Madar family tree

Thanks for sharing Sandy. This is going to take me a long, long while! Just for starters:

Generation 1:

I never knew the age of Sheik Madar - never found a reference to his age - so no idea 'when' he was born. My hunch was he was a lot older than his wife Leung Ah Peen (born 1823, died 3rd July 1863) - so before 1820. The earliest reference I have of him was on 13th November 1857 regarding Inland Lot No. 360 on Shelley Street, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong which was transferred to Shaik Madar from Jose Juan Savelle of Victoria, Hong Kong for the consideration of $240. This was witnessed by E.K. Stace, solicitor, and Albino Encarnacao, school master and registered on 19th November 1857 (Memorial 1262)

Leung Ah Peen (or 'Katisha') was a boatwoman from Macau

Generation 2:

Mohamed Hadjee Madar was second son (rather than the third son as per your tree) - born 1845 died 23^rd June 1894. He was an assistant to the broker, Dorabjee Nowrojee (Hong Kong Directory, 1866). Dorabjee Nowrojee, the Indian Parsee businessman, was the founder of the Kowloon Ferry Company which later became the Star Ferry. Mohamed Hadjee Madar died of the bubonic plague that was sweeping the Colony at the time. His wife was Amina and not Aysha as per your tree. The probate was completed 26th July 1894 (HKRS 143, No. 17; 59/1894) and the administrator for the Will was his eldest son Osman Madar who received $100. The surety was entrusted to the deceased’s elder brother Abdool Razack Madar, Gentleman who received $200. I have seen the burial entry for him at the Happy Valley Muslim Cemetery Records - Grave Number 701 in Section 1, buried 23rd June 1894.

Ismail Pillay Madar was son number three (rather than second). Born 1849. Died 13^th June 1914 (and not 1894). 100% certain of death date as his obituary appeared in The Hong Kong Telegraph Extra, page 1, 15th June 1914 for example. 

There was also son number 4 missing from your tree - Kassum Abdool Razack Madar (1855-25th Jul 1866)

There was also a daughter- Aysah (Ahsay) Madar (1842-died after 1871). She married Abdul Curreem (Kurreem), a clothier. 

Generation 3

The issue for Abdool Razack Madar (1844-9^th June 1900) and his wife Aysah (1845-28^th Sep 1895):

1) Khaytteyid Madar (186?-?). She married Sheik Ackber Ismail (1864-19^th Jan 1891)

2) Cassam Abdool Razack Madar (25^th Jul 1866-18^th Oct 1877)

3) Suleiman (Solomon) Madar (27^th May 1868-18^th Oct 1962).

4) Omar Abdool (Razak) Madar (22^nd Jul 1871-14^th Dec 1923) b. HK d. HK. His wife was Sarah Shirazee (6th Jan 1874-12th Jun 1947) b. Hong Kong d. Shanghai. They married in 1898 and gave rise to a number of Shanghai based Madars.

5) Sophia Madar (1873-5^th Aug 1900) – She was the wife of Abu Bakr Moosdeen (22^nd Feb 1877-8^th March 1946)

6) Mariam (Marriam) Madar (1876->1908<1955)

Yes, she was the wife of Sheik Abdul Ramjahn (1872-29^th April 1914). To complicate matters, she was 1 of 4 known wives of Sheik Abdul Ramjahn. To complicate matters even further Mariam Madar was also the wife of Abu (Aboo) Bakr (Bucker) (Becker) (Bakat) Moosdeen (22^nd Feb 1877-8^th March 1946) – I know that because they had a son, Omar Moosdeen (19^th November 1908-26^th November 1932) who was born in Canton in 1908 and later died in Hong Kong in 1932 – the parents of Omar Moosdeen was clearly stated on the Birth Certificate so it’s crystal clear. To complicate matters even even further it is clear that Abu Bakr Moosdeen was also the husband of Mariam’s sister, Sophia Madar – who I note had died in 1900. So did A.B. Moosdeen marry Sophia’s sister, Mariam Madar after Sophia death in 1900? Okay, then did Mariam Madar divorce Sheilk Abdul Ramjahn in order to marry A.B. Moosdeen sometime between 1900-1908 because to complicate matters even further, Mariam Madar was clearly referred to as the wife of Sheik Abdul Ramjahn on the probate of her father Abdul Razack Madar (1844-1900) on 3^rd July 1900 but Sheik Abdul Ramjahn did not die until 1914 so Mariam was not a widow at the time of the birth of her son Omar Moosdeen in Canton in 1908.  

It would be great if someone in the Madar family can provide some clarity on the matter if possible?  

7) Ali Mohamed (Mahomed) Madar (1879-14th Apr 1896) b. Hong Kong d. Hong Kong. He sadly died at his residence Peel Street, Hong Kong 14th April 1896 from the bubonic plague.

8) Jenny (Jennie) (‘Lookoo’) Madar (3rd May 1882-27th Apr 1963) b. Hong Kong d. Hong Kong

She was the wife of John Thompson Dunlop Wilson (1879-Jul 1941) born West Derby, Liverpool died Liverpool. They married in Shanghai on 3^rd Jan 1903 and had a daughter Connie Wilson.

9) Zolaika (‘Johanna’) Madar (Sep 1889-Mar 1955) b. Hong Kong d. Hong Kong. She was the wife of Sidney Joseph Minty (16^th Aug 1883-26^th Jan 1938) b. Bath, Somerset d. Shanghai. They married in Shanghai, China 23^rd June 1913.

Generation 4

Let’s concentrate on the issue of Suleiman (Soloman) Madar (27^th May 1868-18^th Oct 1962) born and died in Hong Kong.

I never knew his first wife’s name and it’s not on your tree. Interesting though you have her birth and death years (1871-1923) which I never knew.

You’ve missed a few issues in your tree. The issue of Soloman Madar from his first wife were:

1) Amina Madar (9^th June 1890-23^rd April 1947. Born Hong Kong; Died Shanghai. No issue.

2) Abdul Razak Madar (24^th February 1892-23^rd June 1968). Born and died in Hong Kong. He married Elizabeth Mitrofanovna Krivosheeva (4^th November 1901-29^th April 1960). She was born in Russia and died in Hong Kong. They married in Shanghai on 2^nd February 1949.

Abdul Razak Madar was cremated on 26^th July 1968 at the Cape Collinson Crematorium. His remains were interred at Section 9, Hong Kong Cemetery in Happy Valley, Hong Kong.

3) Ame Mathew (Matthew) Madar (23^rd August 1894-7^th October 1977). Born and died in Hong Kong. You have him on your tree but initially incorrectly as a son of Omar Abdool Madar but correctly crossed out.

Wife number 1 for Ame Mathew Madar was Lavinia Alice Manley (22^nd February 1898-1^st December 1943). She was born in Shanghai and she died in an American bombing raid on Kowloon. They married in Shanghai 28^th October 1922. They had 3 children:

1. Stillborn male Madar (25^th July 1923-25^th July 1923). Born and died in Shanghai
2. Cyril Manley Madar (30^th August 1924-11^th April 2011) Born in Shanghai. Died in Michigan, USA. He married Betty Elaine Calvert (née Brown) (22^nd Nov 1929-Oct 2022) at Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Riding of Yorkshire 26^th April 1958. Cyril and Betty had one son Allan Madar (16^th Dec 1958-21^st Feb 2022), born in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Riding of Yorkshire; died Galveston, Texas. No issue.
3. Elizabeth (Betty) Lavinia Madar (3^rd December 1928-23^rd December 1999) Born in Shanghai; died in Stourbridge, Worcestershire. No issue.

Wife number 2 for Ame Mathew Madar was Rose Law according to my notes. She died in 1977. I note you have her name as Rose Magalene Yeung ?

The issue of Soloman Madar from his second wife were:

1) Osman Madar (1928-?). Married Nazibi Farid before 1960.

2) Omar Madar (1934-?)

3) Mirza Madar (1937-11^th December 1971), Died in Hong Kong

4) Nazir Madar (1939-?)

I don’t know much about this line but can see a few names attached to this group on your tree.

Update on Miriam Madar (1876-20th May 1903), wife of Sheik Abdool Ramjahn (1872-29th April 1914).

She died at No.4 Leighton Road, Hong Kong on 20th May 1903. That means there was another Mariam Madar that was the wife of Abu Bakr Moosdeen (22nd Feb 1877-8th Mar 1946) and the mother of Omar Moosdeen (19th Nov 1908-26th Nov 1932).

Source: The China Mail, page 4, 22nd May 1903, The Hong Kong Telegraph, page 4, 22nd May 1903, Hong Kong Daily Press, page 2, 23rd May 1903, The Hong Kong Weekly Press and China Overland Trade Report, page 383, 1st June 1903 and Straits Echo, page 2, 2nd June 1903

Generation 4

Let’s now concentrate on the big family that is the issue of Omar Abdool (Razak) Madar (22^nd Jul 1871-14^th Dec 1923) b. Hong Kong. d. Hong Kong, and his wife Sarah Shirazee (6^th Jan 1874-12^th Jun 1947) b. Hong Kong d. Shanghai. These were the ‘Shanghai Madars’. Sarah Shirazee died in Shanghai but her body and coffin was imported and buried in the Muslim Cemetery, Happy Valley in Hong Kong on the 13^th July 1947.

This will be necessarily brief – each person can have a whole biography written.

The issue was:

1) Sophie Zobeda Madar (1890-?)

2) Frederick Omar Madar (1893-11^th Apr 1988) b. Hong Kong d. Hong Kong

Wife was Mary Irene Behrens (1903-20^th Apr 1986) d. North Vancouver. They married Shanghai 22^nd Apr 1922 (Holy Trinity Cathedral) and 24^th Jul 1922 (British Consulate). Issue was:

i) Irene Joyce (‘Joy’) Madar (22^nd Feb 1924-22^nd May 1999) b. Shanghai d. Colorado Springs. Husband is Hal Parks Nunn (19^th Sep 1923-3^rd Jan 1981) b. Pollard, Alabama d. Colorado Springs

ii) Gloria Beatrice Madar (26^th Oct 1926-15th Jan 2022) b. Shanghai d. North Vancouver. Husband is Paul Preiswerck. Three girls, Louise, Anita and Carolyn.

iii) Allan (Alan) Frederick Madar (22^nd Feb 1930-) b. Shanghai. Wife is Victoria Elizabeth Steacy (5^th Oct 1920-13^th Oct 2013) b. Manitoba d. Toronto

3) Daisy (‘Margaret’ or ‘Marguerite’) Yvette Madar (17^th Aug 1894-2^nd Jan 1985) b. Hong Kong d. Los Angeles

Husband was Eric Antoine Berthet (8^th Apr 1894-9^th Apr 1963) b. Shanghai d. Holborn, London. They married in Shanghai 3^rd Sep 1919. She acquired French nationality following her marriage to her husband. They had 3 issue:

i) Eric Antoine Berthet (27^th Feb 1921-11^th Jan 2003) b. Shanghai d. Leicester. Wife was Joyce Strickland (20^th Dec 1922-1977) b. Newcastle.

ii) Yvette Lina Berthet (16^th Jul 1922-19^th Sep 2008) b. Shanghai. d. Los Angeles. Husband was Maurice Alliot Kuhn Green (22^nd Mar 1911-27^th Jan 1991) b. Golders Green, Middlesex d. Los Angeles. Married in Shanghai 24^th Sep 1942.

iii) Ninon Marguerite Berthet (10^th Sep 1930-2^nd Feb 2004) b. Shanghai d. Sydney. Husband Keith Edward Flint (30^th Jul 1935-8^th Feb 1987) b. Cowra, NSW d. Rosehill, NSW

4) George Jerzy Madar (26^th Apr 1896-12^th Nov 1974) b. Shanghai d. Hong Kong

Wife was Anna (Anja) Zanobia Dezak (Dvorjak) (Dejak) (1899-30^th Jan 1968) b. Kalisz, Poland d. Hong Kong. They married in Shanghai 18^th Nov 1921.

Their issue was:

i) Christine (Christina) (‘Cresha’) Virginia Madar (30^th Apr 1922-23^rd Dec 1992) b. Kalisz, Poland d. Challis, Custer, Idaho. Husband was Alexander Heydon Munson (24^th Sep 1921-4^th Jun 1999) b. Brooklyn, NY d. Challis, Idaho

ii) Danuta (Denuta) Anna (‘Nuni’) Madar (23^rd Dec 1923-2014) b Shanghai d. Hong Kong. Husband was Donald Charles Symons (11^th Mar 1924-2001) b. Shanghai d. Hong Kong. They married in Hong Kong 22^nd Nov 1953.

iii) George Arthur (‘Sonny’) Madar (1^st Sep 1925-30^th Nov 1973) b. Shanghai d. Hong Kong

5) Catherine (‘Kitty’ or ‘Katie’) Madar (1898-11^th Dec 1904) b. Shanghai d. Shanghai

She died in the Isolation Hospital, Shanghai from smallpox.

6) Frances (‘Fanny’) Blanche Madar (26^th Jul 1899-24^th Jul 1985) b. Shanghai d. Hong Kong

Husband was William (‘Bill’) Thomas Manley (15^th Jun 1893-20^th Jan 1960) b. Shanghai d. Hong Kong. They married in Shanghai 28^th April 1923. They had 2 sons:

i) Richard Nigel Manley (11^th Aug 1924-13^th Jan 2010) b. Shanghai d. Vienna. His wife was Christa Maria Thea Nowotny (30^th Jan 1933-). They had 3 girls, the eldest – Alexandra Christina Manley (30^th Jun 1964-) b. Hong Kong, married Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian Prince of Denmark (7^th Jun 1969-). It’s well documented so can’t be bothered to recount it here.

ii) Geoffrey Ronald Manley (27^th Jul 1927-3^rd Sep 1945) b. Shanghai d. POW Yangchow

7) Charles Madar (9^th Apr 1901-?) b. Shanghai d. Hong Kong

Every website lists the birth date as 6^th April 1900. I have a copy of his birth certificate – it is 9^th April 1901. But it was not registered until 14^th December 1933 by his mother at the British Consulate in Shanghai.

He married Ann Semiontkovsky (1906-?) in Shanghai on 8^th August 1931. They had a daughter Caroline Ann Madar (5^th Feb 1940) b. Shanghai. She had two children – Malcolm and Jacqueline Bradshaw who died in California.

8) Patrick (‘Pat’) Madar (17^th Mar 1903-28^th May 1982) b. Shanghai d. Hong Kong

Wife was Eileen Gertrude Guzdar (née) Leonard (1908-23^rd Apr 1994) b. Hong Kong d. Australia. They married in Shanghai on 31^st Oct 1939 (Catholic Church of Christ the King) and 12^th Jun 1940 (British Consulate). Issue was:

i) Heather Carole (Carol) Madar (29^th Aug 1940-) b. Shanghai. Husband Isaak Honigstock, married in Sydney 1962.

ii) Leonard (‘Lenny’) Patrick Madar (30^th Jun 1942-) b. Shanghai

9) May Victoria (‘Joyce’ or ‘June’) Madar (22^nd May 1904-26^th Mar 1939) b. Shanghai d. Shanghai. No issue

Her name was registered at birth as ‘May Victoria Madar’. She was also known as ‘June’. Her death registration had her name as ‘May Joyce Madar’.

10) Thomas (‘Tommy’) Andrew Madar (21^st Mahy 1905-Feb 1990) b. Shanghai d. LaPlace, Louisiana

Wife was Catherine (Katherine) (or ‘Katie’) Marsie Logan (14^th Apr 1905-1^st Aug 1973) b. Shanghai d. Bangkok. They married in Shanghai 18^th Apr 1934. Issue:

i) Jasmine Marsie Thomas Madar (20^th Apr 1935-) b. Shanghai

11) Dorothy June (‘Dolly’) Madar (10^th Aug 1907-1^st Feb 2000) b. Shanghai d. Surfers Paradise, Australia

Husband was Patrick O’Neil Dunne born Ireland. They had 2 boys, Patrick (died 1950) and Donald.

12) Harry Percival Madar (9^th Dec 1909-May 1990) b. Shanghai d. Lambeth, London

Wife was Larissa Patrovna Rubanovich. Issue was:

i) Natalie Vera Madar

ii) Maragret Ann Madar

iii) Ronald Roman (‘Ronny’) Madar (6^th Jul 1943-) b. Shanghai. Wife is Susan Chow. Has son Stephen Hans Madar and daughter Babette (‘Babs’) Gidget Madar

iv) Elizabeth Rhoda Madar. Husband is Frank Tsai. Married in Nevada

13) Evelyn (‘Effi’ or ‘Effy’) Mavis Madar (18^th Feb 1913-15^th Sep 1999) b. Shanghai d. Multnomah, Oregon. She married Harry Edward Shay (9^th Feb 1903-7^th Jan 1981) b. Wisconsin d. Los Angeles

The first wife of Suleiman Madar (27th May 1868-18th Oct 1962) has been identified. Her name was Fatima (nee?) (1872-2nd August 1960). She was tricky to pin down but the big give away was on her headstone and crucially, its base. 

She was originally buried at the St Michael Roman Catholic Cemetery, Happy Valley, Hong Kong on 3rd August 1960. Later she was exhumed on 16th June 1977 and re-buried at the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Chai Wan. 

The big clue was the inscriptions of her headstone - it was dedicated by her offspring ("OUR DEAR MOTHER...") but the base included "IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR SISTER...AMINA MADAR " (1890-1947). Amina Madar (1890-1947) was the daughter of Suleiman Madar.