Did you know US president-elect Joe Biden’s ‘distant relatives’ live in Nagpur since 1873?

US President-elect Joe Biden spoke of in 2013 and then again in 2015 of some “distant relatives” living in Maharashtra's Nagpur city since 1873, when he visited Mumbai in 2013.

At the Mumbai event in 2013 and at another one in Washington in 2015, Mr Biden had said that after becoming a senator in 1972, he had received a letter from one of the Bidens in India and learned that his "great, great, great, great, great grandfather" worked in the East India Company.

The letter was written by Nagpur-based Leslie Biden, whose grandchildren stay in Nagpur, and claim their family has been living there since 1873, according to news agency PTI.

What is the actual story?

"While reading the ''Illustrated Weekly of India'' weekly issue of March 28-April 4, 1981, Leslie came across an article about the then US senator Joe Biden," Sonia said, Leslie's granddaughter.

Sonia is a Nagpur- based psychologist. She said Leslie Biden was based in Nagpur and was the manager of the Bharat Lodge and Hostel, and Bharat Cafe in the ''orange city'', before he died in 1983.

"Leslie got in touch with Joe Biden through a letter sent on April 15, 1981. Joe Biden replied to Leslie through a letter dated May 30, 1981, said he was pleased after getting the letter from India and also discussed about the Bidens' genealogy," she said as mentioned by the news agency.

Leslie and Joe Biden shared information regarding a common ancestor John Biden and his wife Anne Beaumont.

"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 at Nagpur. Leslie's wife was unable to pursue the family tree further," said Leslie's granddaughter Rowena, who also lives in Nagpur.

The Biden family showed this correspondent letters they claimed were part of the correspondence between Leslie and Joe Biden.

What had Biden said in 2013 Mumbai visit?

Speaking at the Bombay Stock Exchange on July 24, 2013, Biden had said, "It's an honour to be back in India and to be here in Mumbai. Off script for a second here, I was reminded I was elected to the United States Senate when I was a 29-year-old kid back in 1972, and one of the first letters I received and I regret I never followed up on it.

"Maybe, some genealogist in audience can follow up for me, but I received a letter from a gentleman named Biden - Biden, my name - from Mumbai, asserting that we were related," Mr Biden had told the Mumbai audience seven years ago.

In 2015, Biden had claimed in Washington that his "great, great, great, great, great grandfather" George Biden was a Captain in the East India Trading company and after retirement, decided to settle in India and married an Indian woman.

(With agency inputs)