The Vij Family

The Vij family is a prominent Indian family that has been resident in Derry, Northern Ireland since the 1930s. The first members to have migrated from India were born in a village called Talwan in northern Punjab.

One of the first and eldest members of the family to migrate to Britain was Salig Ram Vij. Salig was born on 1 November 1898. He spent time in both Wigan, Lancashire and Londonderry. Whilst his arrival date is unknown, he appears in the 1939 England and Wales Register, where he is listed as a married pedlar drapery salesman. He lived at 2 Sawley Avenue, Wigan with three other pedlars. Similarly, his relative Mohabat Rai Vij was resident in Britain from at least 1935. Mohabat was born in 1913, and notably bought a property in Londonderry in 1946 – 4 Simpson’s Brae – that would become an important meeting place for Indians migrating to the city. On 18 October 1946 Salig and Mohabat migrated back to India. However, other members of the Vij family lived in Northern Ireland by the 1940s, and 4 Simpson Brae would be owned by the Vijs for fifty years.

Among those family members who migrated to Londonderry in the 1940s were brothers Tilak Rai Vij, Lakhpat Rai Vij and Tara Chand Vij. According to his daughter Charlotte, who was interviewed by the Derry Journal, Tara Chand Vij migrated to Londonderry because of a letter sent in the 1940s by Salig, who supported and encouraged men from the Vij family to settle in Britain. Tara's migration in 1949 was sponsored by his brother Lakhpat, who was investigated by the Home Office and Ministry of Home Affairs to determine whether he had the financial capabilities to support Tara's movement. The report determined that Lakhpat was of a good financial and social standing. For example, despite living at 4 Simpson's Brae, he owned a home in Glasgow and also owned a car. Lakhpat's intention was to train Tara in his drapery business, so he could move back to India and charge Tara with the business's continuation. Tara and his wife, Chand Rani Vij, migrated and subsequently had seven children. The drapery business was initially based at 4 Simpson's Brae and later moved to Caw Park.

Lakhpat Rai Vij departed Britain on 22 January 1952, aged 33. He is listed as a draper in shipping records. It is unknown whether he returned to Northern Ireland.

Tilak Rai Vij became a qualified doctor in the 1940s.

In March 1963 Harparshad (Harpar) Vij and Prunella Vij married in a church, marking one of the first marriages between an Indian and a Northern Irish local. They had two children, Stephen and Janet. Harpar died on 29 December 2021.