It's worth writing to BACSA (London) with a description of what one has seen/found in one location or another. At the very least, BACSA has financed considerable transcription and overhauls of several large cemeteries, NB Agra and Jhansi. Otherwise, we can expect to see further marble cherubs and whatnot incorporated into new walls/gates. cheers, MeganMegan S. Mills PHD198 St Helen'sToronto CDA M6H 4A1 > From: lynnehadley1@bigpond.com> To: india-british-raj@rootsweb.com> Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 06:07:18 +1000> Subject: Re: [INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ] Neglected graves> > It's sad to think of the graves disappearing, but it isn't confined to > India. Here in Oz, there are many old pioneer cemeteries which went under > as Sydney expanded. I suspect that in the early days of the colony here, > the problem was much the same as that in India, i.e. there simply weren't > enough resources available to properly care for the living, let alone the > dead. Then, of course, we have funds in India being channelled into the > nuke program &ca. I'm guessing that they aren't all that bothered with > graves given the huge population &ca. Meanwhile, is there a possibility of > people in the West, whose ancestors are buried in India, clubbing together > to raise funds to tidy up the cemeteries? But having said that, perhaps the > greatest memorial to our European ancestors in India, would be for those > funds to be channelled instead, towards improving the lot of the > poverty-stricken ones left behind in India??? The future for some of them > is looking pretty bleak, folks. And I'm sure that charities such as CAISS > (Calcutta), Smile Cares (Chennai), or CTR (pan-India) would be eternally > grateful for any help at all. Okay, guys, I'll hop off my soapbox now!! > :)) Cheers, Lynne. :))> > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Arvind Kolhatkar" <akolhatkar@rogers.com>> To: <india-british-raj@rootsweb.com>> Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 2:58 AM> Subject: Re: [INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ] Neglected graves> > > > Dear Listers,> >> > On the subject of graves, let me put down what I know from personal> > experience.> >> > In my hometown of Satara, there is a graveyard, properly walled and gated,> > which contained several British graves of the early 19th century, when > > there> > used be sizable British military presence in Satara. (The military was> > later withdrawn from Satara, leaving a number of standing bungalows in the> > area that is called Satara Cantonment even today, though there has not > > been> > anything like a real cantonment for more than a century.)> >> > I had, out of curiosity, visited the graves a couple of times several> > decades ago. At that time, many graves were standing in good repair and > > the> > headstones could be read. I remember one in particular of a young> > lieutenant who drowned in the river Venna. (This is a small river of > > about> > 30 miles length that rises in the Mahabaleshwar Hills and joins the bigger> > Krishna just outside Satara. I was surprised that it could drown anyone!)> >> > I paid a visit to the same site last year. The surrounding wall and the> > gate still stand and the site is supposed to be under the charge of the> > Police department. Of the graves, only blocks of masonry remain. Almost> > all headstones have disappeared. I could read only two:> >> > To the memory of James Arthur Lester, died 25th September 1851, aged 6> > months and 10 days> > Sacred to the memory of Captain Henry ---nson 25th Regiment---who died> > at---aum on the 15th October 1839. Aged ---years. This tomb is erected > > by> > his brother officers.> >> > Arvind Kolhatkar, Toronto, May 18, 2008.> >> >> > -------------------------------> > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message> >> >> > -- > > No virus found in this incoming message.> > Checked by AVG.> > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.16/1428 - Release Date: > > 5/12/2008 7:44 AM> > > > > -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message> >

I am not sure if this has appeared here before: 'Preserve these little pockets of history' 19/03/2007 The Duke of Edinburgh is backing a new charity to care for crumbling British cemeteries across the world. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2007/03/19/nosplit/ftgraves119.xml ----- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar Nagpur, India <<<< It's worth writing to BACSA (London) with a description of what one has seen/found in one location or another. At the very least, BACSA has financed considerable transcription and overhauls of several large cemeteries, NB Agra and Jhansi. Otherwise, we can expect to see further marble cherubs and whatnot incorporated into new walls/gates. --- Megan S. Mills