I have a very old wooden chest that has "Macbean Calcutta" on the side. I googled the words and found your page..... Not sure what else to tell you. I can send pics soon

Hi Larry

First of all sorry for sending you lots of messages. The fact that you
have this chest just really brings up a lot off emotions. In this
message I would like to explain you more about my research.
3 years ago I started a trip to India with my father. He lived in
India for 6 years and in this time of his life ( in his twenties) he
tried to discover more of his roots. My grandfather is from India, his
mom and dad are from India to. My grandfathers mother was called
Prescilla Macbean and was married to Charlie Lewis. That is why my
family name is Lewis.

While making the trip to India I met Joyce Lewis who is the sister of
my grandfather she gave me the Macbean family tree and that is why I
moved to Scotland. In Scotland I started a research about the name
Macbean. Basically I found a couple of historical documents and the
last one was from Samuel Macbean. He might be the person who emigrated
from Scotland to India and married a Indian women with a western name:
Alice Biggle. ( see family tree)
The chest could have been his chest, he might have send that from
Scotland to Calcutta with his belongings during his emigration.

I'm at the point where I'm stuck and decided a while ago that I would
stop the research.
Now that you have send me this picture I start to think that it is a
sign for me to go on.
Again I'm really curious where you found this chest. Would it be
possible to write me as detailed as possible where you found the
chest, what you are using it for and if anything was still in it.
At the moment I'm studying and doing an Master in Fine Art Photography
the Macbean research is one of the main subjects I focus on.

Please understand that it is really important info and for all your
effort in emailing me and stuff I could send you a print of my
photography!

Hope you can respond,

Best Wishes


Sarojini Lewis

Re: hi
We bought the chest at a container shipment auction in Sulphur Springs Texas around 1998. It was empty except for the ten gold bars in the hidden compartment ( just kidding). Other than that I do not know much more. I will send more, and better pics when I have time. We are busy getting things purchased and ready for our BBQ restaurant to open next spring. I was always curious as to a Scottish name on a wooden chest labeled Calcutta (asuming India). You are more than welcome to use the pics

We used the chest for a coffee table in the living room until 2007 or so. At the present time it is being used as a storage for photograpghs and memory books and things (ironic we have photos in it and your study is photograpghy). I put a few layers of paint on it and removed some to add character to the piece. I have sine removed 90% of the paint. There are two key holes on the front but the locking mechanisms are gone.