family of Irene Brenda Skinner (nee Sinclair)

[Ronnie24]

Irene was my g'mother and born circa 1893/94. She married Bertrum Somerville Joseph in 1924 in Calcutta, India. She was a widow and previous married name was Skinner. Her father was William Sinclair.
Does anyone have any information regarding how she came to be in India or more information about her Scottish roots? Thanks Ronnie 24

[Coromandel]

Hi Ronnie24 and welcome to the forum

I can't see an Irene Brenda Sinclair in the birth/marriage indexes on Scotland's People. Could your grandmother have been born in India? I ask because FamilySearch has this:

Irene Brenda Constance Sinclair, born 30 Dec 1890, bapt. 14 Jan. 1891 Madras, dau. of William Edmund Sinclair & 'Lyia' Caroline.

She'd be a little older than you thought, and with an extra name, but I thought she was worth mentioning, just in case.

FamilySearch also has some possible siblings for this Irene:
- Daisy Beatrice Sinclair b. & bapt 1892 Madras (parents William Edmund & 'Veziah' Caroline)
- Albert Vernon Sinclair b. & bapt 1894 Madras (parents William Edmund & Kezia Caroline)

and the parents' marriage:
William Edmund Sinclair (21) son of John Sinclair married Kezia Caroline King (17, dau. of George King), 30 June 1889, Madras.

A 25 year old Kezia Caroline Sinclair (married) died 30 June 1899 and was buried 1 July 1899 at Burdwan, Bengal.
(again from FamilySearch).

Apologies if you have these already or if they're not your family . . . I'm clutching at straws really.

[Ronnie24]

Hi Coromandel,
Thank you for your assistance, the date of Irene's birth is four years off but I don't want to rule it out. I am new to all of this computerized research as I did all my other research manually at the British Library in Euston. What is Family Search and how do I access it? Ronnie24

[RonOne]

Hi Ronnie24, welcome to the forum

What is Family Search

See: https://www.familysearch.org/about

and how do I access it?

New Family Search site: https://www.familysearch.org/

Old Family Search site: http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp

[jomo]

Hi Ronnnie. My husband is also Irene's g'son! From her first Skinner marriage, Irene had a son and a daughter. Edward died in Calcutta in 1966, [the daughter] has just turned 90 and lives in England. [The daughter] often spoken of your mother, who was her little half-sister and wondered what happened to her. After both Irene & Bertrum died the children were split up, Skinner children to Skinner aunts in Calcutta & Joseph children to Joseph relatives. As these children were all so young they weren't able to stay in touch. Irene was Irish not Scottisn and a nurse, with flaming red hair. & green eyes. We have a lovely photo of her.