IOR/L/AG/34/41

The series 'Schedules of Insolvent Estates' (6 vols, 649 files) covers the Bengal Presidency 1833-1871(1902) [IOR/L/AG/34/41/1-374], Madras Presidency 1848-1909 [IOR/L/AG/34/41/375-532], Bombay Presidency 1835-1911 [IOR/L/AG/34/41/533-643] and Singapore 1855-1865 [IOR/L/AG/34/41/644-655].

The schedules relate mainly to merchants and tradesmen, of all races/denominations - Europeans, Hindus, Parsees, Muhammadans, Jews, Armenians - either trading individually or as companies, but a few relate to non-mercantile personnel eg EIC Army officers. The schedules comprise lists of the debts and assets of the firms/individuals concerned (including inventories of private property), plus copies of court proceedings.

The series has been catalogued in the form of a card index in two sections, which is available for public consultation on application to the India Office Records team (ask at the Reference Enquiries desk in the Asian & African Studies Reading Room) - the first section is of names of firms, the second of names of individuals. Information provided by the card index includes document reference, nature of business/occupation, where and when declared bankrupt and (if relevant) date when discharged from bankruptcy, also address, if known. The section on firms also gives the names of each partner, underlining those not concerned in the bankruptcy proceedings - the section on individuals gives the name of the firm to which an individual belonged.

The series 'Schedules of Insolvent Estates' may be of some use to readers interested in the history of the Indian mercantile community especially given the general dearth of private business material elsewhere in India Office Records.

Notifications regarding bankruptcies are also recorded in the official Gazette of India and Provincial Gazettes [IOR/V/11].