Mary Jane - Zelle is the old, old name for Celle - both pronounced the same. I have spent a lot of research time in Celle. The director of the Stadtsarchiv there, Herr Doktor Guenter, was very helpful. (He may be retired by now - it was a long time ago). It is much older than Hannover (the city). It was once the Residenzstadt for the Dukes of Braunschweig-Luneburg. The name Andree is not familiar to me. However, here are a few bits of history to think about. The name sounds of French origin to me. At the end of the 17th cent hundreds of Huguenot refugees from the persecutions of Louis XIV followed in the train of Duchess Eleanor d'Olbruese and settled in Celle. One of my ancestors is such. The then duke even built a special suburb for them.
The other thing to think about is that from 1715 to 1837 Hannover and England were united under one king. And the period you mention for your ancestor was the time when England was busy conquering India, including Ceylon. Your ancestor could have been in the British Army - or possibly involved with the East India Company. This is all surmise, of course, but it is something you should look into. Good luck. Jane
Jane Swan
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