SmileyRose Ramblings by Frances Rose Agnes Napper (She/Her)

A. I come from a very exotic background. I was born in a British hospital, McRoberts, in Kanpur India.

My parents came back to England when I was only a few months old, with me as a baby. I travelled back to England on my Mothers’s British passport, as that is how people travelled back then. Babies never travelled with their own passports.

I am the only sibling who was born in India. I was Christened in a Roman Catholic Church, St Patrick’s, India because both of my parents were Roman Catholics. My father later converted to the Church of England, when he married my step-Mother.

My Mother went to an American boarding school, in the foothills of Mnt Everest, at The Oak Grove School, which was considered a very good American School during those days. The school took British Scolars during that period, although It was an American school. Since India has its independence, the school is now an Indian School.

My Mum was Dorothy Samuels, she married my step-father who was from an English background. Both of my parents had a long marriage with their second partners, therefore I have had 4 x parents.

My ex-husband was White English and Irish, British, therefore I had another set of parents, who became my in-laws.

My father went to an English school and he was taught by nuns, in India. His only language was English. He was Francis Charles de Souza. Sadly he has passed away. My stepmother was from Lancashire, England

We originated from an English/White British background hence our language being English. 

My family went to reside in India during British India/The RAJ. My parents were 1930’s and 1940’s children.

There is a big Irish and a little Scots in my family background, which is the reason why they could not speak another language however there was a mixed marriage somewhere in the lineage (White British and Indian), hence my swarthy skin complexion. Colour can be passed down the generations because it is s strong gene.  A lot of people say that I look Spanish or Portuguese, which is confusing as my surname was de Souza. de Souza is a Portuguese name, however, Goa was a Portuguese territory in India, until 1961 when the Indians took back control of Goa. Goa was always part of India.

I do not know India, however, I hope to have a holiday there one day. 

I am very proud of my British upbringing and my background.

My family cannot speak another language, other than English and they did not grow up with the Indian religions because they were both Roman Catholics, however, I embrace the Hindu Indian culture only, because I was born there and I like that culture. I would love to learn more about it. It seems like a very peaceful culture.

Frances