Biden’s ancestral Chennai connect
Biden’s ancestral Chennai connect
U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden has an ancestral connect with India, as does his vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris, both tracing it back to Chennai, then Madras. During the 19th century, brothers Christopher and William Biden worked for the East India company, taking the rather arduous ship route between London and India. While William died at an early age, Christopher went on to Captain several ships during his service and eventually settled down to a prosperous life in Madras.
Kamala Harris spoke movingly of her discussions with her grandfather P.V.Gopalan as they walked along the beach at Chennai. It now appears that her running-mate Joe Biden may also have ancestors who strolled along the same stretch of sand two centuries before.
Joe Biden first made the claim of an Indian connection in 2013. Two years later he elaborated that he was descended from George Biden, his “great, great, great, great, great grandfather” who was a Captain in the East India Company. After retirement George Biden decided to settle in India and married an Indian woman.
There are no records of a George Biden in India but there were two Bidens who became Captains of East India Company armed merchant ships (known as Indiamen). They were brothers. Both started out as humble Third and Fourth Mates in their early teens on the arduous route between London and India via the Cape of Good Hope. It was dangerous and uncomfortable work but the prospect of advancement made it attractive for sons of financially distressed but aspirational families. William Henry Biden started out in the Midas (414 tons). Eventually he would command the ships Anna Robertson, Ganges and Thalia (570 tons) before he died of “apoplexy” (a stroke) at Rangoon on 25th March 1843 aged 51. His were relatively minor cargo ships which traded mainly in Asian waters. His older brother Christopher Biden, by contrast, became a well-known figure in Madras (modern Chennai) for many years and he did settle in India.
Christopher began as a Fourth Mate. By 1807 he was sailing in the 1333 ton Royal George which made seven return voyages to India before 1818. By 1815 he had become its Chief Mate. In 1821 he became Captain of the Princess Charlotte of Wales (978 tons) and made four return journeys between England and Calcutta (modern Kolkata). He also captained the new Royal George (1426 tons) on one voyage. Each return journey lasted a year. Apart from being extremely gruelling each trip provided the opportunity for significant personal enrichment. In 1830 he retired from the Princess Charlotte and settled down in Blackheath, near London, to complete a book on which he had clearly been working for many years.
It carried the snappy title “Naval Discipline. Subordination contrasted with insubordination; or, a view of the necessity for passing a law establishing an efficient naval discipline on board ships in the Merchant-Service; comprising a valuable record of occurrences on board various ships; evincing the advantages arising from good order on the one hand, and the disasters attending the want of it on the other.”
In spite of its title it is a fascinating book (available to read online) which focused on the very real challenges of managing a diverse crew, passengers and (often) soldiers on a long taxing voyage on a tiny ship. He seems to have solicited stories from fellow Indiaman captains and the result is a kaleidoscope of dismal tales of drunkenness, insubordination, insolence, theft, murder and what we would now call mental health issues against a background of storms, dangerous reefs, men falling overboard, hostile ships, navigational errors and shipwrecks.
His theme was that if you treat people with respect they will not abuse your trust. “I have had fancy balls, transparencies, plays, &c. in commemoration of those glorious days, and of the coronation, the birth-day of our gracious Sovereign, &c. and in no one instance has this indulgence been abused, or the duty of the ship neglected. I have frequently allowed seamen to dance on the lee-side of the quarter-deck. None of these trespasses upon the over rigid system of discipline have ever produced the least source of annoyance, knowing, as I trust I always did, where to draw the line, where to stop” (p.170).
He disapproved of flogging but reluctantly thought it needed to be retained as an ultimate sanction. “Flogging should only be resorted to when all other modes of punishment fail, or the offence is of such a magnitude that no doubt can remain in the mind of the captain and his officers of the offender being a fit object to receive so exemplary a punishment. The more I consider and reflect on the subject, the more fixed is the conviction on my own mind that it will be unwise and unsafe to deprive the commander of so necessary a power of control” (p.175).
Biden had married Harriott Freeth in his native Derbyshire (unlike many of his colleagues who were Scottish, the Bidens were from England) in 1819 and had a son and two daughters. Perhaps Biden felt he was too young to retire aged 41. So he bought a Chittagong-built teak ship of 712 tons, the Victory and sailed her on two trips to Colombo and Bombay in 1832 and 1834. On the second trip he discovered Nelson Island in the Chagos Archipelago.
We do not know how financially successful the Victory venture proved; but it was innately hazardous to own a ship without sharing the risk with other investors. He may have lost money which was why in 1839 he set off to India aboard the Marquis Camden with his wife and daughter to become Master Attendant and Marine Storekeeper at Madras; in charge of shipping. On the voyage to India his daughter died and was doubtless buried at sea.
During his 19 years in Madras Biden gained a reputation for diligence; for example placing lights along the coast to prevent maritime disasters. He was highly imaginative; constantly suggesting improvements for maritime safety. He was also actively involved in charities for widows and orphans of mariners of all nationalities including Indians.
His son, Horatio, joined him in Madras in 1846 and went on to become a Colonel in the Madras Artillery. There were also a few other Bidens in India; one of whom was headmaster of La Martiniere College in Calcutta (Kolkata).
In 1858 Christopher Biden died in Madras and is commemorated by a
plaque in the Cathedral there.
The professor adds that Christopher Biden died in Madras (Chennai) and is commemorated by a plaque in the Cathedral there.
Apart from the memorial tablet in the Cathedral there is also a portrait of Biden by George Chinnery seated with his dog, Hector. His wife Harriott lived on in London until 1880. Some of her papers are kept at Cambridge University and testify to her husband’s kindness and their mutual love. Nowhere is there mention of an Indian wife but Christopher seems the most likely candidate if Joe Biden indeed had an ancestor in India.
Tim Willasey-Wilsey is Visiting Professor of War Studies at King’s College, London and a former senior British diplomat.
This article was exclusively written for Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations. You can read more exclusive content here.
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Sources
Biden, Christopher. Naval Discipline. Subordination Contrasted with Insubordination. London, J.M.Richardson, 1930. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=I0YSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA382&dq=Biden+naval+discipline&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiSzs_qzrvrAhXMQhUIHWBeCBMQ6AEwAHoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=Biden%20naval%20discipline&f=false
United States Vice President Joe Biden resolves the mystery of Bidens in Mumbai, India.com. July 14, 2015.
Hardy, Horatio Charles. Supplement to a Register of Ships of the East India Company London 1835
Hardy, Horatio Charles. A Register of Ships, Employed in the Service of the Honourable East India Company. London, 1811.
Families in British India (FIBIS) website
Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign shipping. London. W. Marchant, 1832.
Horsburgh, James. India Directory, Or, Directions for Sailing to and from the East Indies. London; W.H.Allen, 1836. Page 579.
Asiatic Journal. London, Parbury, 1832. Page 230.
Chinnery, George. Portrait of Christopher Biden. http://www.artnet.com/artists/george-chinnery/captain-christopher-biden-seated-small-three-RIVA-z_Jn3BQaavv1pYibA2
Biden papers. Centre of South Asian Studies, Cambridge University (only summary seen by the author due to Covid restrictions).
Not only Kamala Harris, US President-elect Joe Biden may also have Chennai connection
Long before Kamala Harris’ Chennai connection made headlines in India, Joe Biden had told an audience that his distant relatives live in Mumbai. Joe Biden reiterated his claim at an event in Washington, saying there are five Bidens in Mumbai. So, what is this Chennai ancestral connection?
Not only Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, but US President-elect Joe Biden might also have an Indian connect. And just as Kamala Harris, these ancestral roots lie in Chennai.
As per Tim Willasey-Wilsey, a visiting professor at the King’s College, London, Joe Biden’s ancestors worked in the East India Company in the 19th century.
EIC and Biden: What is the connection?
In the 19th century, brothers Christopher and William Biden worked for the East India Company, taking the ship route between London and India. While William died at an early age, Christopher went on to Captain several ships during his service and eventually settled down to a prosperous life in Madras, as per professor Tim Willasey-Wilsey.
His older brother Christopher Biden became a well-known figure in Madras (modern Chennai) for many years and he did settle in India, Tim wrote in an article in a publication of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).
When Joe spoke of his ‘Indian relatives’
US President-elect Joe Biden first spoke of his probable Indian connect during his visit to Mumbai in 2013 much before Kamala Harris’ Chennai roots were in the news.
During this maiden vice presidential trip to India, Biden spoke about a letter he received when he became the senator for the first time several decades ago.
Narrating his story of the “'Biden from Mumbai”, Joe said, “It''s an honour to be back in India and to be here in Mumbai. Off script for a second here, I was reminded I was elected to the United States Senate when I was a 29-year-old kid back in 1972, and one of the first letters I received and I regret I never followed up on it.”
"Maybe, some genealogist in the audience can follow up for me, but I received a letter from a gentleman named Biden - Biden, my name - from Mumbai, asserting that we were related," Biden had told the Mumbai audience.
‘5 Bidens living in Mumbai’
Two years later, Joe Biden reiterated his ‘Indian connect’ claim at an event in Washington, saying there are five Bidens living in Mumbai.
Joe Biden claimed that his "great, great, great, great, great grandfather" George Biden was a Captain in the East India Trading company and after retirement, decided to settle in India and married an Indian woman.
"There are five Bidens in Mumbai, India," Biden, then the US Vice President told a Washington audience at the event.
Joe Biden, when he first visited Mumbai in 2013, had claimed of an Indian connect. In 2015, he said that he descended from George Biden, his “great, great, great, great, great grandfather” who was a Captain in the East India Company. After his retirement, George Biden settled in India and married an Indian woman.
What does History say?
As per professor Tim, there are no records of a George Biden in India, but there were two Bidens who became Captains of East India Company armed merchant ships.
“They were brothers. Both started out as humble Third and Fourth Mates in their early teens on the arduous route between London and India via the Cape of Good Hope. It was dangerous and uncomfortable work but the prospect of advancement made it attractive for sons of financially distressed but aspirational families,” Tim writes in the report.
The professor adds that Christopher Biden died in Madras (Chennai) and is commemorated by a plaque in the Cathedral there.
“There
is also a portrait of Biden by George Chinnery seated with his dog,
Hector. His wife Harriott lived on in London until 1880. Some of her
papers are kept at Cambridge University and testify to her husband’s
kindness and their mutual love. Nowhere is there mention of an Indian
wife but Christopher seems the most likely candidate if Joe Biden indeed
had an ancestor in India,” professor Tim Willasey-Wilsey says.
=============================
Harris has her roots in Besant Nagar, does Joe Biden’s lie just 15 km away?
The ancestral relatives of the Democrat Party's presidential candidate may have taken long walks on the Royapuram Beach about 200 years ago
As the race to the US presidential election 2020 builds up in the Democrats’ camp comprising the Biden-Harris ticket, there has been a lot of talk and social media voices about Chennai’s (Madras) connection with Kamala Harris, the vice-president nominee.
Kamala Harris is the first person of Indian descent (her mother Shyamala Gopalan was born in Madras before she moved to the USA to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of California Berkeley) and the first African American woman (her father was from Jamaica) in the history of America to hold a national ticket in a US presidential election.
Ever since Harris’ Chennai connection came to light, Indians all over have been tweeting and posting about her childhood trips to India, her maternal roots in Chennai’s Besant Nagar and photos of Harris sporting a Rangachari saree. Kamala has (in 2018) talked about her early days when she used to visit Chennai (then known as Madras) and have long walks on the Besant Nagar beach with her maternal grandfather while chatting about democracy and equality in the south Indian state.
It is not just Harris, the Democrat Party’s presidential candidate Joe Biden may also have had ancestral relatives just about 15 kilometres north of the Besant Nagar beach, who may have taken a long walk on the Royapuram Beach about 200 years ago.
When Biden was elected as the youngest US senator and he took office before he completed 31 in 1972, one of the letters that he received was from Mumbai, with the sender having the same surname (last name) as his.
Joe Biden first made the claim of an Indian connection in 2013. Two years later, he elaborated that he has descended from George Biden, his “great, great, great, great, great grandfather” who was a captain in the East India Company. After retirement, George Biden decided to settle in India and married an Indian woman.
During his visit to Mumbai in 2013, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee came to know about five Bidens living in Mumbai, but he did not manage to connect with them. The Biden from Bombay (now Mumbai) had congratulated Joe Biden on his election as the senator from Delaware and told him that they were related to each other.
Biden wanted to follow up on the communication and get in touch with the “Biden from Mumbai”. However, his busy political life meant that this only remained a wish. The wish may have remained unfulfilled till date but Joe Biden apparently has never missed a chance to narrate the “Biden from Mumbai” story when he meets Indian Americans and Indian leaders. He mentioned it even during his recent engagement with the Indian community in August.
Tim Willasey-Wilsey, a visiting professor at the Department of War Studies, King’s College, London, has an interesting write-up on Biden’s ancestral Chennai connection, in which he writes about two Bidens who became captains of the East India Company’s armed merchant ships.
“There are no records of a George Biden in India, but there were two Bidens who became captains of the East India Company armed merchant ships (known as Indiamen). They were brothers. Both started out as humble Third and Fourth Mates in their early teens on the arduous route between London and India via the Cape of Good Hope. It was dangerous and uncomfortable work but the prospect of advancement made it attractive for the sons of financially distressed but aspirational families. William Henry Biden started out in the Midas (414 tonnes). Eventually, he would command the ships Anna Robertson, Ganges and Thalia (570 tonnes) before he died of “apoplexy” (a stroke) at Rangoon on 25th March 1843, aged 51. His were relatively minor cargo ships which traded mainly in Asian waters. His older brother Christopher Biden, by contrast, became a well-known figure in Madras (modern Chennai) for many years and he did settle in India,” he writes in an article titled ‘Biden’s ancestral Chennai connect’ in a publication of ICCR (Indian Council of Cultural Relations).
“Biden had married Harriott Freeth in his native Derbyshire (unlike many of his colleagues who were Scottish, the Bidens were from England) in 1819 and had a son and two daughters. Perhaps, Biden felt he was too young to retire aged 41. So he bought a Chittagong-built teak ship of 712 tonnes, the Victory, and sailed her on two trips to Colombo and Bombay in 1832 and 1834, respectively. On the second trip, he discovered Nelson Island in the Chagos Archipelago,” he writes.
Biden then later set off to India aboard ‘Marquis Camden’ with his wife and daughter to become Master Attendant and Marine Storekeeper at Madras, in charge of shipping. On the voyage to India, his daughter died and was buried at sea.
During his 19 years in Madras, Biden gained a reputation for diligence. The book, ‘Naval Discipline’, notes his idea of placing lights along the coast to prevent untoward shipping incidents. The book also notes his creativity and suggestions on improvements for maritime safety in Madras.
His son, Horatio Biden, is believed to have joined him in Madras in 1846 and gone on to become a colonel in the Madras Artillery. “In 1858, Christopher Biden died in Madras and is commemorated by a plaque in the Cathedral there. Apart from the memorial tablet in the Cathedral, there is also a portrait of Biden by George Chinnery seated with his dog, Hector. His wife Harriott lived in London until 1880. Some of her papers are kept at Cambridge University and testify to her husband’s kindness and their mutual love. Nowhere is there a mention of an Indian wife, but Christopher seems the most likely candidate if Joe Biden indeed had an ancestor in India.”
“I am surprised. I have had long chats with him in the past, but this has never come up,” says a senior journalist who has covered the US Senate for a leading Indian newspaper for nearly two decades and has had the opportunity to have many conversations with Joseph Biden during his early days as Senator.
Whether the Indian connection is going to help him win votes or not, this presidential election has already had a lot of people talking about masala dosas, idlis and Madras. Now, it seems, there could be one more reason to continue that chatter.
Note: The article on Biden’s Chennai connection by Tim Willasey-Wilsey was first published in ICCR’s online publication The Gatewayhouse. The Federal has taken necessary required from the publisher to reproduce it.
