The Chamarettes seem to have come from Chamaret in the south of France to England during the persecution, then gone to India around 1817. I'd be grateful for information about them, especially what name they had which was so difficult for the English to pronounce that they took the name of their home town instead! I am decended from a Weston and a Chamarette who married in Secunderabad or Hyderabad in the late 1800s.

If the family went to India pre-1833 they would have needed passage approved by the East India Company, unless they went as independent traders.

If you have not done so, you need to look in the records at the Oriental and India Office Collection at the British Library, London. If you have a year in which they went to India, please post and I'll see whether I have a records of the ships that sailed in that season, which will reduce any search.

If the person worked for the Company there are likely to be appointment records at the OIOC, in the military, even more records, if maritime or marine, contact me direct, I have a data base of mariners.

Thank you Tony. I'm in the USA so (having only just started research) have not yet looked at any records in London. By the time they went to India the Chamarettes were English, having fled the Huguenot persecution in France. From the Internet I have this information from St Georges Church in Hyderabad -
This family can be traced to Andrew Chamarette who served in the Survey of India and was posted to the Nizam’s Dominions during 1817-1845. He married at Secunderabad, Katherine Johannes a spinster daughter of an Armenian soldier of fortune in the service of the ‘Paigah’ of Vicar-ul-Umrah at the French Gardens on 3 October 1820. Although born in England, he was of Huguenot descent and his forefather left the village of Chamaret in the south of France when the persecution was on. Andrew and Katherine had five children, Andrew, Peter, James, John, and Mary. John Edward Chamarette was Assistant Surveyor. He was born 23 January 1828 and baptised 21 June 1829 at Secunderabad. He married Winifred Amelia Thompson daughter of Lt. Quarter Master William Thompson on 12 August 1856 at the Government Cuthchery at Lingsoogour in the Raichur Doab. He served 14 years in the Hyderabad Contingent and 30 years in the Nizam’s Army as a medical officer. They had six children Major Arthur John Andrew HEH the Nizam’s Own 3rd Infantry born 78.1861 died at Bangalore 7.11.1920, Whitelaw, Thompson, Lancaster, Julie and Jane Amelia. Thompson Chamarette was Chief of Staff HEH the Nizam’s Army and a strong supporter of the Community and the Church serving on both school and church committees. He was one of the board members who met to decide to accept the offer of the Australian Church Missionary Society to run the church and schools. His wife Anne Louisa died on 7.1.1931

I'm also interested in how they got to England in the first place during the Huguenot persecution, and what their surname was at that time.

If you are interested in looking into this further, I would be grateful for anything you can dig up. I shall be in England around Christmas time, and intend to do some research in person then.

Hi Yvonne

If you're coming to London, email me before you come, when you know where you're going to be and what you're doing. I'll be happy to get you throught the maze of beaurocracy at the British Library and into the OIOC for the India connection.

Hi Tony,

Great! I'll email when I know the dates. Many thanks in anticipation...

Hi Tony,
The British Library will be closed for my first stay in London at Christmas, but I will be back on Wed 7th and Thur 8th of January. Will you be around then? The 7th would be better, as I am tied up part of Thursday afternoon.
I want to look at BMD for Hyderabad 1817-1947, Ecclesiastical Records in the Presidency of Madras, and Census Reports 1872, 1881, 1891, 1901 and 1911 (it looks like the Nizam's Dominions had a separate census, at least in 1881). It seems possible that Thackers Indian Directory 1885-1960 would also help.
Obviously I will need to prioritise. Would it make things easier if I had possible OIOC ref numbers? I can get some ideas from the online LDS catalogues.
I visited the local Family History Center by the way - very helpful people, and when we phoned Salt Lake City they seemed extremely knowledgable too. The trouble is it costs $3.25 for every film you order, and takes at least 2 weeks to arrive! And then, I would probably find the film didn't contain what I wanted.
I do hope you can manage Wed 7th, or the Thursday morning - it would be very interesting to meet you, as well as invaluable to have your help in negotiating the bureaucracy.
Regards,
Yvonne

Hello Yvonne,

I was very interested to read about your research - as you can see, I still have the family name and have become increasingly intrigued by its ancestry, particularly as we have managed to establish that my grandfather, Norman Chamarette, may well be anglo-indian, and was indeed born in Hyderabad in 1904. He is 99 now, still alive, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to get any information from him.

I'm not sure if I can be of any help, but I have been in touch with Lyle Chamarette in Canada a few years back, who was able to tell me a little about his family heritage - I will try and dig up the emails for you.

As I said, I'd be very interested by your findings, particularly if you've come across anything about my grandfather. Please feel free to email me at the address above.

Hi Jenny,
Nice to meet a Chamarette!
You might be interested in http://www.churchseek.net/church/stgeorges/oldfamilies2.htm
where there's information about Chamarettes in Hyderabad, and their origins as Huguenots in England.
My grandmother (born in India) was the daughter of the Major Arthur John Andrew mentioned there - I found this out at the British Library in London when I was last in England.
No Norman is mentioned, but I think he would have to be the next generation, like my grandmother. Maybe he could tell you his father's first name?
I shall be going back to England in a few months time - if you have any leads by then I could have a look for them at the British Library, if you like
I'd be very interested in the emails with Lyle

Jenny, Is your grandfather's name Norman Palmer Poyntz Chamarette. Born August 8th. 1904? He would be my grandfather's (John Herbert William Chanarette) brother.

Send me you email address and I will send you a link to my family tree website where you can see many Chamarette's listed.

My address is: arthurmitchell@ameritech.net

Yvonne, Is your grandmother's name Julia Chamarette? She would be my grandfather's (John Herbert William Chamarette) sister

I tried to send you a link to my family tree, I hope you got it. send me an email if you have not yet received it. my email address is: arthurmitchell@ameritech.net

Regards, Arthur