Clair Couper MUNRO [1902-1988]

I am John Mulcahy, Clair's only son, born 1934 in Victoria Hospital, Kowloon, following her marriage to Wilfred Mulcahy.  I am trying to find the dates of her marriage to Dad, and their subsequent divorce, and whether either or both events occurred in HK.  Both taught at CBS, Dad from 1930 to 1951, in which year he was Headmaster and then retired and Mum, I now know from the Gwulo record above, from 1925-1939, when she returned with me to the UK.

While my father was interned in Stanley until 1945, he returned to CBS (later King George V) and there met and married the PE teacher Marjorie McNeil before  returning to live in the UK; my mother became the first lady teacher to join the permanent staff at Loughborough Grammar School, where she taught from 1941-1964.  I vaguely recall her mentioning "the day she drew a horse in the Calcutta Sweep", which must have been like winning the pools at the time - I can't remember the horse's name, however!

To correct the record, Mum was actually born in Renton, Dumbartons.  If anyone has further info on either of my parents, I'd be very grateful to receive it.

John Mulcahy

Hi John,

There are a couple of suggestions for finding marriage records at: http://gwulo.com/node/9376

Have you been in touch with the KGV Alumni: http://alumni.kgv.edu.hk/ There's a small chance one of their older members may know something about it. Also I wonder if they have access to any old school magazines / yearbooks? I guess a marriage between two staff would have been mentioned.

I've updated your mum's birthplace, thanks for the correction.

And one in return - The Victoria Hospital where you were born was probably this one, http://gwulo.com/node/4031, up on the Peak.

Good luck with your search, and please let us know what you discover.

Regards, David

Hi David

Many thanks for your suggestions.

Was there more than one Victoria Hospital? - there is no address on my birth certificate but I'm quite happy to have been born in such a beautiful edifice!

Regarding you tip to contact KGV, I've been in close touch with them for three months now and they've been splendidly helpful in contacting surviving alumni, even including a section on Wilf Mulcahy in their current Newsletter "The Lion Legend".  They were also kind enough to send me a magnificent printed copy of Dad's portrait photo that still hangs in the school.  If I can work out how to insert it, I'll attach a copy of him seated at the Headmaster's desk.

No joy, I'm afraid - you'll have to teach this old dog a new trick, if you can!

Best wishes, John

Hi John,

There was only one Victoria Hospital as far as I know, and as it was a maternity hospital it would have been the one where you were born.

Glad to hear you're in touch with the KGV Alumni, and they're helping you.

Here are instructions on how to upload your photo: http://gwulo.com/node/2076. Let me know if you have any problems.

One other idea if you have time is to search a year's worth of newspapers for the word "wedding", and see if your parents appear. You could start with 1934 and work back from there. It'd be slow work, but it might uncover a mention that searching for their names had missed. The newspapers are available online, see: http://gwulo.com/old-hong-kong-newspapers

Regards, David

Thanks, David, for your latest advice - as I hope you'll see, I got off my lazy butt and easily found the image site you recommend.

Whether I've used it accurately may be quite another matter, but before I saw your post I sent Dad's portrait to the 1950s Gallery with a note - I can't yet see it there, however???

I'll save the newspaper trawl for later.

Cheers, John

Sorry - I thought I had already confirmed the vital dates in my Mum's profile.  They were birth, 18th April, 1902 and death, 11th November, 1988.