Hello India list members, My family and I are currently trying to trace our family history. My great grandfather, John Topper served with the East Lancs regiment first in South Africa, and then in India from April 1902 until August 1906, after which he was transferred to the Army Reserves in Poona. In Bombay, February 1911, he was married to one Eva Foorman, my great grandmother, daughter of Levi Foorman. My grandfather Harry John Topper was born in 1917, and we believe Eva Foorman to have died in 1919. John later remarried, in 1924, to Annie Joseph. We know nothing further about Eva Foorman or Annie Joseph. Searches on FIBIS, FindMyPast and Ancestry have turned up nothing. Our assumption is that there are other data source relating to India that have not been digitised, or that relate to non-British interests and therefore may be available on other international genealogy sites. Where else should we be searching from here? The only other potentially relevant information is that the Topper/Foorman wedding was witnessed by George White and Polly White (ne Swartzes), whose own wedding (1930, Poona) I was able to find documented. Both "Foorman" and "Swartzes" sound to me possibly Dutch or Afrikaans. Does that sound plausible? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer! Jon Topper London, England

Hello List Jon, what was John Topper's occupation when he married in 1911 and what church was he married in? What do you know about the marriage of George White, and Polly Swartzes? . What church were they married in, and what was the occupation of George White? This data may give you an indication of what type of church records you need to be looking for. Also you advise the White wedding was in 1930, but they were both witnesses at the 1911 wedding. Is that correct? Perhaps there is some connection from the time John Topper was in South Africa, but could the name Levi Foorman be German/Eastern European/Jewish? Cheers Maureen On 19/07/2015, at 7:32 PM, Jon Topper via <india@rootsweb.com> wrote: > Hello India list members, > > My family and I are currently trying to trace our family history. My great > grandfather, John Topper served with the East Lancs regiment first in South > Africa, and then in India from April 1902 until August 1906, after which he > was transferred to the Army Reserves in Poona. > > In Bombay, February 1911, he was married to one Eva Foorman, my great > grandmother, daughter of Levi Foorman. My grandfather Harry John Topper > was born in 1917, and we believe Eva Foorman to have died in 1919. John > later remarried, in 1924, to Annie Joseph. > > We know nothing further about Eva Foorman or Annie Joseph. Searches on > FIBIS, FindMyPast and Ancestry have turned up nothing. Our assumption is > that there are other data source relating to India that have not been > digitised, or that relate to non-British interests and therefore may be > available on other international genealogy sites. Where else should we be > searching from here? > > The only other potentially relevant information is that the Topper/Foorman > wedding was witnessed by George White and Polly White (ne Swartzes), whose > own wedding (1930, Poona) I was able to find documented. Both "Foorman" > and "Swartzes" sound to me possibly Dutch or Afrikaans. Does that sound > plausible? > > Thanks in advance for any help you can offer! > > > Jon Topper > London, England >