Sri Lanka Burgher Family
The Bulner families are found in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Australia (Melbourne, Western Australia), Malaysia, Singapore, UK and USA (Texas). They have intermarried at the different places. It will be good to trace them by name/surname, date of birth (DOB), date deceased, date & place of marriage and details of their children and descendants.
------
Source: Beverly de Silva beverlydes@optusnet.com.au
Initial Generation
(1) William Edward Godfrey BULNER (1830-1893)
Her father's father (i.e. her paternal grandfather) was (or rather has been noted in her diary as) William Edward Godfrey Bulner, born 1830, died 1893. Married Annie Susan Bertus (born 1834, died 1886) on 29 March 1854 at the Dutch Reformed Church, Mannar, Ceylon. Son: William Reginald BULNER.
In the genealogy of the 'Bulner Family Tree', under I, No. 3, there is listed a 'William Ethelwald Godfrey, born 15 November 1829. Could this be one and the same person listed above (i.e. William Edward Godfrey Bulner, born 1830)? Perhaps my grandmother has incorrectly recorded this info in her notebook.---
Next Generation
(2) William Reginald BULNER (1856-1945)
Her father, William Reginald Bulner, born 14 February 1856, married Lydia Ursula Van Dort (born 11.4.1866) at the Roman Catholic Church, Kalutara, on 23 May 1888. He died at Nawalapitiya Hospital on 1.11.1945 and was buried at the Nawalapitiya Cemetery. Issue: Only one daughter - Mary Annie Agnes BULNER.
---
Next Generation
(3) Mary Annie Agnes BULNER (1903-1977)
Mary Annie Agnes BULNER (born 31 July 1903 at the Lying-in-Home, Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), died 13 September 1977. She was buried at R.C. Section, Borella, Kanatte. She married to George Torrington de Hoedt (born 19.5.1904, died 14.3.1993) at All Saints Church, Borella, Ceylon on 7 June 1928. She died 13 September 1977 and was buried at R.C. Section, Borella, Kanatte. Mary Annie Agnes BULNER had no brothers or sisters.
---
Next Generation
Daughter of Mary Annie Agnes BULNER and George Torrington de Hoedt.
Their daughter is (Miss) Beverly de Hoedt.
---
Next Generation
Miss Beverly de Hoedt married __ de Silva. She became Beverly de Silva after marriage. Her maternal grandmother is (Miss) Mary Annie Agnes BULNER.
===========================================
Info from Victor MELDER
Victor Melder
Sri Lanka Library.
7, Benambra Street,
Broadmeadows,
Vic 3047, Australia.
Tel: 61-03-9309-4040
E-Mail <tormel@dezzanet.net.au> <tormel@hotmail.com>
First Generation
Jacob BULNER of Osnaburg, Germany, married __??, had a son??
---------
THE MELDER FAMILY
https://thuppahi.wordpress.com/2016/02/07/the-melders-one-and-all-still-chugging-and-in-service/
========== Re-do the Bulner Family Tree ===========
First Generation
Jacob BULNER was probably born circa 1722-1733. He was from Osnaburg, Germany. His parents were probably farmers. He was probably renting a place in Amsterdam while waiting to join the VOC and to sail away, maybe for greener pastures, as the Germans were defeated in battles and the plague had hit Europe. Often, the VOC soldiers would name their landlords to receive a portion of their pay (paid by debenture).
He could have married at this time or had a partner. He probably married before leaving Holland, or married in Ceylon. He married __ and had a son, possibly named Joseph Bulner.
He was probably a senior man when he enlisted with the VOC military. He was listed as Sergeant Jacob Bulner with 2 other Bulners in the list of names of VOC military personnel. He enlisted as a soldier (soldaat) on 1 January 1752 and sailed on the ship Herstelder for Ceylon via Texel Island, Cape of Good Hope. He reached Ceylon in August 1752.
Jacob Bulner served in Ceylon till he passed away on 25 May 1790 (based on his VOC ledger entry).
-----
Second Generation
Joseph BULNER was specified in a VOC document as a Burgher. He could have been born in Ceylon between 1752 and 1787. If he was born in 1769, he was 18 years old when he joined the VOC in Holland. If he was born in 1762, he was 25 years old when he joined the VOC in Holland.
He enlisted at Chamber Amsterdam (room Amsterdam) on 2 June 1787 and joined the VOC as a young sailor. He sailed to Batavia on the ship Zeeland, to Batavia, via Texel Island at the Cape of Good Hope. He reached Batavia in February 1788.
Batavia is now Jakarta in Java, Indonesia. Java is an island. Java is referred to as Pulau Jawa in Malay.
Joseph Bulner did not serve all his time in Batavia. He returned to the Cape of Good Hope, where he resigned from the VOC in 1791, ie when the VOC was dissolved. He became a "free man" at the Cape in South Africa. He went to Ceylon and married there. His son was most probably named Jacob Bulner, ie named after his deceased father.
----
Third Generation
Jacob BULNER was born in Ceylon. He married Magdalena Elizabeth Vandyn at St John’s Church in Mannar on 31 January 1826. They had 4 children:-
- Gertruida Carolina BULNER, born 12 September 1824
- Jacob BULNER, born 6 December 1827
- William Ethelwald Godfrey BULNER, born 15 November 1829 --> query spelling of Ethelwald/Edward
- John Peter BULNER, born 1833
Fourth Generation
13-year old Jacob BULNER (born 6 December 1827) "partnered" with Princess van Rooyen. Their son is Lawrence Peter BULNER (bornMay 13 1840).
-----
Fifth Generation
Lawrence Peter BULNER was born on 13 May 1840. He was a watchmaker and resided in Kandy, Ceylon. He married Jane Catherine DAVIES. They had 8 children:-
- Charles F.A Bulner, born 12 August 1866
- Frederick W Bulner, born 16 January 1872 ---> he enters my family tree in a separate post
- Arthur Bulner, born 18 January 1874
- H. Edward Bulner, born 29 September 1875
- Percival Bulner, born 25 July 1877
- Frank Akland Bulner, born 18 October 1879
- John Walter Bulner, born 4 February 1883 ---> he continues to the next generation below
- Jenny C Bulner, born 4 January 1885
---
Sixth Generation
John Walter BULNER, born on 4 February 1883 in Ceylon, and died on 27 May 1967 in Melbourne. He married Daisy Maud Jacobs at Christ Church, Bangkok, Siam, on 19 December 1912. Daisy Maud JACOBS was the daughter of Henry Jacobs and Emima Christobelle Conderlag. (They returned to Ceylon, leaving Bangkok, Siam, aboard the SS Heim on 13 September 1919.) They had 3 children:-
- Henry Malcolm Bulner (Hal Bulner), born 31 October 1913, Bangkok, Siam. He is 2nd Lieut Henry Malcolm Bulner in the Ceylon Light Infantry in 1942 (Second World War, WW2).
- Iris Daphne, born 21 March 1915, Bangkok, Siam.
- Phyllis Dagmar, born 14 July 1918, Bangkok, Siam. ---> she is in Facebook.
Roots Web Ancestry.com
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/gen1235.html
9. John Walter Bulner (Lawrence Peter John, Jacob) was born 4 Feb 1883.
John married (MRIN:407) Daisy Maud Jacobs .
They had the following children:
36 M i. Henry Malcolm Bulner was born 31 Oct 1913.
+ 37 F ii. Iris Daphne Bulner was born 21 Mar 1915.
+ 38 F iii. Phyllis Dagmar Bulner was born 14 Jul 1918.
Seventh Generation
Phyllis Dagmar BULNER, born 14th July 1918, Bangkok, Siam, married at Holy Rosary Church, Slave Island, Colombo, on 27th December 1934, Randolph Joseph Churchill Griffith MELDER , son of Victor Emmanuel Leopold Melder and Ellen Emily Newman. (They migrated to Melbourne, Australia in December 1965) They had:-
- Randolph Johnny Victor, b 1935, Kandy, Ceylon
- Mark Anthony Julian, b 1937.
- Joseph Hilton, b 1940.
- Patrick Trevor, b 1942.
- Kevin Phillip, b 1945.
- Derrick Christopher, b 1946.
- Mary Anne Sharlie, b 1948.
- Gerard Michael, b 1952.
- Philomena Therese, b 1953.
- Geralyn Maria, b 1955.
- Trudy Antoinette, b 1956.
------
Eighth Generation
Randolph Johnny Victor MELDER , born 16 September 1935, Kandy, Ceylon, married at All Saints Church, Borella, Colombo, Ceylon, on 18 January 1964, Esther Margaret Primrose DUNSFORD, daughter of Roy George Dunsford and Nora Nesta Rode. (They migrated to Melbourne, Australia on March 13, 1968) They had 5 children:-
- Frances Therese Geralyn, b 1965, Galle, Ceylon (arrived Melbourne, Australia 13 March 1968), married at The Pioneer Women’s Gardens, Melbourne on 29 October 1994, Cihan Yucedag, son of Ismail and Neyime Yucedag of Glenroy, Melbourne.
- Richard Vivian Gerard, b 1967, Galle, Ceylon.
- Dianne Carol Rita, b 1970, Preston, Melbourne, married at St Nektarios, Greek Orthodox Church, Fawkner, Melbourne on 1 November 1997, John Vlahiotis, son of Nick Vlahiotis and Koula Kyriakidis of Merlynston, Melbourne.
- Keith Jerome, b 1971, Preston, Melbourne.
- Glen Paul, b 1978, Essendon, Melbourne.
Ninth Generation
Richard Vivian Gerard MELDER , b 1967, Galle, Ceylon (arrived Melbourne, Australia 13 March 1968), married at St Vincent De Paul's Church, Strathmore, Melbourne, on 21 September 1991, Jenny Lynn NOTT, daughter of John David Nott and Diana Mary Forrest, of Strathmore, Melbourne. They had 2 children:-
1. Madeleine Victoria, born 11 July 1992, Liverpool, NSW.
2. Felix, born 5 November 1998, Carlton, Victoria.
