My Direct Chater Ancestors
Researching Armenian Family History in India
1600 - 1950

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Descendants of
Abraham Martyrose Chater of Dacca

The Armenian Church of Holy Resurrection in Dacca

The more I have researched, the more I have come to the conclusion that this family of mine had some form of connection to the Armenians in Calcutta.  The Chater name comes up again and again as Armenian, having been changed over time from Astwachator and other variations of the spelling.  The Armenians in India were hard working, people, innovative, traders and merchants.  They were particularly relied upon by the British who put them into trusted administrative posts.

To see images of the Chater Family Bible follow this link

Biographies of some of the Chater Family 

Abraham Martyrose Chater – of Dacca

 In the four years that I have been doing my family research, I have not been able to find any kind of record for Abraham at the India Office Records, held at the British Library in London.  However, since casting eyes on the Chater Family Bible (courtesy of Steve Rac a new found first cousin) in January 05, small and not so insignificant snippets of information it contains has offered me the opportunity to make my research into the family something a little more substantial.  One such find in the Family Bible was the discovery of Abraham’s middle name.  Martyrose is a name used extensively by the Armenians in India and I have come across this name in other aspects of my research. Scant details exist (at the moment) on Abraham, but this is what I have so far.

Abraham Martyrose Chater and his wife Magdaline had the following child (that I know of):

 

Arrakiel Arratoon CHATER 

b:  Tuesday 11 October 1832 at 7a.m. at Dacca.

d: 25 November 1884 Dinapore, 

bur: 25 November 1884 Dinapore

 

1st marriage to Elizabeth Florentine on 4th October 1851 at Mymensing, Dacca.  She died on Friday 20th November 1857 at 6p.m. in Mymensing, aged 25.

2nd marriage: to Rachel Jahans (click for Jahans family) on 12 February 1858.  She died on the 26th October 1865.

3rd marriage: to Caroline Sophia LETTS on Monday 2 April 1866, Dinapore

Occ: Clerk in a Government Office.

 

 Arrakiel’s date of birth eluded me for four years.  Then eventually, the Family Bible gave me the information I had searched long and hard for!   Not only did the Bible have the date of birth of Arakiel, but someone had studiously written the time of birth, 7a.m. and the day, Tuesday.  This kind of information is consistent throughout the Family Bible and I have annotated my notes here in this document to reflect this very personal information.  I had established from records at the OIOC in London that he died on 25 November 1884 in Dinapore, aged 52.  His death and burial records indicate that he stayed in the employ of the Government as a Head Clerk in the Collectoriate.  Arakiel, as mentioned above, married three times, firstly to Eliza Florentine, next to Rachel Jahans and lastly to Caroline Sophia Letts.  The marriages and the children are listed below.

---

 

 

1^st Marriage - Arakiel and Eliza Florentine married on the 4^th October 1851, Mymensing, Dacca.  Their children were:

 Magdalene CHATER

(b Friday 13^th May 1853)

 

Elizabeth CHATER

(b 2 February 1856, d Saturday 3 October 1880)

 

Martyrose CHATER

(b  Tuesday 25 October 1857, died September 1858)

 Eliza Florentine died on Friday 20 November 1857 at 6p.m. only a month after giving birth to Martyrose in the October.  Arakiel was widowed and left to look after a 4 ½ year old, a 21 month toddler and a new born baby boy.  It is of little surprise to see that he quickly remarried.  Having lost Eliza in November 1857, Arakiel married again in February 1858.  His second marriage is detailed next.

 

 

---

2^nd marriage - Arakiel Aratoon Chater married Rachel JAHANS on 12 February 1858.  They had the following children:

Abraham CHATER

b 15 June 1859

d: 24 May 1914 at the Presidency General Hospital, Calcutta

bur: 25 May 1914 The General Episcopal Cemetery, Calcutta 

Occ: Post Master General.

Married Annie Rosabelle (Isabelle) De SOUZA 4 June 1883  at Arrah

(click here for children)    

 

Sultana Sophia CHATER

b 30 October 1860

married James RAMAGE 18 August 1881, Dinapore. 

 

Arratoon CHATER

b Sunday 16 March 1862, Calcutta

 

Sadly, just like Rachel's mother (Rachael Jahans) before her who also died young and probably after childbirth, Rachel died on 26 October 1865. Arakiel was widowed for a second time, and at the age of 36 was left with five children between the ages of 12 years and 2 years.  Remarkably, he married yet again very quickly and six months later in April 1866 his third marriage took place.

---

 

3^rd Marriage - Arakiel Aratoon Chater married Caroline Sophia LETTS on Monday 2 April 1866 in Dinapore.  Caroline who was a young 16 year old.  His occupation was listed as Clerk in a Government Office and their witnesses were I.F.D. CRUIZ and Catherine MARSHALL who signed with her x mark.  Arrakiel’s address was given as just Arrah. For her part, Caroline, at the age of 16 years of age was marrying a man more than twice her age and taking on his six children from two previous marriages.  Not an easy task, even by today’s standards!.  Arakiel and Sophia had the following children:

 

1.       A boy born on Tuesday 6 March 1867 but who sadly died on Wednesday 7 March 1867.

 

2.       Henry CHATER

(b Friday 4 September 1868, d Saturday 24 October 1868)

        

3.       Georgiana Katherine Josephine CHATER

          b Monday 25 October 1869

          marr: Thomas Allen 20 July 1885, St. Lukes Dinapore

 

 

4.       Angelina Grace CHATER

          Thursday 14 September 1871

          bap: 24 September 1871, Arrah,

          married: Albert D'CRUIZE  31 December 1884, St. Lukes Church, Dinapore. 

5.       Arakiel Johanes

(b Monday 17 November 1873 at 4.30am.)

 married:  Margaret Agabeg

 

6.       Emma Mabel CHATER

(b Saturday 23 October 1875, Arrah, baptised 20 November 1874 Arrah)

            Married Theodore Adolphie MAUGEY 11 April 1893, R.C. Chapel, Barrackpore. 

 

            Children of Emma CHATER and Theodore MAUGEY see MAUGEY page.

 

 

 

7.       Eugene Ethel CHATER

(b Friday 31 August 1877, baptised 12 October 1877)

          married Wilfred Alfred Jenkinson 18 November 1898 Dinapore.  

 

 

           Children of Eugenie CHATER and Wilfred JENKINSON see JENKINSON page

 

 

8.       Rachal Caroline Beatrice CHATER

(b Friday 30 May 1879)

          married William Van Ristell 16 Jan 1907 Calcutta.  

 

            children of Rachel CHATER and William VAN RISTELL, see VAN RISTELL page

 

 

9.       Osburn CHATER

(b Thursday 25 August 1881 at 4p.m., Allahabad, d 26 Aug 1883, Tirhoot)

Following new findings concerning Osborne CHATER further investigation into Osborne needs to be made.  Information previously situated here MAY BE INCORRECT, please be aware of this.  I am trying hard to get the full, correct information and will post my findings as soon as I have them.

 

10.     Fredrick Charles CHATER

(b Wednesday 21 November 1883 at 3p.m.)

A subtle and interesting point worth mentioning is what I believe to be some sort of naming convention for the male side of Arakiel’s family.  On studying the pages of the Family Bible, I have noticed the following:  

Arakiel’s first son was named Martyrose.  Martyrose was the middle name of Arakiel’s father – Abraham Martyrose Chater

Arakiel’s second son was named Abraham.  Abraham was the first name of Arakiel’s father – Abraham Martyrose Chater

Arakiel’s third son was named Arratoon.  Arratoon was the middle name of Arakiel himself.

Finally, another son was named Arakiel.  Arakiel of course being the first name.

So the naming convention that I see, is middle name then first name of the grandfather then middle name and first name of the father. 

However, this naming convention was not used by Abraham when his children were born.

Children of Arakiel and Elizabeth - 1st marriage

Magdalen married Bartholomew BAILEY on 22 May 1871 at Dinapore R.C. Church.  He was 25 years old and listed as living in Allahabad and Magdalen was 18 and listed as living in Arrah.

Children of Arakiel and Rachel- 2nd marriage

Abraham  CHATER

Abraham, according to family lore, is believed to be have been born in Calcutta.  One of three children of Arakiel Arratoon Chater and Rachel.  He appears to have been connected to the Armenian Church of St. Nazareth, in Calcutta around 1871.   

He is listed in Thackers Directories for the years 1873,1874 and 1880 as “A. Chater, Head Clerk Collr’s Office, Shababad”.  In 1875 he is listed in Thackers as “A. Chater, Head Clerk, Collr’s Office Arah”. Between the years of 1884 and 1892 inclusive, he is listed in Thackers as “A. Chater, Post Master, Port Blair, Andamans”.  Between 1893 and 1898 inclusive he is listed in Thackers as “A. Chater, Clk General Post Office”. Between 1899 and 1901 inclusive he is listed in Thackers as “A. Chater Postmr. Purneah.

Abraham married Annie Rosabelle Isabelle DE SOUZA on 4^th June 1883 in Arrah. He was aged 24 and Annie was aged 16 (she was born 6^th February 1867 in Purneah). Witnesses at the marriage were Thomas WEBB, John Carley PRATT and Christopher Bermingham DE SOUZA. If the dates are correct, she was 3 months pregnant.  Again, if the dates listed are correct, within a year of marrying Abraham, they went from Arrah to Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, where he became Post Master there.  Abraham and Annie went on to have 10 children, six of them in Port Blair and the remaining children elsewhere.  If the dates listed are correct, then it seems that Abraham and Annie left Port Blair sometime after August 1890.  their seventh child was born in 1897 in Calcutta.  Annie died on 16 December 1927 and was buried the next day at the Lower Circular Road Cemetery, Calcutta. 

The Children of Abraham and Annie are: 

Herbert Alfred Henry Chater	Florence Louise Taylor
Henry Walter John Chater	Cyril Alexander Chater

Children of Herbert CHATER and Florence TAYLOR

 

Henry Walter John Chater

Cyril Alexander Chater

 

Henry Walter John CHATER 

b: Sunday 21 October 1923, Calcutta, 

bap 16 December 1923, St. Thomas's Church, Calcutta

d: 19 December 1940 M V Arinia Merchant Navy in World War II.  

 

for a small biography of Henry and his time in the Merchant Navy on the MV Arinia, following this link

 

 

 

Cyril Alexander CHATER                    

b: Monday 20 October 1924 Calcutta, 

bap: 23 November 1923, St. Thomas's Church, Calcutta

d: 13 October 1983 Southampton

Occ: seaman.  

Married Mary Elizabeth ROBERTS   

 

Children of Cyril CHATER and Mary:  

 

Nathaniel Henry Thomas Chater

Elizabeth Margurerite Chater

 

Nathaniel Henry Thomas CHATER  

b: 8 May 1955 Southampton,  

d: 25 July 1974 Southampton.   

 

   

Elizabeth Marguerite CHATER  living

Children of Herbert CHATER and Mary HOWSON

 

 

Michael Herbert CHATER  b 1934 London - living

Stella Elizabeth CHATER b 1932 d 2001 London

Norma Mary CHATER b 1938 d 1998 London

    Children of Hugh Gerald CHATER and Ivy GREEN

 

    Iona Muriel CHATER

    b 25 June 1925

    bap 12 July 1925, St. Thomas's Church, Calcutta

 

    Sylvia Geraldine CHATER

    b 22 May 1930

    bap 7 June 1930, St. Thomas's Free School Street

Sultana married James RAMAGE on 18 August 1881 in Dinapore,  she was 17 years old and James was 26years old.  James’s profession is listed as Overseer PWD, Investigation Branch, Bengal. Their addresses were given just as Dinapore.  Interestingly, the witnesses were E. Petit, Arrakiel Chater (her father) and Arratoon Chater, her brother.   

 Children of Arakiel and Caroline - 3rd marriage

Children of Abraham and Annie

Walter Albert Ross CHATER

(b 31 December 1883 Port Blair, baptised 15 March 1884) (of Abraham and Annie)

No personal details known about Walter. However, as mentioned, if the dates are correct, Annie was 3 months pregnant with Walter when she married Abraham.  In the Family Bible there is the following “Walter Albert Ross Chater eldest son of Abraham Chater married………” then there is a space as if a date should have been written, but hadn’t.

Ida Ellen Julia CHATER

(b 6 April 1885 Port Blair d 13 August 1885 Port Blair) (of Abraham and Annie)

Annie fell pregnant in July 1884, 6 months after the birth of Walter. Ida was baptised on 9 July 1885 but died in infancy.  She was buried on 14 August 1885, the day after she died.  There is little to suggest that she was buried anywhere other than Port Blair.  She was only four months old.

Herbert Alfred Henry CHATER

(b 25 February 1886 Port Blair, baptised 9 April 1886, d 1 July 1944 London) (of Abraham and Annie)

Annie fell pregnant in May 1885, 9 months after giving birth to Ida. The early years of Herbert’s life in Port Blair are unknown. As far as I have been able to find out he was the third of 13 children. Herbert’s career seems to have been with the Indian Civil Service as a Customs Officer.  How he got involved with the Indian Customs has yet to be established, but it is quite likely a family member, maybe an uncle or a cousin may have played a role in him going in that direction..  He is listed in Thackers Directories between 1920 and 1925 (these dates put his age at 34-39 years) inclusive as “H.A.H. Chater, Customs Officer, Custom House, Charnock Place”

Offrs, T.G. CAMPBELL, W.C. BLAQUIERE, F.G. HOGAN, E.O. CLARKSON, P.A. WALLACE, J. BURNETT, P.O. GEORGE, W.T. CUNLIFFE, A.J. COMECHE, L. PICACHY, C.E. SMITH, O.H. ROWE, G.A. St. CLARE FULLER, W.A. BRITTAIN, J. MEERZA, P. PAUL, C.J. B’JOHN, E.C. WOODWARD, J. MINOS, C.P. COLLINSON, A. PREMINGER, M.B. RANGEL, T.C.J. LORIMER, G.M.E. BURNETT, F.J.A. BUIKE, F. THOMSON, H.W. THOMPSON, T. FOSTER, T.W. LATIMER, H.W. FULLER, W.F. TEMPLEMAN, R.C. MOSS, L. CHAPLAIN, J.O. D’SILVA, E.D. CLARK, W.E.A. KERR, G.E.A. LUCAS, T.E. BUTTERWICK, B.H. HOLMES, P.A.L. ROE, H. REBELLO, A DIAS, C.B.X. NELSON, F.O. TAYLOR, J.D. ANDERSON, S.H. PETTY, C.C. MARSDEN, A.O. VAZ, O.W. McGUIRE, S. NICHOLLS, G.L. ANDERSON, W.A. MEYERS, C.C. KELLETT, C.J.S. FREDERICK,. H.A. VEARS, F.E. SHAVE, W.B. SERRAO, L.J. LEFEUVRE, H.H. PINTO, A.W. DEVEREUX, W.W. LOVEGROVE, E.A. KNIGHT, J.C. HALL, W. Henry HART, H.E.A. WOOD, J. GOMES, W.C.A. EDWARDS, H.S. BARLOW, A FURTADO, F.G. ABBOTT, H.R. VALLIS, K.C.E. FALLOON, H.E. BREMNER, E.J. LEICESTER, R.T. TISSENDIE, L.P. VAILANT, S.R.A. D’SILVA, K.C.F. BOILEAU, F.G. MEARS, J.G. SINGLETON, H.A.H. CHATER, F.T. SMITH AND E.B. SCOTT.

 At the age of 36 years Herbert married Florence Louise Taylor on 5 January 1923 in St. Giles, London, the marriage certificate states she was 28 years old.  However, her birth certificate  states that she was born on the 17^th April 1896, this would have made her 26 at the time of marrying Herbert.  Interestingly, the Chater Family Bible states that her birthday was 19 February 1894.  Having studied his handwriting on various other documents, this entry in the Bible was made, I believe, by Herbert himself. Had she lied at the time of her marriage to him about her age? Quite possibly.  He was 36 nearly 37 years old, in reality she was 26 but pretended she was 28 to be 29 years old a few months after the marriage.   At the time his address was given as 29 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London.  Florence’s address as 29 Woburn Square, Bloomsbury, London where it is believed she worked as a domestic parlour maid. Herbert and Florence had two children in quick succession, they were:

Between January 1923 when Herbert and Florence married, and October 1923 when Henry was born, they left London and travelled to India.  Florence fell pregnant immediately after marrying Herbert. It is not known where they lived, other than Calcutta.  They are believed to have stayed in Calcutta for a couple of years, and then returned to London, setting up home in St. Margaret’s Road, Twickenham.  Family lore says that they had 2 homes, one in Calcutta (presumably to be close to his Customs work) and the other in Port Blair, where he grew up.  However, this is unsubstantiated.

Herbert travelled a great deal with his job and a lot of his customs works was conducted undercover, his title being Preventative Customs Officer.  Herbert was very good friends with Leslie A. “Hutch” Hutchinson (b 1900, d 18 August 1969).  He was a famous cabaret pianist and singer, performing regularly at the London Pavilion and Quaglino’s, and quite often Herbert and Hutch would travel to various locations around the world together.

It would appear that some time after Herbert and Florence returned from India, there was some domestic discord and Florence moved out of the house in Twickenham to a rented house directly opposite.  No sooner had Florence moved out then Herbert’s life-long partner to be, moved in.  Mary Howson (b ? d 2000, London) Herbert and Mary went on to have three children.  It is my understanding that the children Herbert had with Mary were brought up in the house he shared originally with his wife, Florence:

It is not certain if Herbert ever divorced Florence, but it is unlikely I have researched this extensively but so far have found nothing to say that they ever did divorce.   Florence was left to bring up her two boys single-handed. It would have been difficult for her to manage the two young boys on her own effectively as a one parent family, and as I understand, she lived in Portsmouth for sometime.  Herbert had little or no contact with his first two children and when their first child, Henry was killed in WWII in 1940 at the age of 17 Florence moved to Weymouth, where she settled until her death in 1975.  Herbert continued to live in London.

Herbert died from diabetes at the age of 58 yrs at the house in St. Margaret’s Road, Twickenham with Mary his partner, at his side.  He was buried at the Borough Cemetery, Twickenham, Middlesex on 5^th July 1944 at Plot 134, Class A, Block 1.  There have been two further internments with Herbert since his death, these being his daughter Stella and his life partner, Mary.  They died at ages 65 and 91 respectively in the year 2000.

On 13 June 1944, just 17 days before his death, he hastily made his last will and testament thus cancelling previously made wills and testments.  In it he bequeathed his estate to Mary Howson.  However, his death certificate states the informant of death to be Mary Chater.  So, did they marry some time between 13 June 1944 and 1 July 1944?  Maybe Mary Howson changed her name by deed poll, or maybe she just called herself Chater because it was easier? I suspect the latter.

Bernice Constance Stella CHATER

(b 11 July 1887 Port Blair, baptised 10 October 1887) (of Abraham and Annie)

 No personal details known about Bernice.  However, Annie fell pregnant with Bernice in October 1886, 8 months after giving birth to Herbert.

Cyril Steven CHATER

(b 28 September 1888 Port Blair, baptised 4 February 1889, d 20 July 1945, Calcutta) (of Abraham and Annie)

Annie fell pregnant with Cyril in December 1887, just 5 months after giving birth to Bernice. 

Again, there is no information currently available on the early years of Cyril’s life in Port Blair.  Clearly, he went to the mainland where Cyril married Grace Eola PEARSON (b BEF 1895 d 15 Feb 1919, Calcutta) on 19 February 1917, in the Thoburn Methodist Episcopal Church, Calcutta when he was 29 years old.  Grace was 23 years old when she married and her occupation was listed as a nurse.  Their witnesses were J.W. REYNOLDS and W. CHATER (was this his brother Walter Chater?).  Cyril spent his working life as a Policeman and attained the rank of Sergeant.  He died at 56 years of age from Pneumonia and was buried at the Lower Circular Road Cemetery, Calcutta.  It is not known if they had any children. My research on this particular member of the family has shown that sometimes he was called Cyril Steven and other times he was called Steven Cyril.

Annie Irene Elsie CHATER

(b 7 April 1890 Port Blair, baptised 12 August 1890) (of Abraham and Annie)

Annie fell pregnant with Annie Irene Elsie in July 1889, 10 months after the birth of Cyril.  Annie Irene Elsie married Robert Melville SHARPE (b BEF 1874) on the 9 October 1907, in Calcutta.  She would have been 18 years of age and he would have been 34 years of age. His occupation was listed as Deputy Magistrate and he was single.  Witnesses were A. CHATER, (is this Abraham Chater, her father?) H. MOSS and I. SIMPLETON.  It is not known if they had any children.

William Allen Chater (of Abraham and Annie)

In December of 1896 Annie fell pregnant again.  What sort of thoughts might have been going thru her mind at this point, only she will ever know.  Having lost the last two babies in infancy, she must have been feeling so determined not to lose the next child.  Victor Paul was born in October 1897 and tragically for the whole family, he too died after only 4 months of life.   The entry in the Family Bibles reads “Darling Sonny Victor Paul departed this life on 4^th Feb 1898”.  Clearly a terrible tragedy for Annie, she had by now, lost 3 babies in succession.

Hugh married Muriel Ivy GREEN on 22 February 1924 at the Thoburn Methodist Church.  They went on to have 2 children.

Annie fell pregnant with Mabel in February 1900, 11 months after the birth of Hugh Gerald.  Mabel married Joseph Percy George REEKS, 4^th November 1935, India.  It was a registry office marriage, and as far as I have been able to find out, I haven’t information on witnesses.  His occupation was listed as Storekeeper, Civil and Military. He gave his address as 1 Marquis Street, Calcutta.  Mabel was listed as a Steno-typist and gave her address as Suite 5, Chowringham Lane, Calcutta.  They were both aged 31 years old.

Lionel married Edna Nance AVIET (b 22 Sep 1917).  And they emigrated to Australia.  It is therefore possible that the Chater name continues in the Antipodes.