Edward Francis Woolley

Written by Eleanor (Lyn):

The information below, was retrieved by Veronica Pinto, from the Library in London...all on a microfiche!!

Edward Woolley..died on January 11, 1874, at the age of 28. Was a Station Master in Meean Meer East, Scinde Punjab & Delhi Railway (NWR). Buried on 12th Jan. 1874.

Above this entry, were the 'death' details of his daughter, Caroline Woolley...who died on Jan. 9th, 1874. Caroline was 25 days old. She was buried on 10th Jan. 1874, 2 days before her father was buried. Both died of pneumonia, according to the microfiche records...I (Eleanor..(Lyn), have a copy of these records...all in a beautiful script. They were sent to me by Veronica.

What a sad story...Edward Woolley's wife (Catherine Oliveira), had to cope with the death of her daughter and then her husband, at the same time!

Edward Woolley's marriage to Catherine Oliveira Roque, was sort of 'arranged'. The nuns saw him at Mass regularly and asked him if he could consider marriage to a young widow. In India, at that time, and even now, widows are ostracised. My father, Bonny..Boniface Britt.. had told Veronica Pinto (Marie Angelica's daughter), that Edward was born in Ireland, he was a Station Mater of the N.W. Railway, he married Catherine, had two daughters (Marie Eleanore and Caroline) and was buried in Jhjimpir (Sind) in 1878.

Veronica Pinto (Marie Angelica's daugher), has pursued relentlessly, the origins of Edward Woolley. She has spent days in the library in London, retrieving records from the microfiche. All the information that we have on Edward Woolley is mainly because of her efforts in trying to set up this family tree. Veronica has in her letters to me, expressed how sad she felt at the lives of the women. Catherine left a widow on two occasions (Indian widows are ostracised from the community), and later her daughter Maria Leonore was murdered!