Nicholas Malcolm Gasper 1829-1904

Pleader in Law Courts

Baptised in the Armenian Church, but married and buried in a Church of England

Born Calcutta, seemingly worked Calcutta, Edinburgh??, Rangoon & Darjeeling

 

nmg

1829.Nicholas Malcolm Gasper born 25/10/1829 to Malcolm Gasper & Hripsima Marcar and baptised in the Armenian Holy Church of Nazareth, Calcutta on 30/11/1829

Seemingly the youngest of ~9 children. Siblings were: Mariam 1815; Eghisabet 1817; Gaspar 1818; Haroutun 1820; Petros 1822; Ana Maria 1823; Khachkhatun 1825; Osvanna 1827

bcnicolas

Information Nigel gleaned from Directories in the British India Office, around 1987:

BENGAL DIRECTORY:
1842 M Gasper listed on Warden's Commissaries, Armenian Church of Calcutta.
SCOTT & Co's BENGAL DIRECTORY:
1852 M Gasper listed as Pensioner, Calcutta;
1854 Attorney Arratoon Malcolm Gasper..Public Notary. - he likely son, Harouton1820?
1855 NM listed at 1 1/2 (One-and-a half) Sukeas Lane, together with AM Gasper-same 1820 son. NM would be Nicholas Malcolm 1829.
THACKERS BENGAL DIRECTORY:
1860 Nicholas Malestin, 6 Lr.Circular Road
1861 Nicholas Malcolm 8  Joratalao Street
1863 Court of Small Causes 8 Joratalao Street
1864 NM 8 Joratalao Street
1880 NM Pleader 22 Royd Street Rangoon.(14 other Gaspers listed, including an Armenian Priest.)
1867 Nicholas listed as a Pleader, at 1 Chowringee lane; other Gaspers also listed.
1870 N listed as Pleader, Court of Small Assizes; other Gaspers listed.
        
GJ Bagram listed as asst to MC Joakim & Co - he was a witness to NMG's marriage and had married Nicholas' sister, Elizabeth, in 1834 .

 

1870. Nicholas Malcolm Gasper, Pleader State, married Hosannah Jordan in St Johns Church, old cathedral, Calcutta on 15/3/1870. Both resident in Calcutta His father Malcolm Gasper, hers Jordan Paul Jordan. Witnesses George Bagram( this surname also on his father's 1855 Will ( I think his sister, Elizabeth, married George Bagram) & J P Jordan, her father A Church of England marriage - ODD as both Armenians

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"Mar 15 at St John's Church Calcutta by the Rev J Stevenson, MA, Nicholas Malcolm Gasper Esq to Hosannah 2nd daughter of JP Jordan Esq, of Calcutta "  -Times of India Fibis 

1870 Ripsima Anne Gaspar ( 1870-1955) born on 6/12/1870 in Calcutta , baptised 22/1/1871 - Ancestry India baptisms & IGI . She went to boarding school in Hove England, 1881C, and married William Joseph Bennison, contractor, in Christ Church, Paddington on 6/10/1908, her mother a witness - image on Ancestry . Seemingly no children: in 1911C, he from Killegan, Co. Wicklow. He dies 1911, leaving £10000. Ripsima dies, 22/4/1955, aged 84, Cuckfield, Jun, 1954 .Probate £32030, to Gregory Hugh Walter Gasper & Joan Queenie Hickson [ her niece, Frederick's daughter]

1872.. Fibis- N M Gasper travelling Calcutta to Moulmein 31/10/1872

1873. Another Gasper daughter was born on 2/6/1873 in Calcutta- from the Times of India, Fibis site https://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_detail.php?id=802540

1875. Nicholas Malcolm Gaspar ( 1875-1876) born in Calcutta. Born 26/6/1875, baptised 22/ 8/1875- IGI & recorded on Fibis - as just son Gasper

1876. Nicholas Reginald Gasper, son of N M Gasper, died 26/12/1876, aged 1, Calcutta. His wife likely had just conceived their next child.

1877. His wife, if not both of them, plus no doubt their 7 year old daughter, Ripsima, travel to Edinburgh- why?? .

In 1875, the Prince of Wales took just under a month to sail from London to Bombay- not an easy journey!

No ships' record of their travels on Ancestry or FMP. Searched FMP for any mention of Gasp*r 1875-1885

1877. Gregory Hugh Walter Gaspar was born 12/8/1877 at 2 Hope Park Crescent, Edinburgh, Midlothian to Nicholas & Hosannah- b.c. on his page .Nicholas seemingly working Calcutta

1879. Frederick Paul Dwight Gaspar was born 16/3/1879 at 5 Coster/Coates Place Edinburgh, Midlothian to Nicholas & Hosannah-b.c. on his page. Nicholas seemingly working Calcutta

1879-1880. Must have gone to Rangoon, leaving his wife and family in Edinburgh

1880 N M Pleader 22 Royd Street Rangoon.(14 other Gaspers listed, including an Armenian Priest.)

1881. His wife, Hosannah, and sons Hugh& Dwight Gasper were living 32 Melville Street, Duddingstone Portobello, Midlothian. 3 different addresses 1877-1881! Hannah given as Hosannah on Ancestry entry . Ripsinna Gasper, 10, is at a girls' "school" , 10 other pupils 13-16, 32 Selbourne Road Hove

Hannah Gasper Head Married Female 30 1851 Wife Of Advocate India
Hugh Gasper Son Unmarried Male 3 1878 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Dwight Gasper Son Unmarried Male 2 1879 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Mary Hack Servant Unmarried Female 31 1850 Nurse England
Jessie Crichton Servant Unmarried Female 14 1867 General Serv (Domestic) Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

No Gasp*r in 1891, 1901 or 1911C,

Sends son Gregory Hugh to school in Brighton and then to St Pauls College, Darjeeling . Son Frederick goes to Cambridge

So likely moved from Rangoon to Darjeeling 1890-1895

Fascinating articles on the Armenian Church, Rangoon today: http://www.chasingchinthes.com/page/2/ and https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-29505568

1904. Nicholas Malcolm Gasper, advocate, aged 74 and 5 mths, was buried , according to Church of England Rites, in the Government Cemetery on 3/3/1904 in Darjeeling, Bengal: he died of a cerebral haemorage - FMP British India Office Death & Burials

1904-burial

Reported on Fibis in Tmes of India . No probate Ancestry. No Will on FMP

1908. Given as Solicitor, deceased, on his daughter's m.c.

His widow, Hosannah, died 1912

Gaspar Index

armenian-couple .kids

These photos were in GHWG's photo album: are the couple related to him , surely they might be himself and Hosannah around 1870???