Men and memories of Raj lie buried in Mussoorie cemeteries

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, December 27

The hill town of Mussoorie gradually became popular as hordes of British and Indians lured by expected economic gains and a strong drive to live a leisurely life and beat the heat of the plains started arriving here in the mid-19th century. It led to a rise in the population of the town and construction of several hospitals, houses, and cottages. The need for a cemetery was also felt. The first burial in Mussoorie was that of Sir C Farrington of the 35th regiment who died on March 28, 1828, and was buried by the roadside near the Half Way House and on the road towards Oak Grove School that came up in 1888.

Two more cemeteries were set up at Mussoorie: one at Landour, near Lal Tibba, and the other on the Camel’s Back Road. The earliest grave at the Landour cemetery is that of Captain George Bolton, who was buried in 1828. The Camel’s Back Road cemetery was established in 1829 and was the final resting place for a large number of Europeans, some of whom were famous and distinguished, reads a plaque installed at the front of the Lych Gate of the cemetery here.

John Hindmarsh, who was among the 100 survivors of the 600 soldiers, was part of the British Cavalry during the Crimean war where a misinterpreted command led to the British Cavalry charging towards Russian guns. These 600 soldiers were immortalised by Alfred Tennyson in his poem, “The Charge of Light Brigade.” Hindmarsh, one of the survivors of that attack, was buried at the Camel’s Back Road cemetery, according to the record in the Lych Gate burial book. The infamous 19th century adventurer, Fredrik (Pahari) Wilson, who amassed fortune by trading in timber around the Garhwal region and settled at Harsil in Uttarkashi district, was also buried here, according to the burial records.

John Lang, the Australian writer and barrister, who shot to fame during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Australia visit in 2014, was also buried here. Narendra Modi during the visit presented to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott a commemorative photo collage dedicated to the memory of John Lang, an Australian with a remarkable Indian connection. Lang is believed to have represented Rani Laxmibai in a lawsuit against the British. Lang had started a newspaper called “The Moffusilite,” in 1845 that was often critical of the East India Company.

Major Hugh Fraser, who was with the British contingent that fought against Rani Lakshmibai in the battle near Gwalior in 1858, was buried at this cemetery.

Henry Bhole, famous brewery owner of the 19th century who sold beer to British soldiers and had a verbal scuffle with Captain Fredrik Young for selling liquor without a licence, was also buried here. Capt Fredrik Young is credited with discovering the unknown horseshoe type hill place which latter came to be popularly known as Mussoorie. Italian prisoners of wars are believed to be buried at the Roman Catholic cemetery that is situated farther than the cemetery at Landour.

While perusing the register one finds that Constance Rose Atkinson, 64, widow of GW Atkinson from Survey of India, was buried at the Camel’s Back cemetery on April 21, 1916. The Lych Gate register mentions the cause of her death as cardiac arrest. Harold Burges Osburne, 47, a surgeon, was also buried at the Camel’s Back Road cemetery in May 1916.

The Lych Gate burial register is useful for people looking for links that could make them aware of their ancestral lineage and family history and reconnect with their relatives scattered around the world.

Hugh Gantzer and Colleen Gantzer, the famous travel writers and residents of Mussoorie, say the Lych Gate register has been able to give information to several people about their ancestors, who are buried at the Camel’s Back Road cemetery. Hugh Gantzer, who is a member of the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia (BACSA) journal called “Chowkidar”, says an appeal by Christine Polybank was published stating that she was looking for information about her great grandfather and other members of his family. Carl Joachim Bechtler was a Swiss watchmaker who prospered after he immigrated to India. He along with his family spent their summers in Mussoorie and several members of his family were buried here in the cemetery on the edge of a forest that looked towards the Himalayas. Hugh and Colleen after reading this quickly recognised that the place Christine was talking about was none other than the Camel’s Back Road cemetery. On perusing the burial records in the Lych Gate register, they found that the information of Christine Polybank was correct. They found an entry of Carl Bechtler, who had died in 1893. However, this Carl did not fit in with the family tree until they realized that the watchmaker had 11 children of whom nine survived. Little Carl, an infant, unfortunately did not survive.

Hugh Gantzer told The Tribune that as a boy he remembered word Helvetia painted on the corrugated iron roof of the cottage where the Swiss family is believed to have lived. “I think the cottage was associated with watches and clocks, though I do not know if they sold them from the cottage or not. Helvetia was below the Mall Road on the Kulri slope leading to Picture Palace, roughly opposite the police station. Helvetia, as an stamp collector would know, is the female national personification of Switzerland, equivalent to the Britannia of the British.

“The name Bechtler still rings faint as I had heard the name in conversations during my younger days,” adds Hugh Gantzer. Polybank was elated to know about her ancestors, says Colleen Gantzer. They say anyone looking for information should come directly to them instead of trespassing into the cemetery that is a holy place for Christians. The Lych Gate register in possession of Gantzers has many other hidden tales of people who were buried at the Camel’s Back Road cemetery.