Kathmandu. When the President-Elect of the United States of America became a Senator in the early 70’s, he received a letter years down the line, from a distant relative who had gotten in touch with him. The document led him towards gaining an insight into his ancestry and his relatives who reside in Nagpur, Maharastra.

Biden reminisced in 2013 when he visited Mumbai, as the Vice-President, that he had received a letter from Leslie Biden, who had read an article on him, published in the Illustrated Weekly of India’s March 28-April 4, 1981 issue. Leslie had penned a letter to Joe Biden on April 15, 1981 claiming that they were related, and the President-Elect responded on a letter that carried the date of May 30, 1981.

Leslie Biden reportedly died a few years later owing to his poor health, and the correspondence dwindled out. A granddaughter of his, Rowena told Business Today that, “Leslie and Joe Biden thanked each other for corresponding and committed to continue corresponding with each other. However, Leslie Biden’s health worsened and he died in 1983 in Nagpur. Leslie’s wife was unable to pursue the family tree further.”

Through some of the correspondents that have been kept by Leslie’ Bidens family, it has been mentioned that they both had discussed about a common ancestor, John Biden and his spouse Anne Beaumont.

Another of her granddaughters Sonia Biden Francis, who is a psychologist based in the city of Nagpur had exclaimed that the “Bidens in Nagpur, and everywhere” were overjoyed by Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 US Presidential Election. 

Joe Biden, in a 2015 speech, delivered in Washington had made a brief mention of a “great, great, great, great, great grandfather,” George Biden, who had apparently married and settled in India after retiring from his role as a Captain in the East India Trading company.

The Indian Council on Global Relations has claimed that there was no record that they could gather of a George Biden serving under the East India Company. Although, they have notified that two brothers named William Henry Biden and Christopher Biden did indeed land on the Indian shores in the 1800’s.

After grueling months of campaigning around the United States, Joe Biden is expected to take his seat in the Oval Office on 20th January 2021, with a divided nation in tow.