Can You Help these Abandoned and Forgotten Soldiers

Hi Everyone,

I wonder if any of you could help us with some key information:

Our Problem:

A few of us at Bangalore, in India have come across a disused cemetery

dating back to 1805 to 1870. This cemetery was only for the Europeans

and Protestants.

We are trying to restore this cemetery, but unfortunately, we do not

have any records relating to this cemetery or ground plan. Many of the

graves have been vandalised. The stones are scattered. We would like

to put the stones back on the original graves, but cannot do so for

want of information. The last known location for records was burnt

down - The records at the Holy Trinity Church, which incidently

was the Garrison Church in the mid 1800's.

There are over 700 graves, some belong to important Officers & Soldiers,

their families and also the Church Pastors and their families.

A few names I am putting from some of the graves that may catch your

eye and help us to help these poor souls get their original stones back,

as some of the stones are missing and some dislodged, etc... for photos

of these graves, one can see them at (*)

http://geocities.datacellar.net/Athens/Acropolis/9460

I have placed an appeal by Admiral Dawson on Internet at:

http://geocities.datacellar.net/Athens/2960/grave1.htm

If you have any information on these people, that would lead us to the

ground plan of the cemetery we would be greatful. We are doing this

from our own funds because we are interested in maintaining the past.

We are not asking you for any funds, but only for information.

Thank you for your time to read this.

Ronnie Johnson


Some names from the graves:

Mary Ann Hodson, w/o Thomas Hodson, Weslyan Mission, died 10/8/1866 (68yrs)

Rev. Alexander Maceallum, Missionary of the Free Church of Scotland,

Madras, Joined the Mission in 1855, served for 7 yrs in his Master Call

died on 10/6/1862

Catherine w/o Rev. Matt-Trevan Male, of the Weslyan Mission, died 29/8/1865

Aged 49 yrs.

Fanny Lees child of Catherine born 29/1/1861 died 24/4/1861

Jane Peach Rice, w/o Benjamin Rice of the London Mission died 11/3/1864

57 yrs.


Some other names we have found on a paper with

a heading "Agram Cemetery"

"List if Stones Numbered for Removal

Schedule - A"

having no other details:


Sl Row Name


1 1 Henry Willaim Dixon

2 1 Oaks Cornet

3 1 Emma Loosemore

4 1 Gertrude Taylor

5 1 Alice Hill

6 William Brunette

7 2 George & Ellen Strickland

8 2 Arthur Wright

9 2 Wimberley Ford Blair

10 2 John Hope Hamilton

11 2 Ellen Beamen

12 2 John Prout Langley

13 2 William Carrol Prout

14 2 James Arthur King

15 2 Amelia Eagan

16 2 Matilda Armstrong

17 2 GW Williams

18 2 Robert Cole

19 4 John Penn Hickman

20 4 Joanna Perkins

21 4 George Walter Roberts

22 3 Harry Rose Doughlas

23 5 Helen Robertson

24 5 Otway Miles Andrews

25 5 Harriet Elisabeth Sutherlan

25a 6 Johanna Morrison

26 6 Samuel Johnson

27 6 Ellen Hussey

28 7 Arthur Wellington Gray

29 5 John K Smith

30 8 Anthony Thornhill

495 15 George Edwards

496 15 Charles Eugene Van Ingen

497 15 Richard Noble Van Ingen

498 15 John Van Ingen

499 15 S Andrew Von Bratt Reynold

500 15 Agnes Gibson

501 16 Dowdall

502 16 Elizabeth Keatinge

503 16 Henry Van Ingen

504 16 Alphonso Bertie

505 16 John Charles Bartels

506 16 Thomas Nelson

508 16 Charlotte Lillywhite

509 17 I Horn

510 17 John Hill

511 17 Mathew Keirfoot

512 17 Louisa Floyd

513 17 Richard Miles

514 17 Elizabeth Day

515 18 Jane Groeme

516 18 Charles Hutt

517 18 Vesey William Shelly

517a 18 Vesey Hill

518 18 C F Piele

519 18 Thomas Holmes

520 18 Arthur Greenham

521 18 Arthur Greenham

522 17 Joseph Henry William Edward Hill

523 17 Charles Thompson

524 17 Louis William Harris

525 19 Florence Borrowdaile

526 19 James Orpwood

527 19 Augusta Collins

528 19 Worsley

529 18 Caroline Mc Mahon

530 20 Thomas Templeton

531 20 Matilda Harriot

532 21 T Styan Warner

533 21 B M Macdonald

534 21 John Burridge

535 21 George Gibson

536 21 George Perigrine Wynch

537 21 Henry Barclay Thomas

538 20 Juliana Straton

539 21 Duff Forbes Warrand

540 20 Gerard Borough

541 20 Mary Charlotte Preston

542 19 Alexander Duckworth

543 22 Anne Maria Long

544 22 William Warmingham

545 22 Sarah Dughard

546 22 Royle

547 22 Mary Royle

548 21 Sarah Seppings

549 21 Thomas Gibbs

550 21 Thomas Duckworth

551 22 Lousia Kilroy

552 23 Caroline Smith

553 23 Elizabeth Hooper

554 23 William Moss

554a 23 Robert Venning

555 23 WN Davis

556 23 H Fitton

557 23 J Bailey

558 E Martha Hill

559 E Lydia Newman

========================

We appealed to all denominations, to the British Commonwealth Commission, War Memorials etc.. sofar, all unable to help with info.

Now we are trying people like you who may have come across this cemetery in your records.

If you could pass this list to others it may help us and the poor people buried. If we are not able to establish identity of the graves, we may lose the cemetery to make way for city expansion.

Thank You, Cheers

Ronnie Johnson

People concerned: Admiral Dawson (Rtd), David Barnabas and myself

Note on documents relating to this cemetery:

There are no records available in any of the churches. There was a separate cemetery for the Catholic Church as per old maps, and only this one (Old Protestant Cemetery) for the Churches of England and Scottland, and other Europeans.


The Old Protestant Cemetery or the Agram Cemetery is in close proximity to, and a little to the west of, the Agram Barracks; the tombs of many good and great men, long since passed away, are to be seen here.

The Cemetery in the first decade of 1900 was open on Thursdays and Sundays to the public, from sunrise.(Today it's condemmed to be destroyed unless someone helps or a miracle or an angel turns up the information we require!!)

Amoung the most interesting (you can view these photos on Internet) monuments to be seen here are two hugh Ionic columns, each standing on a square base, about 40 feet in height, just to the right entrance of the gate (now it is sealed off).

The one nearest the gate has four slabs with inscriptions, the slab facing North reading as follows:

"Beneath a Tomb close to this pillar rest the Mortal Remains of Lieut. John Pott, H.M. 13th Dragoons, who died 31st January 1822 Aged 25 years. The Tomb and this Memorial of their loss is erected by his sorrowing brother officers."

Somewhat after the same fashion, the other three slabs record the deaths of Major Josh Doherty, on June12, 1820, aged 32 years;

Capt. F. Grove, 6th may, 1827, aged 39 years

Lieut. Wm. Brown, 4th October, 1822, aged 24 years, all of H.M. 13th Dragoons.

The other monument bears the names of D. McGregor, Esq., Assistant Surgeon, 13th Dragoons, who died 16th September, 1821, aged 31 years;

and Major Edward Gillespie Taylor of the same Regiment, who died on the 26th November, 1836, aged 47 years.

The oldest grave located so far is that of Sergeant-Major Kelly, of H.M. 59th Regiment of Foot, which dates back to 1808.

Another hugh tomb is to the memory of:

'Lieut.-Col. Peter Latouche Chambers of H.M. 41st Regiment, aged 39 years and Emily Ann his beloved wife, aged 37, who fell vicitms to the epimedic Cholera at Bangapilly, on the 29th day of August 1827 and lie interred here.'

Two cenotaphs show out prominently amoung the gravestones in the North-East corner of this sacred spot. One of them is erected to the memory of Capt. Henry Thos. Rudyard of the Artillery, who died on the 25th June, 1824, aged 27 years, and the other to the memory of Capt. Robert Beauchamp, of the Horse Artillery, who died on the 29th May, 1813, aged 26 years.

Another old monument is the one erected to the memory of Edward Bellingham Kennah, Paymaster, H.M. 25th Light Dragoons, who died 22nd August, 1810, aged 29yrs

Close to the entrance of the graveyard is a tombstome indicating the grave of 'Uriel Truelove', who departed this life of cholera in this village, the 5th January 1855.'

Twin stones are erected to the memory of Gunner James Rayan, of the C. Troop, Horse Artillery, and Bombadier James Carroll, of the same Corps, who were accidently killed by the upsetting of a gun at the review of the Horse Artillery, before Major-Genl. Allan, C.B., on the 4th December, 1840.

Lieut. George Bullanshaw, of the Rifle Corps who died in the field while serving with Brigade-General Munro's Army on 23rd May, 1818, is also buried here.

(I was able to extract this information by accident from 'A Guide to Bangalore and Mysore Directory 1905', compiled and published by J.W. Morris, which should be available in any old British Library)


* Another Place another Time *


Names found on the War Memorial in the centre of the European Cemetery, Hosur Road, Bangalore, India. This Cemetery is now not being used and the brambles have grown over most of the graves, although they are in good condition the surrounding is not kept well, and the roots of the brambles seem to penetrate the joins of the stones of the graves.

Details of other graves will be added from time to time as and when data is collected on them.

Request you please circulate this list.

Thanks, perhaps those buried in the Cemetery would appreciate being remembered again.

This Cemetery comes under the jurisdiction of St. Mark's Church, St. Mark's Road, Bangalore 560 001.

Should anyone know of these names or family members of the dead listed, would appreciate a feed back. We are trying to encourage people to try and support the cause of keeping this Cemetery clean and a pride for any visitor. Only if the Family members show interest, would the Cemetery get the chance of restoration to a visiting one. At present only 40% of the Cemetery is accessable and the other 60% is covered with grass, brambles and snakes. Understand now that the Cemetery is to be cleaned up. Will update on the same if it is done.


E-mail to: ronnie.johnson@usa.net or ronniejohnson@hotmail.com

or S-mail:

Ronnie Johnson or Maisy Johnson,
5/3 King Street,
Richmond Town, Bangalore 560 025

or S-mail:

Admiral O.S. Dawson, PVSM, AVSM (IN)
32 Viviani Road
Richards Town
Bangalore 560 005

Ph: 91 80 5471653


I plan to post pictures of the New Protestant Cemetery on the Net in the near future at: http://geocities.datacellar.net/Athens/Acropolis/9460, which is presently dedicated to the Forgotten Soldiers at the


Old Protestant Cemetery at Agram, Bangalore, India.

An afterthought ..... Strange, in all the documents on the British Military Records, there is only reference to those of the WWI and after. What about those who were before that period. A good many young lads gave their lives serving their country in faraway places like India, China Burma etc... does anyone have a record of those who died in these countries from the early period?

Are they to be forgotten? Are they to be abandoned?

We here at Bangalore, India are pretty disheartened to watch the tombs of some brave soldiers who died while establishing the city of Bangalore into British hands, and now are they to be left abandoned by their own country?

Please help us to give these soldiers their due place and memory in your records.

If we can get any help on the list of those soldiers who died in and around Bangalore, Mysore, Sreerangapatan, Coorg, Kolar, during the period 1760 to around 1920, we would be able to give you an update on where these graves are found. We have graves 714 of them in the Old Protestant Cemetery (Agram) and about the same or more in the ( New Protestant Cemetery on Hosur Road, Bangalore) European Cemetery but no records for the prior!!

Request is made to all to please read our appeal on Internet and if anyone can help us to place these fallen soldiers, we would be grateful.

Today, there are basically seven cemeteries at Bangalore, India that contain tombs of European Soldiers, Civilians and their Families:

1. The Old Protestant Cemetery or Agram Cemetery

2. The Old Roman Catholic Cemetery at Richmond Road, Sacred Heart Church (now levelled as no one took responsibility to look after the graves and save history and memories. There is no way of restoring this cemetery).

3. The European Cemetery at Hosur Road which has tombs from mid 1800 to as late as 1940. Most are Soldiers and their families. By soldiers we cover Officers, NCO's and Privates.

4. The Roman Catholic Cemetery at Hosur Road which has a few old graves belonging to the Hussurs and some of WW2. The rest seemed to have vanished.

5. The Protestant Cemetery of St. John's Church at Kalpali which has many military graves, and is well maintained to a point by Admiral Dawson. Lately the Church had a music programme to raise funds to go towards maintenance of the Chapel at the Cemetery.

6. The Roman Catholic Cemetery at Kalpali which is in a very sad state of affairs, and hopefully will be looked at in the near future. Grave stones are just removed, thrown aside and replaced by new ones.

7. The Fort Cemetery, which used to have the graves of the British Officers and Soldiers who fell while fighting to capture the Fort of Tippu Sultan. This Cemetery cannot be traced, and no one seems to recall having seen it, some say it was bulldozed to make way for a marriage hall. Because no one cared, it was lost.

Now there are a few of us who care, help us to prevent further loss of history and memories of a few who laid down their lives for a cause. Please help us in any way with documentation and names of soldiers etc.. so we can do what we can.

Regards

Thanks

Ronnie Johnson

Home pages:BANGALORE

: AGRAM

Appeal: ADMIRAL OS DAWSON

e-mail: ronnie.johnson@usa.net or ronniejohnson@hotmail.com


Memorial in the centre of the European Cemetery.


Sacred to the Memory of The Officers & N.C.Officers & Soldiers

of the 16th (Queens) Lancers

Who died while serving their country in the East Indies

Between the Years 1865 and 1876


North Face

Rank Name Died

Capt W.P. BAGENAL 25 November 1868

" C.A. AGNEW 22 March 1873

" T. DYNON 31 March 1874

Lieut A.C. DOBREE 02 August 1867

Asst Surg. R.D. KEMP 19 May 1872

V. Surg. T.J. RICHARDSON 18 June 1869

Q.M. Sert. R.T. WARD 19 April 1869

T.S. Major G. SMITH 10 December 1869

Sert. A. COAKLEY 13 June 1870

Farrier J. Mc CARTHY 29 July 1866

" A. PAGE 29 May 1870

L. Sert. J. COURTNEY 27 August 1866

" F. KAYCOLE 22 July 1870

Trumpt. W. DOLAN 13 October 1872

Corp. W. BRICE 20 August 1866

" W. HARRIS 5 July 1869

Corp. H. GLADWELL 1 November 1875


South Face

Rank Name Died

Sert. R. ADDISON 17 June 1873

Corporal W. BOLAND 6 July 1873

L. Corp. J. CROOVES 20 January 1874

Private J. GRIFFEN 11 September 1872

" F. GOLDING 21 September 1872

" T. GUILOR 26 September 1872

" H. HUCBES 18 October 1872

" J. BLADES 23 October 1872

" W. GARRATT 17 December 1872

" M. MORRIS 22 December 1872

" J. MANN 1 January 1873

" C. MARTIN 14 January 1873

" M. LINGHAN 16 January 1873

" J. GILBERT 23 January 1873

" J. CROSS 19 January 1873

" A. ESSON 26 March 1873

" J. MILLS 27 March 1873

" J. LEE 11 April 1873

" J. RICKETTS 10 May 1873

" J. DAVIS 28 August 1873

" J. HIGGS 21 October 1873

" T. TYRE 4 November 1873

" R. MUNRO 15 March 1874

" J. PENNY 17 April 1875

" W. EVANS 2 June 1875

" G. STEVENS 5 September 1875

" J. MARNEY 7 September 1875


West Face

Rank Name Died

Private O.COX 10 March 1869

" T. Mc ANALLY 20 March 1869

" T. NASH 23 April 1869

" W. GLEESON 30 July 1869

" H. EDWARDS 15 August 1869

" J. PRESTON 23 August 1869

" V. Mc ARDELL 7 September 1869

" E. MARTIN 26 March 1870

" T. DAMANT 23 July 1870

" J. ATKINSON 25 July 1870

" J. THOMPSON 11 October 1870

" C. DUCKWORTH 29 December 1870

" W. WALKLEY 10 January 1871

" W. WATSON 16 July 1871

" J. THOMPSON 28 October 1871

" J. FOSTER 9 November 1871

" R. HALL 22 November 1871

" T. GIBBONS 16 January 1872

" H. JOHNSON 8 May 1872

" E. JENNINGS 24 May 1872

" M. HAIR 15 July 1872

" R. SHAW 5 August 1872

" T. FOLKES 24 August 1872

" J. STAINES 26 August 1872

" C. Ms KEE 29 August 1872

" C. FAUTHORP 19 January 1875


East Face

Rank Name Died

Corporal C. CHAPMAN 22 May 1872

" R. HAYES 6 November 1872

Private J. REYNOLDS 6 July 1865

" J. CLAYPOLE 25 September 1865

" L. EARNSHAY 9 February 1866

" W. LEACH 22 February 1866

" T. DARLING 29 May 1866

" R. COOK 13 June 1866

" E. RUSSELL 17 June 1866

" J. SMITH 10 July 1866

" R. ELLIOTT 15 July 1866

" I. WARE 3 August 1866

" I. MADIN 4 March 1867

" S. PARSONS 6 April 1867

" C. DRUMMOND 16 April 1867

" B. SANDERSON 4 May 1867

" G. KIPPS 3 July 1867

" P. DOYLE 3 November 1867

" J. PHIBS 30 October 1867

" G. MARTIN 16 December 1867

" C. WOODS 29 December 1867

" B. JOPLIN 30 January 1868

" C. JONES 24 March 1868

" J. MEEHAN 21 July 1868

" A. GRAY 5 February 1869

" H. WEBB 29 October 1875


Some of the Names of those buried in the European Cemetery

M. HORVITZ Born at Australia in Runoleff 1865

Died at Bangalore 20 Jun 1898

The inscription on the tomb is in Hebrew.

PVT. J. BRUNT No. 8760, B Company, 1st Oxford & Bucks L Infantry

27 yrs, died of fractured skull on 24-8-1917

(Plot 9 Row 1 No 23)

2NDLIEUT ROBERT HOLMES (Plot 9 Row 2 No 23)

6th Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment

16 Feb 1918, 21 yrs

SERGT L CRAMER Supply & Transport

Died 15 Feb 1918

PVT WILLIAM ERNEST CADSBY ASC

S4/090761 Died 9 Oct 1918, 29 yrs

PVT A TALBOT 1/7 Battalion Hants Regiment,

Died 9 Oct 1918

PVT A ROCK No. 35675 6th Batt. K.C. Royal Lancaster Regiment

Died: 20 Oct 1918 23 yrs

CATHARINE MARY PHAYRE

W/o. Lieut General Sir Arthur Phayre KCB

Comanding 9th (Secunderabad) Division

Died 26 Jun 1917

ERNEST SAMUEL NUNN

Colour Sergt.V.L.

Died: 18th June 1917 44 yrs

FREDICH WRAY Retd Engineer, Born Manchester 2 April 1865

Died 16 Jan 1917

JOHN BROWNBILL 2nd Batt The Cheshire Regiment

Died: 28 Aug 1906 30 yrs

PVT ERNEST GOOCH

No.3995, D Coy. 1st B Essex Regiment

Died: 10 Feb 1906 30 yrs

ROBERT TOWNSEND WARD

Qrt. Mast. Sergeant, H.M. 6 Queens Lancers

Died: 19 April 1869, 43 yrs

PVT JOHN BROWN 19th (P.W.O.) Hussurs

Died: 19th July 1894 age 26

GUNNER C.H. AGOURT

No. 98184 5th Field Batt. R.A.

Died: 23 May 1894 24 yrs

THOMAS GIBBONS Lance Corp H.M. 16 lancers

Died 16 Jan 1872 age 36 yrs

PVT C JOHNSON 3 Comp. 2nd Bat Oxfordshire Infantry

Died 29 March 1888 age 26

SAMUEL HENRY VARDON

Asst Commissioner Mysore Government

Born: 5 apr 1839 died: 8 dec 1888

CAROLINE STANLEY MRS FLETCHER

of the Stanley Opera Company

Died: 7 Sept 1889 age 23 yrs


Some of the Regiments that were stationed in and around Bangalore,

Mysore, Seringapatam, Coorg, Kolar Gold Fields,


in 1820


13th Dragoons

59th Regiment of Foot

H.M. 41st Regiment

25th Light Dragoons


in 1883


12th (Prince of Wales' Royal) Lancers

16th (Queens') Lancers

42nd Company Royal Engineers

Oxfordshire Light Infantry, 1st Bat (The Rose, Oxford No.43)

Bangalore Rifle Volunteers

Royal Artillary, Mysore Division, Bangalore Division

1st Regiment of Light Cavalry

"Queens' Own" Sappers & Miners (Corps of Engineers)

15th Regiment Native Infantry, 21st & 4th & 30th


in 1905


6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers)

Royal Horse Artillery

12th & 58th Batteries, Royal Field Artillery

1st Battalion The Essex Regiment

Madras Railway Volunteers

Southern Mahratta Railway Rifles

39th Lancers (Gordon's Horse)

2nd (Queens' Own) Sappers & Miners

64th Pioneers

69th Punjabis

77th Moplah Rifles

15th Mule Corps


Is this story true?

It is reported that an article appeared in the Ripley's Beleive It Or Not

collection about the Court-marshalling and execution of a soldier of the

British Army who refused to drink his quota of rum. This soldier is

supposed to have been buried in the Old Protestant Cemetery (Agram).

We do not have a name or date, but we do have the cemetery.. which we

are trying to restore. ... can anyone let me know if this story is true?

tks Ron


Some of the people who kindly responded to our call for help, Thank You All
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