the
Company's establishments at the Garden Reach workshops at Calcutta or the
Mazagon Dock at Bombay. In Britain, the Secretary, based in Glasgow until
1892 and thereafter in London, was the link between Calcutta and the Board
of Directors. Entry into the Dutch East Indies internal trade was achieved
by the formation in 1865 of a Dutch flag company, the Netherlands India
Steam Navigation Company. A connection with China was made in 1868, in
conjunction with the Messageries Maritimes of France. There was also
westward expansion, British India taking a share of the Moslem pilgrim
traffic to Jeddah from 1869, and from 1872 carrying P&O mails, passengers
and cargo from Aden to Zanzibar. The first 'Home Line' (in B.I. terminology
a service to and from the United Kingdom) was inaugurated in 1874, as a
result of the opening of the Suez Canal. In 1881 a mail contract was
arranged with the Queensland government, although it lasted only until 1895.
British India ships on the Australian run were grouped under the British
India Associated Steamers, to differentiate them from vessels earmarked for
the company's main trading routes. Throughout the period the company had
been consolidating its position with the Indian and home governments as a
partner in the business of moving troops and military stores by sea. The
British India involvement in East Africa was strengthened in 1890 by a
regular service from London to Zanzibar via Aden and Mombasa. It was at this
point that Mackinnon took part in the formation of the Imperial British East
Africa Company, investing a quarter of the capital in it; however, the
government was not prepared to back it. Japan was included in the B.I.
itineraries in 1907 and participation in the trade was strengthened in 1912
by the purchase of the Apcar Line, which since 1901, had had a cargo pooling
agreement with British India. Another British India service was the
transport of Indian workers from the Coromandel Coast to Burma, Malaya, East
Africa and Mauritius, 1892 to 1932. Sir William Mackinnon was succeeded by
James Macalister Hall (d.1904) in 1893 and Duncan Mackinnon (d.1914). The
appointment in 1913 of James Lyle Mackay (later Earl of Inchcape, 1852-1932)
as chairman foreshadowed the amalgamation of B.I. with P&0 (q.v.) in 1914,
of which combination he was to become the chairman. Lord Inchcape was,
however, careful to maintain a great degree of autonomy for British India.
First World War losses were partially offset by the acquisition in 1917 of
the Ham Line and the Nourse Line (q.v.).

I will visit the museum and library, when I have done some more
research as I have an interest in the company as well. Two members of the
VEL family in Seychelles were working for Smith-Mackenzie & Co. at their
offices in Zanzibar, and another family member in Calcutta.

Regards, Steven.



----- Original Message -----
From: "Clive Barker" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 6:25 PM
Subject: [SEYCHELLES] Brand Family


> Steven
>
> Accordingly to the marriage certificate Hubert Brand was born in Ireland.
> However his parents appear to be living in New York at the time of the
> marriage. He was 27 years old at this time and his occupation was seamen.
> His mothers maiden name was Kelly.
>
> I would not be surprised to learn that he was employed on one of the
> American whaling ships that where stationed in Seychelles.
>
> Marie Françoise was born on Fregate island and was 33 years old.
>
> I did not find any reference to South Africa.
>
> Regards
>
> Clive
>
>
> My Seychelles Genealogy Home Page
> http://freepages.misc.rootsweb.com/~barker/index.htm
> My Family History Web Site
> http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~barker/index.htm
>
>
>
> ==== AFR-SEYCHELLES Mailing List ====
> Information about Seychelles Genealogy can be found at:
> http://www.seychelles.sc/clive/index.htm
>
> ==============================
> Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records.
> New content added every business day. Learn more:
> http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx
>
>
>
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