Ryves, Thomas James

Summary

Father: Peter Thomas Ryves
Mother: Matilda Elizabeth Pirner

Birth: 17 Jul 1805 Middlesex, England
Birth Source: Family Bible, British India Office Births & Baptisms (Birth/baptismal certificates in Cadet Papers)
Baptism:08 Aug 1805 St Georges, Hanover Square, London, England
Baptism Source:City of Westminster Archives Centre

Death: 1 Mar 1875 Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Death Sources: Family Bible

Spouse1: Julia Louisa Colebrooke
Spouse2: Georgiana Eliza Griffin
Spouse3: Eliza Rosaline Bertha Griffin

Narrative

Children of Thomas James Ryves and Julia Louisa Colebrooke:

1. ‎Henry Edward Ryves‏‎, b.18 Aug 1829 d.16 Mar 1875
2. William George Colebrook Ryves‏‎, b.‎17 Dec 1831 d.1902
3. Matilda Julia Ryves, b.13 Nov 1833 d.30 Nov 1841
4. Unnamed male Ryves, stillborn ‎17 Jun 1835
5. ‎Emma Sophia Ryves‏‎, b.18 Aug 1836 d.14 Mar 1853
6. Thomas James Ryves‏‎, b.17 Jan 1839, d.1912
7. ‎Arethusa Anne "Annie" Ryves‏‎, b.15 Dec 1840, d.‎31 Jul 1869
8. ‎Albert Lionel Ryves, b.‎6 Aug 1842
9. Charles Sinclair Ryves, b.18 Jan 1844
10. George Frederick Ryves‏‎, b.26 Jun 1846, d.14 Sep 1882

Children of Thomas James Ryves and Georgiana Eliza Griffin:

1. Emma Lavinia Ryves, b.27 Apr 1861, d.17 Mar 1862
2. Frank Herbert Ryves, b.24 Dec 1862, d.07 Mar 1886‎
3. Isabella Louisa Frances Ryves, b.24 Mar 1864, d.‎22 Nov 1868
4. Violet Georgiania Louisa Eliza Ryves‏‎, b.16 Aug 1865, d.16 Dec 1906

Children of Thomas James Ryves and Eliza Rosaline Bertha Griffin:

1. ‎Lottie Rosaline Ryves, b.15 Apr 1873, d.22 Dec 1873
2. George Webster James Ryves‏‎, b.29 Mar 1875 d.‎08 Apr 1875

Thomas James Ryves entered the Indian Army as a cadet in 1825, becoming an ensign on 8 Jan 1826, lieutenant on 11 Jul 1827. He was appointed Captain on 29 Sep 1837. In 1841 he was Acting Assistant Surveyor-General, becoming Assistant Surveyor-General of the Nellore survey by 1842. Thomas was invalided on 1 Jun 1847, retiring on 1 May 1849. Although his army retirement record denotes his rank as having been that of Captain, the announcement of his marriage to Georgiana Griffin styles his rank as Major.

Thomas's first wife Julia Julia died at the railway station at Bowarie (Barwarie), where she and Thomas had a bungalow. At noon on Sunday 7th June 1857, the day after the massacre of Europeans at Allahabad by mutineers, she, her husband and a number of other women and children and railway workers sought refuge from a mob of some 3,000 looters and mutineers on top of a large water tank at the station. The mob ransacked and set fire to surrounding buildings. The 'cowardly rascals' then turned their attention to those seeking shelter on top of the tank, hurling brickbats and stones at them, demanding money and saying that they would only spare their lives if they became Muslims ('Mahometans'). The insurgents also attempted to set fire to the tank. The 'siege' lasted until help arrived from the 35 Irregular Cavalry at 4.00 p.m. on the 9th June. Having spent 32 hours on the roof of the tank in the full glare on the June sun, Julia died from the effects of heatstroke on the evening of the 9th, one hour after the relief had arrived.

Thomas' life was beset by financial difficulties. He attempted to support himself and his large family on nothing more than his army salary. In 1848 Thomas was the subject of bankruptcy proceedings having accumulated debts of 50,000 Rupees 'and upwards' in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Hydrabad, Nagpore and Kamtee. He was declared bankrupt in England in February 1868 when he was living at Allahabad Lodge, 9 Kent House Road, Lower Sydenham, Kent.

In 1872, Thomas was living in Lower Sydenham. It seems that by early 1873, Thomas and Eliza had moved to France and were living at Mont Lambart, St Martin, Boulogne Sur Mer.

Research notes

Family bible under 'family affairs' and subsequently validated against mainly British India Office records. Search of newspaper archives.

Sources

Notes in Family bible
Family tree with notes constructed by William Theodore Ryves c.1905
British India Office Births & Baptisms
Morning Herald (London) - Tuesday 23 July 1805
British Library: Asian and African Studies IOR - India Office Records - ref: IOR/L/AG/23/10/1 no.2325
Women In India/British in India
British India Office Marriages - Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Bengal, 1713-1948
Homeward Mail from India, China and the East - Saturday 12 May 1860
Perthshire Courier - Thursday 26 November 1835
London Evening Standard - Monday 20 April 1868