Jamsetji Jivanji Gazdar 1845-1922

GAZDARS OF GANDEVI. The surname GAZDAR amongst PARSIS, started in the 18th. century. During that period, the WADIAS had come to Bombay, to construct docks for the PORT of BOMBAY, and build sailing vessels, for the EAST INDIA CO. For this purpose they needed plenty of timber.This timber was obtained from the forest of DANG, near GANDEVI and BILLIMORIA in Gujarat. The Parsis of GANDEVI owned vast stretches of this forest, and used to supply timber to the WADIAS at Bombay. This timber had to be measured and cut to different sizes, as required by the purchasers. For measuring they used a yard long scale, which was called a GAZ, and also used a rope called DOR, for measuring lengths longer than a yard. Several Parsis of GANDEVI were engaged in this measuring process, and just because they used GAZ and DOR for this purpose, they were called GAZ-DORS. Gradually, they adopted the surname GAZDAR. Amongst the famous GAZDARS of Bombay, is JAMSHEDJI. GAZDAR who was once President of the INDIAN MERCHANTS’ CHAMBER. JAMSHEDJI JIVANJI GAZDAR, passed M.A. from ELPHINSTON COLLEGE, Bombay, in 1867, and then went to England to become a barrister in 1870. He practiced there only, and returned to Bombay in1892. He was made a FELLOW of BOMBAY UNIVERSITY, and theMAHA-RAJA of BHAVNAGAR, appointed him as his state’s CHIEF JUSTICE. In 1900, he became the REGISTRAR of BOMBAY HIGH COURT.

A Parsi is a descendant of those Zoroastrians that fled Persia and landed on the shores of Gujarat, India in the 10th century AD seeking religious freedom - but obviously other Parsis arrived in India much later!.

May 1845. Born in Bombay, the eldest son of Jivanji Dadabhai Guzdar , of Bombay: this from "https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Men-at-the-Bar/Jamshedji_Jivanji_Gazdar" ( I had thought maybe his father was Jamshedji Gazdar who was President of the Indian Merchants' Chamber) . He had a younger brother Kavarji J Gazdar, still alive in 1922.

1868.From http://www.histecon.magd.cam.ac.uk/research/digitization/scott/99-100.html, the pages below:

1868. Maybe travelled from Bombay to Southampton on 29/2/1868, name given as J J Guzdar- Fibis

1871. He was called to the Bar, Lincoln's Inn, on 26/1/1871, becoming the first Indian to be so called. He remained the only one for ~20 years? - there is another graduate of Bombay, Hormusjee, mentioned in the cutting below!, and others

Probably 1876-1877, he "married", Mary A White, born~ 1843, apparently English, but seemingly not in England, Scotland or Ireland, and have not found on the Indian Fibis site - Mary Anne's surname obtained from 1877 b.c. of son James . So this was a common law marriage and I am almost certain that by this time Mary Anne White had had a daughter, Jeanette White, in 1862, who became Jeanette Hutchinson in 1868 when she, Mary Anne,married Frederick Hutchinson in 1868. Then in 1876 she had another daughter, Mary Hutchinson, who became Mary Gazdar when she, Mary Anne, started living with J J Gazdar

"JJ would have had black marks for "marrying" outside of the Parsee community - my mother told me he believed that each man must find his own route to God. He was cremated in Essex in 1922 rather that fed to the vultures of Bombay!" - Nigel

1876. Mary Gazdar born, seemingly, to Jamsetji & Mary A - but no BMD/Ancestry birth entry!!-(I think she was registered as Mary Hutchinson ) , and she died 1891,""another daughter died aged about 9 and is buried in Wales"- Nigel. Bmd has death of a Mary May Gazdar Pwllheli Sep 1891 aged 15 and have now found- FMP, not on Ancestry! - a Mary Gazdar ,15, in 1891C , as a visitor in the Rectory Bottwny, Plasgwyn, Bottwnog, Pwllheli, Caernarvonshire. She died from TB- she must have been convalescing on the Lleyn Peninsular. -Nigel. Nigel once visited her grave in Bytwnog/Butternog. Nothing in FMP Newspapers. Seemingly not on Findagrave site

Jenkin	Davies	Head	Married	Male	53	1838	Cardiganshire, Wales	Rector Of Bottwnag & ?
Anna	Davies	Wife	Married	Female	37	1854	Denbighshire, Wales	-
Susan B Pary	Jones	Mother In Law	Widow	Female	75	1816	Flintshire, Wales	Living On Her Own Means
Elizabeth Pary	Jones	Sister In Law	Single	Female	31	1860	Denbighshire, Wales	Living On Her Own Means
Mary	Gazdar	Visitor	Single	Female	15	1876	London, Middlesex, England	-Barrister's daughter
Jane	Jones	Servant	Single	Female	37	1854	Anglesey, Wales	Domestic Servant
Elizabeth	Roberts	Servant	Single	Female	15	1876	Caernarvonshire, Wales	Domestic Servant

Could put in details of his legal work - from Times Digital Archive

1877. James Henry Gazdar born 13/11/1877 to Jamsetji & Mary A White at 8 Abbey Terrace , Marylebone.Marylebone Dec 1877

1879. Gertrude Gazdar born 26/6/1879 ( from 1897 baptism record) Marylebone Sep 1879 to Jamsetji & Mary A Gazdar. Married Harry Forrester Hampstead Sep 1920 . Seemingly no children

1881C .Jamsetji Gazdar, 37, barrister, is living Rendlesham Lodge Cheshunt Herts . A Rendlesham Hall was like a stately home!

Jamsetji	Gazdar	Head	Married	Male	37	1844	Barrister At Law (In Actual Practice At The Chancery Bar)	India Parsee Bombay
Mary A	Gazdar	Wife	Married	Female	37	1844	-	St Pancras Middlesex, England
Mary	Gazdar	Daughter	Single	Female	5	1876	-	Marylebone, Middlesex, England
James	Gazdar	Son	Single	Male	3	1878	-	Marylebone, Middlesex, England
Gertrude	Gazdar	Daughter	Single	Female	1	1880	-	Marylebone, Middlesex, England
Harriet	Taylor	Servant	Single	Female	31	1850	Nurse (Domestic)	Swaffham, Norfolk, England
Isabel	Taylor	Servant	Single	Female	16	1865	Generl Servt (Domestic)	Marylebone, Middlesex, England
Jane	Kent	Servant	Single	Female	15	1866	Generl Servt (Domestic)	Marylebone, Middlesex, England

1883. Maud Gazdar born 6/12/1882( from 1897 baptism record)- bmd reg. Edmonton Mar 1883 - to Jamsetji & Mary A. Married John F Taylor Saffron Walden Dec 1928. Seemingly no children .

1880-1890. Cases he worked on are reported frequently in the Times Digital Archives . High Court of Justice; Chancery Division; Court of Appeal

1885-1890 . In London Directories at 3 New Square, Lincoln's Inn . Also in Rate Books -FMP

1889. His step daughter?? Jeanette van Alstine is living in 4 Harley Road on 30/8/1889 - his residence from 1890-1896

1890-1896 . Jamsetji Jivanji Gazdar is living 4 Harley Road, Hampstead- Ancestry Electoral registers

but 1890 onward no cases he worked on are reported in the Times Digital Archives - is this due to his incapacity in walking??

1894-5. Returned to Bombay according to Lincoln's Inn letter . On the Counsel in the High Court of Bombay until 1913 at least- lists end then!

'Children lived with Mrs Mosop while his wife was in India with him. His wife just returned to England for the school hols. Mrs ? lived Vyne Cottage, Uxbridge ' - Nigel

1897. Gertrude, 18, & Maud, 14,were baptised in St Mary's Kilburn on 11/5/1897- London baptisms Ancestry . No baptism for Mary & James, but Mary had died Pwiheli, Sep 1891, aged 15 . Father a barrister, address 136 Belsize Road

1898. Attended a dinner for the Aga Khan given by Sir M.M.Bhownaggree M.P in the House of Commons on 28/6/1898

1890s . His Times obituary claims he went out to India in the early 90s, he practiced for a time at Bombay High Court, and then for some years as Judicial Councillor of Bhavnagar State . He worked for the Gaekwar of Baroda ( this west India, Bhavnagar State in the East!) - Nigel

1900. & on retirement in 1900, he returned & settled at Fox Hall - I am dubious about the date 1900!, likely only lived there fairly continuously from ~1914.

1901C. Not to be found- thus almost certainly back in India. But his student daughters are living 5 Canfield Gardens Hampstead wwith a step sister, Jeanette van Alstine, aged 38. Have not found son James Henry

1909. J J Gazdar on a ship's passenger list, travelling from Bombay to London, in July 1909 - Ancestry

1911C. Jamsetji Jivanji Gazdar was living Fox Hall, Upminster, Essex. The house had 13 rooms. . No mention of his wife !

Jamsetji Jivanji	Gazdar	Head	Married	Male	66	1845	Barrister -On- Law	India Bombay Visitor
Maud	Gazdar	Daughter	Single	Female	28	1883	Demonstrator In Chemistry Unuv: College L Boro	Middlesex Waltham Cross
Mary Anne	Hutchinson	Boarder	Widow	Female	67	1844	Private Means	Middlesex London
Nellie Louisa	Taylor	Cook	Single	Female	17	1894	Cook Domestic	Essex Wakering
Ethel Ellen	Flint	Servant	Single	Female	22	1889	House Maid Domestic	Kent Nortting
Edith Mary	Chatfield	Servant	Single	Female	15	1896	House Maid Domestic	Surrey Croydon

Could Mary Anne Hutchinson be step sister's Jeanette's mother

18/2/1913. J J Gazdar writes a letter to the Times about the Indian Cotton trade- his address "Indian Cotton Bureau, 12 Craven Street, Strand"

10/3/1913. Another letter about gold coinage to the Times from the address above -Times Digital Archives

foxhall . foxhall

1920. His daughter Gertrude married an assistant school teacher, 8 years her junior.

It was said he was consulted by the government about the partition of Ireland - by his granddaughter Mary Gazdar 1915- Nigel

1921. J J Gazdar,76, barrister, & Dr M Gazdar, 39, doctor, go on a cruise to Madeira on 21/12/1921. Address Fox Hall. This his daughter, Maud, 1883

Sadly, the family became increasingly dysfunctional, as they say. I believe JJ cut Gertrude out of his will, supposedly disapproving of her marriage, but I wonder now if it wasn't about her surgical work for the somewhat notorious Louisa Garret Anderson -Nigel

1921. J J Gazdar wrote a Will . No mention of Gertrude, . The "mother of his children" was allowed £300 /annum at the discretion of James and Maud. He has a deceased daughter, Ratanbai!! He appoints 5 trustees( a recipe for disaster) , one of which is a brother, Kuvarji J Gazdar of Calcutta : the others Charles Randle, general Manager, Bank of Baroda: Sir M M Bhownaggree; son James; & daughter Maud . And he left £500 to Bhownaggree & to a lady friend, Miss Jessie Percival-Hall ( she, born 8/8/1863, is in the 1939 register in London, with 2 maids) . No mention made of his stepdaughter Jeanette Mossop/van Alstine/Hutchinson

Bhownaggree, also educated at Elphinstone, settled in the United Kingdom in 1891,becoming a lawyer. He was the head of the Parsi organization in Europe and chairman of the Indian Social Club. He joined the Conservative Party and was selected as the party's candidate in 1895 for N.E. Bethnal Green

1922. Jamshedi J Gazdar, 76, dies 14/8/1922.Romford Sep1922 . Times obituary . Cremated Manor Park cemetery (off Wanstead Flats where Chris lived 1945-1953!)- no record of him on their online site

He left~£4200, including £100 for his gardener, Webber, if he were still in his employment on his death! - Chelmsford Times

but , see below, at least some of his assets/wishes were disputed by Bhownaggree!

No Obituary in Essex papers on FMP & cannot find anything on Fibis, which does have articles from the Times of India

Sis M M Bhownaggree gave Gertrude, who had been removed from the Will- purportedly since JJ disapproved of her 1920 marriage - the clock below( which went to James' eldest daughter, Emilie/Jeannette, who then left it to Nigel in 1997)

His wife, Mary A White, otherwise Gazdar, 90, died Westcliffe on Sea on 12/2/1933. Rochford Mar 1933 . They had obviously never married, and had been separated well before his death

I knew little of JJ's wife, not even her name; she was the 'spit' of my mother[ her granddaughter, Mary Gazdar 1915] from a photo I once saw, and was somewhat manic in old age -Nigel

1923-1928. Times Digital Archives show a Court Case of Bhownaggree v.Gazdar,dec., rumbling through the courts . Bhownaggree was the M P who had had JJ to dine in the House of Commons, and also a good friend and one of the 3 British trustees of JJ's will

Possessed this cabinet: likely passed down to his daughter Maud, then to her niece Mary Gazdar 1915, who then left it to son, Nigel . Also the enamel vase

Could put in details of his legal work - from Times Digital Archive