Nat Gould

Esther Thomason 1798-1880

Esther Thomason was born in 1798 at Shelford in Cambridgeshire, the daughter of Thomas Truebody Thomason 1774-1829 and his wife nee Elizabeth Jane Fawcett.

She was married to Lieutenant William George Stephen 1792-1823 on 26 August 1817 at St John's church in Calcutta (1).

They had the following children:

William Thomason Stephen. He was born on 23 May 1818 (2). His father died in 1823, and the Bengal Military Orphan Society awarded a pension payable to his mother on his behalf on 10 May 1823. That ceased on 23 May 1835 when he became seventeen years of age. He died on 27 June 1835 (3).

James Grant Stephen 1819-1897. He was born on 28 July 1819 (3) (4). The Bengal Military Orphan Society awarded a pension payable to his mother on his behalf on 1 January 1824. That ceased on 28 July 1836 when he became seventeen years of age (3).

Sibella Venn Stephen. She was born on 1 July 1821. The Bengal Military Orphan Society awarded a pension payable to her mother on her behalf on 1 January 1824. She died on 27 January 1837 (3).

Mary Elizabeth Stephen 1823-1897. She was born on 30 June 1823. The Bengal Military Orphan Society awarded a pension payable to her mother on her behalf on 1 January 1824. That ceased on 30 June 1841 when she became eighteen years of age (3). She was married to Alfred Batson on 18 February 1843 at Lichfield in Staffordshire.

Their father Captain William George Stephen died on 10 December 1823 at Poona, India (5).

His widow Esther Stephen died on 4 June 1880 at Cheltenham.

All the following are from the superb Families in British India Society Database http://search.fibis.org

(1) East India Register: Transcription of Marriage Announcements 1809-1844 : Bengal Presidency.
(2) East India Register and Directory: Birth Announcements taken from East India Register 1820. The announcement is of a son born to "the lady of Lieut. W. Stephen, Bengal Presidency". The name of the son is not there given, but his name and date of birth is recorded in his entry in the Military Records: Pensions and Funds: Bengal Military Orphan Society.
(3) Military Records: Pensions and Funds: Bengal Military Orphan Society.
(4) East India Register and Directory: Birth Announcements taken from East India Register 1821.
(5) Alphabetical List of Officers of the Bengal Army 1758-1834: Dodwell & Miles Bengal Army Officers. He is there recorded as having served in the Engineers, being appointed Cadet in 1807, Ensign on 25 March 1809, and Lieutenant on 10 December 1814.