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  1. #1
    lucygrasshopper
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    Default Ceylon Coal and Tea

    Hi - I have been researching my family for a very long time, and my old posts and the replies are still in the system. I am deserving of a Pulitzer Prize for some of what I have written about my family - sadly there is no futre in getting old - and in time, all these folk will fade into oblivion - so, I wrote what I found out in a Storyboard - a lot like a Novella.

    I never really found my Great Grandfather. After contacting distant cousins, it has dawned on me , or at least I have to accept the fact that, in 1893, he was "deleted" from the family. Disowned right down to where he died, how he died and a death certificate. I got a date...1898 and that was the limit of modern family knowledge..

    My GGrandfather had 4 brothers and one sister. I have traced most of their details, that's not a problem.

    I am currently working on William Frederick Diacono. He was with Wills & Co in Ceylon and elsewhere for some 30 years. He owned the Mary Hill Hotel. Had ten children of which ninesurvived.
    Aldo, the eldest, then Ildo who died (found him),
    Hugo...he was apparently a violinist at Covent Garden at one time, then joined the Indian Army. Moved to England, and...because of the Italian Content of WW11, and the association with his Italian name, Diacono. He changed his name to Deacon. I believe he is buried in Coventry.
    Arno, Otto and Ezio...and the baby, Remo, born in 1903 with rellies in Australia, Remo,(called himself Ray).

    Then there were the ladies. Aida (I've traced her) Nora, and Irma.

    I got into the "Lanka Forum" and tripped over a cousin pretty well asking the same questions.

    There is even some very old Posts in these Forums on Tea and Ceylon which I have looked at.

    I got into the Ceylon Tea website - that filled in History but not of the Family.

    William Frederick Diacono was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1862. He was educated in Beirut - died in 1920 just shy of his 60th year.

    Even the (now) remnants of the family, don't know a great deal.

    Just wondering if there is anyone out there that might have information on any of the Diacono names above. - Oh, I do know that Remo was 77 years old in 1880.

    Ta for any assists
    Lucygrasshopper.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Sue Mackay's Avatar
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    From the Ceylon Green Book 1932:

    Diacono, Mrs. Mary; Wife of the late Mr. W.F. Diacono of Maryhill Hotel, Nuwara Eliya. Died in Nuwara Eliya, 2nd March 1932.


    Also found that a Salvador Diacono was convicted in Malta on 13 Oct 1817 and transported to Australia on the 'Dromedary' - his sentence was 14 years.
    Sue Mackay
    Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids

  3. #3
    lucygrasshopper
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    Hi Sue...Yes - I found that Green book Entry.

    The Salvatore fellow, 1817? Bit before the time I am looking at. Prior to my searching, indications are that all came from Malta or probably from around Florence, Italy. The in betweens were born in Ceylon, Suez, Alexandria, Cairo and Port Said. Most, from about the mid 1800s through to the early 1900s , held British Passports with MALTA stamped in red, in the front of the Passport. Also, their names were Anglicised. Giuseppe became Joseph, Ferderico became Frederick and so on. Then one lot changed to Deacon. I have found a lot of stuff in the UK, but now I am trying to concentrate of descendants perhaps in the UK and Ceylon.

    Is there a Special section in TNA devoted to Ceylon?

    Pity of my searching is this - the family of WF Diacono shuttled between Ceylon and the UK, attending Schools. Then some took up residence in the UK.

    Anyway - thanks for the help. At least you are looking.

    By the way, Diaconos are a bit like Mackays, McKays, and Mackies and so on. I have done my mother's family history. She was a Mackay. Her brother wrote his name McKay.

    It was a hard task, but tracked them all down irrespective of the Highland Clearances and other political mischief which wiped out a lot of valuable information. Got back as far as Rob Donn the poet.

    Lovely to hear from you
    Lucygrasshopper.

  4. #4
    Super Moderator Sue Mackay's Avatar
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    It's a small world. I knew about the Green Book entry because I was briefly subscribed to the Rootsweb Ceylon mailing list. My grandfather was manager of the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo untill about 1930 and my grandmother ran a dressmaking business - perhaps your folks met them! My father was sent to school in Nuwara Eliya for four years from 1916-1920, where he was a contemporary of Trevor Howard before they were both sent to Clifton College, Bristol. As dad was only four years old when he was sent to Nuwara Eliya, though, he wasn't able to tell me much about it before he died!

    As for Mackay/McKay, tell me about it! When I married a Mackay it was stressed to me that the name was written as one word and rhymed with eye (in Wales and Australia, and indeed almost everywhere except Scotland, it now seems to rhyme with day). It only took a dip into family history waters to discover a death certificate of my husband's grandfather which said "Mackay, alias McKay". I was later told by another branch of the family that he had been so incensed at being charged two words for sending a telegram with "McKay" that he promptly changed his name to Mackay!!
    Sue Mackay
    Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your kids

  5. #5
    lucygrasshopper
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    Hi Sue

    Interesting insight. I do believe the original spelling of Mackay/McKay was McIye...looks about right.

    My problem with the Diacono Family is - the newer generation knows little or anything.


    The following is an entry in the book Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon written by Arnold Wright and first published in 1907. The information is located on age 137, under the heading of “Belgium”.

    The Belgian consul at Colombo is Mr. Arnold William Bernhard Redemann, a partner in the firm of Messrs. Wills & Co., Ltd., shipping agents and coal proprietors carrying on business in Colombo as the Krawehl Coal Company. He is a native of Gottingen, Hanover and before going to Ceylon in 1889, he was in business in Antwerp. He has been Consul of Belgium at Colombo for ten years, and in 1906, for services rendered in this capacity, he was made Chevalier de L’Ordre de Leopold. He is a very keen sportsman and is an authority on most branches of sport in Ceylon.
    Mr William Frederick Diacono, manager of the Krawehl Coal Company at Colombo, is the Consular Agent for Belgium. He comes of an Italian family which emigrated to Malta and he is a British subject, having been born in Alexandria, Egypt. He was educated at Beirut and has been with the firm of Messrs. Wills & Co., Ltd., for thirty years, first as their agent at Suez from 1879 to 1892, and since then at Colombo. He was been deputy Consul in Ceylon for four years, and whilst he was in Egypt, he was the Portuguese Consul and the agent of the Imperial Ottoman Bank.
    ___________________________
    As far as I can tell Nuwara Eliya was the cooler part of Ceylon. There is where most of the folk lived rather than in the stifling heat of Colombo.

    I will keep looking for answers.

    Thanks for your interest
    lucy

  6. #6
    belfastblade
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    Hi
    My great uncle was the grandson of William Diacono. He was called William Walter Garrett (known as Billy), and his mother was Irma Diacono, daughter of William.

    Irma married Walter Douglas Garrett in Columbo in 1915 at the age of 23. She had three children William, Pamela and Alfred. She died around 1930 of fever (possibly typhoid), and the children were brought back to England by their father to be brought up by their paternal grandmother.

    hope this is helpful

    Christine

  7. #7
    Hugh
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    Talking Diaconos in Ceylon

    I have a photograph of the Diaconos from a book published in the 1920s on Ceylon. I will be happy to scan it and email to anyone interested.
    Hugh

  8. #8
    lucygrasshopper
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    Default Ceylon Coal and Tea

    Hello Hugh

    I do have a photo from a book on Ceylon...it was written by Ali Foad Toulba - the one I have has two ladies, seated, dressed in black (mourning dress), two children, and three men standing behind them. I have identified them.

    Thank you - if my description doesn't tally, I would be obliged for a copy of your photo.

    If you own the book, you are very lucky because it is expensive if available, and too few of them around of the originals. Reprints are available I guess.

    Are you interested in Diacono history or Ceylon/SriLanka history?

    Thanks
    Lucy

  9. #9
    Valued member of Brit-Gen. Aislin's Avatar
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    I found a whole page on Diacono's

  10. #10
    bonski
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    who is aslin

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