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Archiver > INDIA > 1997-10 > 0877068091


From: Cathy Day <>
Subject: Re: CHAPMAN/Thayetmyo/Bombay
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 23:01:31 -0700


Jill,
Don't worry - almost all of our ancestors were quite racist in
the 19th century and went to a lot of trouble to hide Indian or Burmese
ancestry. It was fairly normal at that time.

My guess is that your Julia Augusta CHAPMAN, who was allegedly
Burmese, was actually Anglo-Burmese. My own great-grandmother was
described by her descendents as a native Indian, when she was actually
Anglo-Indian. I would look for a baptism certificate for Julia Augusta
CHAPMAN in the Presidency of Bengal. Burma was administered as part of
that Presidency until 1937, when it was separated from India.

BTW, my ancestors lived in Thayetmo in the 1870's too! I would
lay odds that Julia's mother was Burmese and her father was in the
British Army - posted to Thayetmo and then to Bangalore.

Good luck,

Cathy

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