Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    LL17/286
  • Title
    Journal of John Hatfield Brooks (Lieutenant of 1st Regiment Bengal Lights Cavalry) in India, Vol III (see also LL17/303, lecture on Mutiny). 174 pages. Edited version. The Diary of an Indian Cavalry Officer by R. Morgan, book 180BRO.
  • Date free text
    10 Oct 1849 - Jan 1851
  • Production date
    From: 1849 To: 1851
  • Scope and Content
    Peshawar. Shook hands with Captain Ricketts who had shown white feather at Chillianwallah (been shunned since) - [Note Chillianwallah was fought on 13 January 1849]. 10 October 1849. First field day of season for artillery and cavalry under Colonel Bradford. 12 October 1849. Engagement of Vibart to Miss Nash (John Hatfield Brooks keen on her) no one he gives a rush for, desires to remain single.(13 months later engaged. Note of 11 December 1896). Describes different methods of Bombay and Bengal Artillery. (Bengal quicker. Ill with fever). 19 October 1849. Financial affairs 1 November 1849, bought tortoiseshell Tom Cat. 3 November 1849. Finds out not a Tom! Fever again. Medals - extra bar for Moolton and Gujerat (battles). Mentions murders in City of Peshawar including European Sentry (artilleryman) receives treatment at Attack on Indus River returns to Peshawar. 26 November 1849 sending money to Simla Bank ready to purchase promotion. 30 November 1849. Doctor told him to consume best part of Port daily. Sir Colin Campbell? 1/c station. 1 December 1849. Sees Forbes frequently. November - December. News front Colonel Lawrence's camp - rebels well beaten. 13 December 1849. Office inspected by Postmaster General - dissatisfied. 14 December 1849. Letter from father - bad news of his farm. Sold cat to Captain Ricketts, because she had latterly taken such a dislike to one. Ill over Christmas. 31 December hands over Post Office to Major Hogge of the Artillery. March to Umballa, via Chillianwallah (describes area a year after the battle) 20 January 1850, January to March. Including putting down Mutiny at fortress of Govindghur, camp Umristur (2 February) Amritsar. Gets leave. 5 March 1850. Heard of death of friend Melville (painter). 1 March 1850. Journeys from Umballa to Simla via Kussawlie. March 1850. Engages a sitting for the season in church. 29 March 1850. Helps extract a tooth from Miss Mundy. 7 April 1850. Letter from father gives .. a bad account of the prospects of his Farm, owing to the removal of protection. George has been seriously ill. 8 April 1850. Death of Siddons of the Engineers, 'a cousin of ours'. Sold pony for 150 Rupees. 17 April 1850. Heard of terrible explosion at Benares of Government amunition boats. 5 May 1850. Applied to be a Free Mason. 10 May 1850. Sermon against Sir Charles Napier for not forgiving as we hope to be forgiven in recent cases of Captain Fagan and Dr. Butler at Benares. 12 May 1850. Engagement of Siddons to Miss Vanderbyle. Becomes Free Mason - apprentice member of Himalayan Brotherhood Lord Dalhousie's Ball. 6 Jun 1850. Duel over hoox (practised by Brooks on Good) adverted. 8 June 1850. Meets Dr. Arnold's son. 9 June 1850. Elected member of Theatrical Committee. 17 June 1850. Mary Ann died at exactly same age as John Hatfield Brooks is now. 'I thank God that I am mercifully spared to work at my salvation.' Trouble with spleen 22 June 1850. 7 years ago first arrived in India. 25 June 1850. Lesson in the Polka. 26 June 1850. Express in: France withdrawn ambassador from Britain over Greek. Question Russia sides with France 'war almost inevitable'. Communion. 30 June 1850. George Brooks recovered from serious illness. 1 July 1850. Learning Masonry. July. No war with France. 13 July 1850. Marriage of Siddons at Benares. 16 July 1850. Some seeds sent by Brooks father arrived from home (given to Mrs Turner and Mrs Ebden). 18 July 1850. Learning Hindustani. July 1850. Ill with fever. August 1850. Correspondence with Good over governess got into the public papers. 16 August 1850. Dr Hay made Master Mason. 21 August 1850. Letters from home death of Uncle Gerrard Perryn of gout in the head. 3 September 1850. Holiday at Multreannah (near Simla) and then to Nagkunda. 10 September - 21 September 1850. Passed P.H. examination in Hindustani. 20 October 1850. Medical Committee allow him home leave. 30 October 1850. Read Jane Eyre. 12 October 1850. Goes towards Calcutta via Kussawlie, Umballa, Meerut, Cawnpoor (where his Regiment was, met Mrs Siddons). Short visit to Lucknow to meet Captain Bird ('to whom I have been introduced by Siddons.') 12 November 1850. 'Bird welcomed me kindly and introduced me to his wife and sister, Miss Cloete' whose likenesses I had been conning over on the walls sometime before entering the room. Miss Cloete is my beau ideal of a perfect woman, tall, fair, beautiful and with such expressive eyes. 13 November 1850. 'Sat next to Miss Cloete at dinner I like her society much.' 14 November 1850. Talking about proposing. 16 November 1850. She fell off her horse but he still proposed. 18 November 1850. He is accepted. 23 November 1850. Returns to Cawnpoor. 24 November 1850. Journey to Allahabad to Calcutta. 9 December 1850. Gets medical leave for 3 years. 12 December 1850. Meets cousin of Sophie's William Cloete. 13 December 1850. Rows with Robert Bird. 13 and 15 December 1850. Sophie and Brooks sat for their likenesses to Mr Newland, the Daguerrotype man. 20 December 1850. Their wedding at Calcutta Cathedral. 23 December 1850. Honeymoon at Barrackpoor, (Dickens's house). 24 December - 28th December. Dine with Prinseps at Allipore. 2 January 1851. Sail on Ellenborough for England, (taking 2 little nephews with them). 5 January 1851. Lists passengers. 12 January 1851. Birth of a baby to Lady Shakespear on board the Ellenborough. 20 January 1851. At end of book. Route of 1st Light Cavalry from Peshawar to Cawnpoor (infact only to Umballa) (stopping places listed and mileages etc.) 23 December 1849 - 4 March 1850. Who book covers. 10 October 1849 - 26 January 1851.
  • Exent
    174 pages
  • Reference
  • Level of description
    item
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