Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daula agreed to allow a British resident to set base in his domain and the British residency was established when the capital of Awadh shifted from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775. Construction of Lucknow Residency which began in 1775 was completed only in 1800. It housed the British Resident and his staff. The size of the Residency grew over a period as more and more buildings were added in later years to meet the increasing requirements. After the annexation of Awadh in 1856 it housed the Chief Commissioner of Awadh.
Construction of Lucknow Residency which began in 1775 was completed only in 1800
Lucknow Residency became a centre of world attention during its 5 month siege by freedom fighters during the First War of Independence of 1857, consequent to the uprising at Bengal, Meerut, Delhi and elsewhere.
The buildings in the Residency suffered great damage during the siege because of the constant shelling by the batteries of freedom fighters. The Britishers under siege were able to hold on to their defences till relief came by way of reinforcements from elsewhere. They finally evacuated Residency and withdrew from Lucknow in November 1857. The ruins that remain today provide ample testimony to the vigorous battles that took place over a period of 5 months.
The ruins provide ample testimony to the vigorous battles that took place over a period of 5 months
Many Britishers/Europeans under siege, were in the habit of maintaining daily journals and hence many first-hand accounts of the 5 month long siege are available. Besides the day to day accounts of the war, these journals provide a wonderful glimpse into the life and times of the Britishers (and Europeans) living in India during that period. The readers see the entire gamut of emotions the people under siege went through – anxiety, fear, grief, despair, suffering, helplessness, hatred, hope and joy.
Major buildings standing today are –
- The Residency Main Building
- The Banquet Hall
- Dr. Fayrer’s House
- Begum Kothee
- Treasury & Baillee’s Guard
As I walked through these buildings my thoughts were about what the people under siege had to endure. On my return home, I read through some of the accounts of the siege. I am, therefore, tempted to give a glimpse of each of the major buildings still standing (though in ruins) through the excerpts from the journals of some of the survivors of the siege. My focus here is on then prevailing conditions than on the ongoing battles. I have mixed and sometimes paraphrased the observations for the sake of flow and continuity.
The excerpts are mainly from the accounts of those living in the respective buildings during the siege – Lady Julia Inglis at the Residency (and later in a small building which she refers to as a native gaol), Mrs. R C Germon and Mrs. G Harris at Dr. Fayrer’s House and Mrs. Katherine Bartrum at the Begum Kothee. The accounts of the four also starkly bring out the contrast between the comforts available to them. While Julia Inglis, practically the first lady of the Residency compound during the siege, was obviously well provided for and well looked after and had a retinue of servants to look after her, Mrs. Bartram who was a refugee from Gonda, her husband’s welfare not known to her, had to fend for herself entirely. Mrs. Germon, wife of an army officer, and Mrs. Harris, wife of Assistant Chaplain of Lucknow, were not strangers in the Residency and hence fared somewhere between the above two ladies.
The Banquet Hall and Treasury did not house any families. In fact the Banquet Hall was converted into a hospital during the siege, whereas the Treasury was partly used for manufacturing the enfield cartridges during the 2nd phase of the siege.
The most comprehensive accounts of the general situation and the battles, however, are provided by Martin Gubbins and L E R Rees – but not much of their accounts has been reproduced here. While most of the accounts were published in 1858 itself, Mrs. Germon’s account was published in 1870 and the one by Lady Julia Inglis was published more than 33 years later, in 1892.
At the beginning of the siege, Sir Henry Lawrence was the Chief Commissioner of Oudh. Major John S Banks was the Commissioner of Lucknow, Mr. M C Ommaney – the Judicial Commissioner, Mr. Martin Gubbins – the Financial Commissioner and Dr. J Fayrer was the Chief Surgeon. The headquarters of the Chief Commissioner were at the Residency.
A longish account follows, but is essential to capture the spirit of the place. These accounts provide a perspective to the photographs of the ruins.
The Residency
The Residency, which stood upon the highest eminence of the plateau, was a very extensive and beautiful brick building, with lofty rooms, fine verandas, and splendid porticos. The main entrance was on the east side, under a hand portico. It was of three stories. Besides having a ground-floor and two upper stories, it had a tyekhana, or cellar of splendid apartments, as lofty and well arranged as any in the house. These were built to shelter the residents at the Court of Lucknow during summer from the extreme heat of the day. Skylights and cellar-windows gave an excellent light to them. A spiral stairs inside two turrets on the north and south sides led to the roof.
It had a tyekhana to shelter the residents at the Court of Lucknow during summer from the extreme heat of the day
But no building could have been less calculated for purposes of defense. Its numberless lofty windows, which had not been walled up, offered an unopposed entrance to bullets and rifle-balls. And the roof, which was protected only by an ornamental balustrade in the Italian style, was wholly exposed. Upon the roof was erected a signal post, for telegraphic communication with the Muchee Bhowun, where a corresponding signal was put up.
The commodity of the whole house offered accommodation to very many families, about eight hundred to a thousand souls, officers, men, ladies, and women and children, all finding place in it. The ground-floor was occupied by the soldiers. The rest of the building was completely filled with officers, ladies, and children. No sooner had the siege commenced, then its exposed position began to be severely felt, and all the ladies and children abandoned the upper stories.
The place was filled with women and children; all seemed very crowded and uncomfortable
Inglis – The Gubbinses kindly asked me to stay in their house, which was inside the Residency walls. I went over to the Residency house in the evening. The place was filled with women and children; all seemed very crowded and uncomfortable. Everything was being prepared within the Residency walls to sustain a siege, cartloads of provisions and grain, ammunition, etc., coming in continuously….. it was very evident preparations for the worst were being made. ….. it was decided that it would be better for us all to go over to the Residency house. Over we went at once, and the confusion and excitement that prevailed there baffles description. …. Our room was so oppressively hot and crowded, that Miss Dickson, the children and I slept on the roof of the house with some others.
Germon – May 26th. In the evening I went to the Residency to see Mrs. B whose baby was dying. I never witnessed such a scene – a perfect barrack -every room was filled with six or eight ladies; beds all round, and perhaps a dining-table laid for dinner in the centre – servants thick in all the verandahs – numbers of soldiers and their officers; and underneath all, the women and children of the barracks – such a hubbub and commotion! …. I was quite thankful I was not there: it was a complete rabbit warren.
Inglis – June 1st. – We had a scrambling breakfast, and finding that the present mode of living was likely to last for some time, we determined on organizing a sort of mess, ….. and made my khansamah (butler) cater for the party….. and it certainly was much pleasanter. At this time we began to lay in a store of sugar, arrowroot, beer, wine, food for our goats, etc., etc., which afterwards proved most valuable to us.
We had not long left the upper room, when a shell fell into it
Inglis – June 30th – the enemy was already firing heavily on our position, and our room was not safe, so we prepared to leave it. We soon abandoned the upper story of the house, and took refuge in a small, almost underground, room where the artillery women were quartered…..We had not long left the upper room, when a shell fell into it, showing that our retreat had not been too speedy.
Inglis – July 1st – Muchee Bowun fort had been evacuated and blown up, and that the whole force, with their sick, prisoners, and treasure, had made their way from thence to the Residency.
Inglis – The servants who remained with us were our khansamah, who acted as cook, Curruk, and Quibert, who took care of the boys ; my ayah and her son, John’s khidmatgar, and four punkah coolies. Mrs. Case had also several servants, so we were well off. The cook and his wife were the only ones who ran away; the others were outside the Residency when the siege commenced and could not get back again. Our syces (grooms) also remained faithful. Many persons were left with only one or two servants, and some with none. We had our goats inside, and John had laid in a stock of food for them and many little comforts for ourselves.
Native servants were greatly exposed, constantly in danger of being shot down and it is not surprising that many deserted
Gubbins – There is no doubt that one great cause of the desertion of the native servants was the insufficient care bestowed upon them. It was difficult to shelter all the Europeans; and the native servants were therefore, necessarily greatly exposed. Constantly in danger of being shot down by the bullets or shot of the enemy, and it is not surprising that many deserted.
Inglis – Some of the refugees from the neighbouring stations presented a most ragged appearance. One officer, whose clothes had been torn in the jungle, cut the cloth off the Residency billiard-table, and donned a suit of Lincoln green. Our ladies were many of them put to sore straits as the siege continued; they had no servants, and had to cook their own food and wash their own clothes. All had to undergo the hardships of bad cooking and coarse food. The boys of the Martinière College, and such servants as were left, helped to grind the corn with the hand-mills used in India for this purpose.
Inglis – August 11th. – A dreadful event occurred to-day. Part of the Residency house fell in, burying in its ruins six men. Every effort was made to extricate them, the enemy meanwhile directing their fire on the spot. After two hours’ work two were dug out much exhausted, but not seriously injured; the four others, alas! were buried alive, and could not be saved, the masses of brick being so large and heavy.
Banquet Hall (converted to a Hospital during Siege)
Residency Banqueting Hall, which was occupied by the clerks’ establishment and Records of the Chief Commissioner’s Office, was from the commencement converted into a hospital. It was of two stories and no tyekhana below, with very large and lofty rooms, standing on the same level as the Residency; and being pierced with numerous large doors and windows, it was almost the same with the latter in exposure of the enemy’s bullets and shot. The openings on the exposed sides were, however, closed and protected with tents and every available material. Still not a few were struck inside it. The front rooms of the ground-floor were used for the officers, the interior for the men, and the back part for a dispensary.
The hospital presented one of the most heart-rending sights imaginable
Rees – The hospital presented one of the most heart-rending sights imaginable, the most horrifying as it was quite new and unexpected. All felt the deepest compassion for the poor wounded, who were conveyed in long lines to the banqueting hall, now converted into a hospital. The women flocked around them, and gave them ice-water, – for up to this day we continued to be supplied with ice, – fanned them, supplied temporary bands, and showed as much request for them as if they had been their own relatives, which was probably the case with many of them. Afterwards, unfortunately, such scenes became so common that scarcely a thought was bestowed on the poor sufferers. People grew callous from a continued sight of pain, in the same way as they became accustomed to danger. Men covered with blood, some with mangled limbs, their muscles contracted with agony, their faces pale, their bodies almost cold, some with the death-rattle in their throats, others groaning and turning about restlessly, taken from the gun-carriage at the bridge and hospital. The surgeons and apothecaries were busy enough, cutting, probing the wounds, and amputating, and bandaging. All the horrors of war were at once laid bare.
Inglis – The native prisoners that we had, princes of the royal houses of Delhi and Oude, were confined in the banqueting-hall, and their presence, as soon as it was known, saved our sick and wounded from being fired on.
Dr. Fayrer’s House
Dr. Fayrer’s house was an extensive lower-storied building, raised on a considerable elevation, with a terrace. The flat roof was protected by sand bags all round, from behind which the inmates were able to keep up a fire upon the enemy. A large number of lady refugees found a hospitable reception in this house from Dr. and Mrs. Fayrer. There was a large tykhana to this house also; and whenever the fire of the enemy was heavy, the ladies were confined to this portion of the building.
Harris – On arriving we found all in such confusion at the Residency, all the unfortunate ladies and children, hunting for quarters, that we were most thankful to accept an invitation from kind Dr. Fayrer to come to his house in the Residency compound; and here we are an immense party of un-protected females, Mrs. Fayrer and I being the only ladies who have the comfort of our husbands. Besides E. and myself, there are here Mrs. Dashwood and her two children, Mrs. and Miss Halford, Mrs. Jermyn (ed. – this most likely refers to Mrs. Germon), Miss Schilling, Mrs. Thomas and child, Mrs. Anderson, and Mrs. Longueville Clarke.
We stretched our bedding on the floor of the Tye Khana, putting the children in the center for the benefit of the punkah.
Germon – The balls were so thick that we were all ordered down into the Tye Khana (underground room), and kept there. Towards evening the firing slackened a little, and we sat in the portico to get a little air. There were twenty-four of us in the house – eleven ladies, six gentlemen and seven children. At night we purposed sleeping in our own rooms, but Dr. F considered it not safe to do so; We therefore stretched our bedding on the floor of the Tye Khana, putting the children in the center for the benefit of the punkah. We took it by turns to watch for an hour.
It is a long time since we tasted milk or sugar in our tea
Germon – Friday, July 3rd. When we awoke we found all the servants had deserted excepting my Kitmagur and Mrs. Bs, and one or two Ayahs. The F’s had not one servant left, we were obliged to get up and act as servants ourselves, and do everything, excepting the cooking, even to washing plates and dishes; and perhaps it was a good thing, for it kept us from dwelling on our misery. We divide the labour between us. It is a long time since we tasted milk or sugar in our tea; the goats have been dry for months. I am used now to no sugar, and do not mean ever to take it again. We have provisions enough, according to the present rate of rations, to last till the 25th of November. Our store of wine and beer is come to an end, and I have finished my last piece of soap, and obliged to use some stuff called “basin” which is sort of oatmeal, as a substitute.
I have finished my last piece of soap, and obliged to use some stuff called “basin”
Harris – James engaged a Madras servant, a smart-looking man in a very elaborate turban and yellow “choga,” and speaks English: his name is Choonia. He has got me a bearer also, who relieves me of the dusting, and now we have our Madras man and the Bs have got a kit there is no need for ladies to wash up cups and saucers, so I only superintend the general work and see that it is properly done.
Harris – Our meat out of the kitchen was stolen while we were at breakfast to-day, so we had none for dinner; but fared very well on an extra quantity of rice and peas, flavoured with a tin of salmon.
Begum Kothee
Rees – The Begum’s Kothee, so called from having previously been the dwelling place of the grand-daughter of Buksh Ally, and whose mother had been Miss Walters, was one of the most extensive buildings within the whole line of our entrenchments. A lofty gateway nearly fronting the road leading to Johannes house served as an entrance. A double range of out-offices formed a square within a square, one side of which consisted of a fine emambarah, or place of Mohammedan worship. Some of these buildings contained fine and lofty apartments, afterwards made use of by officers’ families; others were lower-roomed cook houses, but having very deep foundations, and appearing from the leading road past the post office to Dr. Fayrer’s to be considerably high. A fine upper-roomed house, painted green and yellow, served as the commissariat store-rooms. A mosque, which at the desire of the Begum was not made use of, was within this Kothee.
A most uninviting looking place, so dirty, having neither a punkah to cool the air or a scrap of furniture to set it off
Bartrum – Our party separated, some going to one garrison and some to another… I accompanied another party to a house called the Begum-Kotie, a most uninviting looking place, so dirty, having neither a punkah to cool the air or a scrap of furniture to set it off, but we had to make the best of it. I was then left for the first time to take care of myself. In addition to this, I was entirely without servants. On that first night we slept, fifteen in one room, packed closely together, so that each might feel the benefit of the punkah, which Mrs Boileau with her usual energy and forethought had managed to have put up during the day. We had to endure intense heat (for this was the hottest part of the year), mosquitoes and flies in swarms.
Bartrum – We divided our room into portions, each person taking a corner for herself, which she henceforth looked at as her own property, where she stowed away her bed and other valuables, principally consisting of a single change of linen, for those who, like myself, had fled in from the district, were not able to save anything, were indebted to the kindness of many in Lucknow, who promptly and willingly gave their clothes, and supplied other comforts to those who came in as fugitives from the out-stations.
Bartrum – June 27 – All our servants have deserted us, and now our trials have begun in earnest; from morning till night we can not get cooked food, and have not the means of doing it for ourselves.
Flies have become a fearful nuisance ….. and when the food is placed on the table, it only looks like a black and living mass.
June 28 – We have found a woman who promises to cook for us once a day, and brings us hot water for breakfast and tea. My time is fully occupied in nursing, and washing our clothes, together with cups and saucers, and fanning away the flies which have become a fearful nuisance. Sometimes when the food is placed on the table, we can not tell what it is, for it only looks like a black and living mass.
Bartrum – We are up as soon as it was light, having opened our large whitewashed room, containing seven charpoys (by which I mean native bedsteads), one long table, three chairs-for a few of us were possessed of such things, and some boxes and bundles scattered about the room. Our first occupation was washing and dressing our children and setting things to rights, for this was our sitting as well as sleeping apartment; then breakfast was to be thought of, and this appeared when it suited our attendant to bring it, and then it looked so uninviting that hunger alone made it palatable.
It was the first time I had ever seen death in any shape
Bartrum – June 29th – A sudden blow has fallen upon us: the first of our little band has been taken away. Poor Mrs. Hale died today…. It was the first time I had ever seen death in any shape, and great was the shock when the first thing was taken from among us…. I took her little Katie and put her to sleep. Poor little lamb, how unconscious was she of her sad loss: a motherless babe among strangers and her father far away.
Bartrum – July 1 – From this day rations were served to us: attar, or flour, which we made into chupatties; rice; dall, or peas; salt and meat. This would have been quite sufficient for our wants had we been able to get it properly cooked; but the natives who undertook to prepare it for us would only do so on the condition that our rations were cooked together. These, consisting of the meat, peas, attar, rice, and sea biscuits, were put together in a saucepan with some water and made into a stew; hunger alone could make it enjoyable. But it was the children who suffered most; They could not eat such food as this, and we had none else to give them.
Bartrum – July 2 – Last night the Muchee Bhowan fort was blown up; It was such a tremendous shock that we all sprung out of our beds not knowing what had happened, but thinking that the sepoys had really blown up our defences and forced their way in. Our room was so thick in dust that when we had lighted a candle we could scarcely see one another; The bricks and mortar had fallen from the ceiling and the poor little children were screaming with terror.
We are in distress for wood …. and a soldier broke down some railings for us; …. and I have only my dinner knife to chop them with
Bartrum – We occupy the same part of the room and have our rations together, which at this time we have to cook for ourselves; but I am terribly stupid at it. However there is a prospect of my having enough opportunity to improve on this matter before the siege is over. I am generally up as soon as it is light, when I take baby out and look for wood to light the fire with, before we can boil the water for breakfast….We are getting in distress for wood; for all we pick up is so wet that it will not burn. One of the soldiers broke down some railings for us; but it is a difficult matter to chop them up, since I have only my dinner knife to do it with, and this will be worn out should the siege last much longer. We cook in the verandah now, where we have made two little fire places with bricks. We hear the rations are to be reduced.
Bartrum – We have used all of our candles, and have therefore to content our selves with a cotton wick placed in oil, which burns well enough, but is a miserable light to work by. We have also nearly finished our soap, and then I do not know what we shall do.
Nothing but work, constant work…..the relief which came in was no relief, only a reinforcement
Bartrum – November 8- Nothing but work, constant work. The relief which came in was no relief, only a reinforcement; but it saved us from destruction, since our garrison were becoming so many in number that it was greatly increased our danger and anxiety. Now, however, there are so many to feed that famine as well as war and pestilence stare us in the face: we have had little enough hitherto, and now we shall be worse off.
Bartrum – We are in such distress because we have used all our soap, and it is impossible to obtain any, so we have to use the dall, or peas, by grinding it between two stones and making it into flour, and this is a good substitute for soap; We have so little of it, that it is a question of whether or not we will use it to wash with, or to eat.
Treasury & Baillee’s Guard
The Treasury lay directly adjoining and below the Banqueting Hall. The building was used as a Treasury, a store room and during the siege, also to make Enfield cartridges. The sepoys occupied a building close to the Treasury, to which the name of Baillie Guard was applied. The Baillie Guard Gateway was named after Major John Baillie, who was the British Resident in Lucknow from 1811-1815. The gateway was the entrance to the Residency Complex.
Rees – The Bailey-guard was a continuation of the hospital, but built on ground to which one had to descend considerably. A portion of it was used as a store-room, another as the treasury, a part as an office, and the remainder as the barracks of the native soldiers who guarded this place, commanded by Lieutenant Aitkins. Having on its left only the brick wall surrounding the neutral space of the Residency garden, already spoken of, it was by no means a strong position. To the right of these buildings was the Bailey-guard, par malheur, the guard-room of the sepoys formerly guarding the Residency, but, being without our boundaries, unapproachable by either ourselves or the enemy. The gateway to the right was lofty, and a fine piece of architecture. The gate was, however, to be blocked up with earth, and in the event of an entrance being forced, two 9-pounders and an 8-inch howitzer between them could shower grape and canister into the assailants.
Gubbins – The gateway was lofty and arched, and the gate in good order. During the siege it was banked up from the inside with earth. The road leading from the Residency through the gateway to the public highway beyond, was throughout a steep descent…. The triangular building forming the external Bailey Guard was abandoned.
Bibliography –
- A Widow’s Reminiscence of the Siege of Lucknow. Katherine Bartrum, 1858
- A Lady’s Diary During the Siege of Lucknow, R C Germon, 1858
- A lady’s diary of the siege of Lucknow: Written for the perusal of friends at home, G. Harris (“Mrs. James P. Harris”), 1858
- An Account of Mutinies in Oude and the Siege of Lucknow, Martin Richard Gubbins, 1858
- A Personal Narrative of the Siege of Lucknow, L.E. Ruutz Rees, 1858
- The Siege of Lucknow, a Diary, Lady Julia Inglis. 1892
