Madras (Chennai) History - help me please

[Celeste]

I'm wondering if any of you can help me :?

The parents of my great-grandmother once owned a musical shop in Madras (Chennai) in the late 1800s - to early 1900s.
They sold instruments and repaired them too - violins, pianos, that kind of thing.
I don't know the name of the shop, but I do know the names of the owners (John and Cecily Brass), and I know that the shop was in Madras (Chennai).

Do you know how I might find out some information about this shop?
Is there a historical society (or something like that) I might ask?

[RR]

Moving the topic to Misc..

[Braandan]

The best is to visit Chennai and go to Connemara Govt Library. Look up the periodicals and newspapers of that period for advertisements. That way you can find out where it was located. Must have been in and around Parrys Corner (the old Rattan bazar etc.). From those places you may get some lead. Problem is people of that generation would have been dead by this time!

There are still Anglo-Indian communities living around Royapuram area. (There were a lot living in Perambur area when my dad was in Railway service. But most would have left those Rly quarters after their retirement). You can contact people there who play the Piano etc. One of them would be able to help you.(From your post I could deduce that your ancestors were Anglo Indians).

"Poppat Jamal" is the popular people dealing in this trade now. Contacting one of the oldies of their group may help in getting news about people who were in their trade.

I will try to get some more information and post.