Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Hi folks. I've not been following my Liverpool ancestors for a while but have now returned to the fold and can't believe I was posting questions about this family in 2013! Well, here I go again.

I am trying to find a bit more about Henry Develin (name spelt different ways), the brother of my gt gt grandmother, Catherine.
What I know:
born in Liverpool 1822, catholic baptism, parents = Mark and Catherine, 4 siblings
1861 census - living with his sister (now Catherine Gordon) at Addison Ct - aged 38, no profession given
Possible death Oct 1863 - death certificate says he was 'pensioner of East India Company', died of 'excessive drinking' while living in Myrtle Street - Coroner's Report in Liverpool Mercury not too complimentary to Henry or his place of residence! Age on death certificate - 42
Buried in public grave in Walton Park Cemertry.

Is there any way I can confirm that this inebriated Henry is related to my Catherine Develin? I thought it might be significant that I've struggled to find any records for him until 1861 and that no profession is given for him on this census.

Where do I go from here or is Henry always destined to have a ? after his name?
Glen

Hi Glen,

There's a fair chance that, as the inebriate Henry Develin was a one time employee of the East India Company, he was actually a soldier rather than a civilian administrator. Either way the best records about the EIC are held in the British Library's Asian, Pacific and African Studies Department. I've found one reference to a Henry Develin there:

Develin, Henry Corp, 2nd ER
Reference: IOR/L/MIL/12/285/152
Title: Develin, Henry Corp, 2nd ER
Held by: British Library: Asian and African Studies, not available at The National Archives
Language: English

Unfortunately no further details are available online and of course the BL is closed at present. I'm guessing this is a reference to Corporal Henry Develin of the 2nd European Regiment. There were two kinds of EIC military units, those consisting of Europeans (not just Brits), and the so-called Native Regiments (often referred to as Sepoys). The Native regiments were commanded by British Officers. It was not until after the Indian Mutinty in 1857 that the European Regiments of the EIC were absorbed into the British Indian Army which was distinct from the His Majesty's British Army units. Pension records do exist for former members of the EIC, but I'm not sure how complete they are. Another useful source is the Families in British India Society; they have a number of databases of EIC personnel. From these sources you may be able to confirm or rule out the inebriate HD as the one you are looking for.