James Richard Barwell (bef. 1783 - 1833)

Born before 30 Oct 1783 in Westbourne, Sussex, England

Ancestors

Died 16 Apr 1833 after age 49 in Chowringhee, Calcutta, Bengal, India

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Biography

James was baptised in Westbourne, Sussex on 30 October 1783 ^[1][2] as James Richard Barwell Seaforth, the illegitimate son of Harriet Seaforth. His father was local landowner Richard Barwell .

See note below regarding the identity of Harriet Seaforth.

At the time of James' birth Richard Barwell was a widower living near Westbourne at Stansted Hall. He was reputed to have a mistress living nearby ^[3] - likely James' mother. Richard married for second time in 1785 to Catherine Coffin.

Several of Richard's sons, including James, spent time in India. He was, by 1800, employed by the East India Company as a writer in Bengal ^[4] - where Richard Barwell had earlier made his fortune. James later served as Sub-Treasurer of the Presidency of Bengal.^{[5] [6]}

James became a merchant of Bengal and died at Chowringhee, a wealthy, mercantile part of Calcutta, on 16 April 1833 aged 51.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ St John the Baptist (Westbourne) Parish Register
2. ↑ India Office records state the baptismal year as 1782 - http://indiafamily.bl.uk/ui/FullDisplay.aspx?RecordId=014-000027840
3. ↑ The mistress was likely Rebecca Lyne of Westbourne. They had at least one child - possibly as many as four children - together
4. ↑ University of London; London, England; A General Register of the Hon'ble East India Company's Civil Servants of the Bengal Establishment Ramachandra Dasa; Reference Number: b2490493~S10 1790-1842
5. ↑ University of London; London, England; The East India Register and Directory for 1826 Mason, A.W. and Brown, G.H.; Reference Number: Rb1696511 1826
6. ↑ 'The Bengal Directory', pub Samuel Smith, Calcutta, (1832)
7. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/163264787/james-barwell

• Peter Ellacot, The Bastards of Westbourne: Study of Illegitimacy Between 1720 and 1840, Westbourne Local History Group, (1996)
• India Office Family History Search Biographical Notes (Baptismal record Westbourne, Sussex 30 October 1782 James Richard Barwell. Writer in Bengal 1799, died 16 April 1833 Chowringhee, Calcutta) Doesn't name his parents but birth location indicates that his father was Richard Barwell. [1]

Notes

• There is some evidence that Harriet Seaforth and Rebecca Lyne may be same person. Confirmation of this is a work-in-progress.

• At the time of writing the some links at India Office Family History Search do not appear to work but the entries can be found by searching at [2]