Thread: My Brickwalls - Bell (Haddington),Gourlay (Ceres), Plunkett (Ireland) Mohamed (India)

Hallo Humanracer,
To go to the last-named first
When I looked at this I thought "impossible".! But who knows.
Ali Mohammed may been Muslim judging by the name. Noor certainly was a name used by Muslims. Do you know where he died and do you have that certificate?
He may may have been in the army. Could he have been a bearer perhaps. Since 1943 was not the end of the war then maybe he was injured. If so he might have had an army pension. Brief glimpse at A******** shows several Ali Mohammad in British army!
What was his occupation given on the marriage cert?
Could he have been a seaman?
Looked at passengers lists and there are three Ali Mohammad's coming into Uk in August 1960. One is going to an address in Glasgow C3. the other two are going to london. They have come on a ship from Bombay and their home is Pakistan. NOT that these may be connected but yours but I am trying to see where your Ali may have come from.
There is also a probate record of an Ali Mohammad who died in Ipswich Suffolk on 25 Dec 1936 and whose address is given asthe village Tandaura Tehsil, Nakodai? Jullundur Punjab India. His widow was Mussaminar Fatami.
And yet another Ali Mohammed was living in Scotland in 1959 at 27 gardeners Crescent Fountainbridge... So you see yours was not the only Ali Mohammad in Britain at that time. And though as you say Ango/Indian marriages were rare at that time there was another in 1943 in Coventry of an ali Mohammad to a Doris Jephcote.
There were two Ali Mohammads who came into Britain with other distressed British seamen from Bombay arriving at Glasgow in April 1947 on the Cameronian. (They were going to Wales).
So you see we need more info to pinpoint your chap.

Hello humanracer welcome to AA. If you look on the IGI there are unfortunately two William Gourlay's one born 30/3/1787 Parents John Gourlay and Agnes Stephen and William Gourlay 21/12/1778 Parents Robert Gourlay & Catharine Swan, Both of thes are in Ceres Fife. They are both extracted records - so fairly reliable - but like any transcriptions could have errors, can you check the original parish records? I do not know if these are part of your ancestry or not it is difficult to know who is who sometimes. Do any of the names seem familiar? have you got more recent ancestors with those christian names? Could anyone else be doing your family tree and if so where did they get their info from?