A couple of things to note 'Bibi' (My head hurts)

 I have been increasingly frustrated that I cannot find any reference to Mahomeds wife Bibi. I reached out to Eurasian_David on Gwulo looking for clues. He and another user Salmandaw informed me that 'Bibi' is an affectionate name for married women amongst the muslim community. So much so that if they become known by that name(like a nickname) throughout their lives it might be just as likely that burial records and headstones will bear that name also. So assuming the obvious and our Bibi falls into that catagory then I am left wondering what exactly was her name. I have found references to various other daughters of Mahomed Arab and they all have names.The hunt goes on.

I have since gone back and reviewed the Carl Smith Records and I found this:

Now I don't know why I never noticed this before but the 4th line clearly shows Mrs S Alarakia. If this has been transcribed correctly or if it was a typed card originally then I should be looking for a girl initialled 'S'. The only one available seems to be Shula (Sulaha) who was one of two daughters  Mahomed Arab had by his late Malay wife (name unknown) and was in the Guardianship of Phoorja his principal wife. According to Mahomed Arabs Will any  marraige  expenses and therefore arrangement would be the responsibility of his appointed 'Executors' 
As one of the executors was a certain Mahomed Ebrahim Asger it is looking likely that  he married one of them off to Mahomed Sewjee Alarakia. It is by no means a certainty but it does warrant further investigation.

Another thing that's puzzled me is the apparent disappearance from the radar of Sophie Alarakia and her husband Antonio Carlos Neves.  Antonio worked for the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank and was a private soldier in the HKVDC  when Japan invaded in 1941.Well David informs me that whilst Antonio was a POW at Sham Shui Po camp during the Japanese occupation of Hongkong, Sophie was living at 8 Glenealy Rd, Victoria. Having been captured on Christmas Day 1941 he was subsequently shipped to Sendai No 2b POW camp in Yoshima, Fukeshima in Japan on the 29th April 1944. The ship being the Naura Maru. The camp was liberated on 2nd September 1945.After repatriation it is not known where he and Sophie resided but he continued to work for the HSBC until at least 1947.

It is also worth mentioning is the fact that Antonio appears to have converted for RC to Islam when he married Sophie. He is listed on his daughter Rookiya's headstone as Abdulla C Neves.

Thankyou David and thanks to all those people who have been reading this blog. If any of you have anything to offer please pass it on to me either as a comment or for those that know  me via email.

I will try and share some photos in the near future.


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