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Yes, Patell with one or two l may be a surname. Trade directories probably at British Library. Blair
Juliet, from The Parsis of India by Dr Jeese Palsetier, p37 “In recognition of his services the British honoured Rustamji with the hereditary title of Patel or chief, and allowed him to collect taxes from the residents of Bombay. Rustamji’s son, Cowasji Rustamji Patel (1744-99), played an important role inthe development of Bombay and service to the Pari community. Footnote The Parsee Patells of Bombay: Their Services to the British Government by BB Patell (Bombay 1876) p5-7
Blair
There is a reference to a Merwanjee Ruttonjee Patell as a subscriber to the Victoria Museum and Gardens at page 46. See http://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10973/36980/GIPE-070065.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y
Blair
Juliet, I have seen another post from you at Ancestry and can address some points for you. Parsis use a patronymic naming pattern so Merwanjee is his given name and Rustomjee is his father’s name. Any brothers of Merwanjee would have, as the second name Rustomjee. Some families adopted the ‘surname’ system, so added a family name after the first two. So in my family history the family name is Wadia.
It seems probbale that as he came to England and traded as a merchant that he was part of a family firm based most probably in Bombay or perhaps Surat and was either selling Indian produce or sourcing English goods to be sold in India, or both. Trade directories, available on FIBIS or at the British Library will list these companies, typically segregated on racial or ethnic lines, so the Parsi companies are shown separately.
Good hunting
Blair
