Military Chat

Hi, i am stuck in my search for my husbands family. His grandfather, Benjamin Donohue b 1884 in Rangoon Burma was the son of an irish soldier George Donohue who apparently married a Burmese woman who gave birth to his 3 children, Benjamin included. Benjamin later joined the navy and married in liverpool to Florence Caudell. How can i find records of the marriage of his father george and birth records of the 3 children. Also I have no info re George other than that stated.
Any help would be gratefully received.

Hello Irene, did Benjamin have any middle names (I'm curious about a possible death that had a middle initial of W).

Was George's name taken from Benjamin's marriage certificate?

I see from his marriage to Florence that he did have the middle initial "W"

Don't know if this is a coincidence?

British India Office Ecclesiastical Returns- Births & Baptisms
First name(s) Benjamin William
Last name Donohoe
Baptism year 1883
Birth year 1883
Place St Thomas Mount
Presidency Madras
Mother's first name(s) Grace
Mother's last name ­
Father's first name(s) Dennis
Father's last name Donohoe
Baptism date 17 Sep 1883
Birth date 06 Sep 1883

The father was either a Bomber or Bombadier in the EAV Company, stationed at Pallavaram

Could you give us the names of the other two children?

ADDED: The 1901 census has a 17 year old seaman named Benjamin Donohue in lodgings - birthplace India.

From Liverpool Marriages on Ancestry

NAME: Benjamin William Donoline
BIRTH YEAR: abt 1880
AGE: 37
MARRIAGE DATE: 18 Jun 1917
PARISH: Liverpool, St Peter
SPOUSE'S NAME: Florence Rose Caudell
FATHER'S NAME: George Denis Donoline
SPOUSE FATHER'S NAME: John Samuel Caudell
REFERENCE NUMBER: 283 PET/3/129


Benjamin is a stoker in the Navy
Father George is shown as soldier


Will do a name correction as image is clearly Donohue

No idea if relevant or not

1871 Worldwide British Army Index - British Army Other Ranks & locations
First name(s) Denis
Last name Donohue
Service number 3873
Rank Private
Unit or Regiment 104th Regiment of Foot (Bengal Fusiliers)
HQ location Allahabad, India
Year 1871
Country Great Britain
National Archives reference WO 12/9961
Period 01/04/1871-30/06/1871
Record set 1871 Worldwide British Army Index - British Army Other Ranks & locations
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Record collection Regimental & service records

I'm pleased you found the marriage GB - I could only find the banns - no wonder!

Anyhow, the following confirms (by the birthdate) that the baptism I posted above is correct:

Royal Navy Seamen 1899-1919
First name(s) Benjamin William
Last name Donohoe
Service number 300036
Birth year 1883
Birth date 06 Sep 1883
Birth place Rangoon
Birth county Burma
Birth country India
Archive reference ADM 188/487/30003

No next of kin named on the record. If Irene doesn't have the record I'll send it to her once she returns to the thread and gives some feedback.

Appears Benjamin's father was perhaps George Denis, but favoured Denis?

This is the marriage of the parents on the baptism:

British India Office Ecclesiastical Returns - Marriages
First name(s) Denis
Last name Donohoe
Marriage year 1873
Marriage date 23 Jun 1873
Spouse's first name Grace
Spouse's last name Sullivan
Place Madras
Presidency Madras
Groom's age 55
Bride's age 27
Groom's father's first name Robert
Groom's father's last name Donohoe
Bride's father's first name William
Bride's father's last name Sullivan (it's actually Ward on the image)

Catalogue description Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Madras, : 1698­-1948

Both Denis and Grace were widowed and both residing Vepery. Denis a "Bomb.. EAV Coy"

There are further children to Denis and Grace showing on FamilySearch:
Mercy; Agnes; Patrick & John

I'll send Irene a pm.

Hi sorry I have not responded before this but e mail has been down. I am told Georges middle name was Dennis so looks like he favoured that name. I do have the details of Benjamin and Florence's marriage. Yes Benjamin middle name was William.
This is great to have some info on George now. Looks like his wife's name is grace Sullivan but would this be her real name as she was supposedly Burmese? Or was this his first wife?
The other children I don't know anything g about except that there were some.
I thank you so much for this info and any following info.

Hello Irene, Grace wasn't Denis' first wife as they were both widowed at the time of their 1873 marriage. It appears she was Grace Ward (determined by her father's surname on that marriage).

You can find quite a few Indian records on FamilySearch, such as Grace's first marriage

Name: John Sullivan
Birth Date: 1840
Age: 24
Spouse's Name: Grace Ward
Spouse's Birth Date: 1848
Spouse's Age: 16
Event Date: 09 Jan 1864
Event Place: Secunderabad, Madras, India
Father's Name: James Sullivan
Spouse's Father's Name: William Ward
Marital Status: Single
Spouse's Marital Status: Single
:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M00060-2
System Origin: India-EASy
GS Film number: 521853

https://familysearch.org/

Thanks a lot once again, I will continue my search with renewed energy. You are amazing.????