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NOVEMBER, 1899.]
THE LOSS OF CALCUTTA IN 1756.
ALEXANDER GRANT'S ACCOUNT OF THE LOSS OF CALCUTTA IN 1756. Preface by B. C. Temple.
THE story of the Black Hole of Calcutta is of perennial interest, and hence no apology is necessary for the publication of this document, which is a letter by Capt. Alexander Grant, "Adjutant-General" of the forces engaged in the Defence of Calcutta against the army of Surâju'ddaula, evidently intended to excuse his conduct. Major Minchin, the Commander, and Capt. Grant were dismissed from the E. I. Company's service for deserting their posts, and Dr. Busteed, who extensively quotes, in his Echoes of Old Calcutta, from this document now under consideration, and puts the case as to the deserters very mildly, says: - "Desertion in the presence of the enemy on the part of those to whose lot had especially fallen the duty of seeing the struggle, however hopeless, to the end, is a charge not to be lightly made. Any reference, therefore, to an occurrence, which carried with it so deep a stigma. should in fairness be accompanied by what has been alleged in exculpation of their conduct by those chiefly concerned. Both the Governor [Roger Drake] and the Adjutant General [Alexander Grant] have liberated their consciences on this subject. Their personal narration. though it may not quite fulfil the object of the writers, will perhaps help us to realise more vividly the scenes in which they were prominent actors: " (p. 18 f.) Weak as Grant's letter may appear to us nowadays, it and his other representations had the effect he desired, in that he was finally re-instated in service.
It was on the 19th June, 1756, that Grant deserted from Calcutta, and his letter was written on the 13th July following. The document now published is not, however, the original, but a copy made on 22nd February, 1774, for John Debonnaire, from whose heirs I have received it, together with several other most interesting MSS. relating to India, which I hope to publish in this Journal in due course.1
This John Debonnaire was one of several of identically the same name, who were wealthy merchants of Huguenot descent in London and India during the XVIIIth Century. The pedigree, so far as the wills and documents I have been able to see, is as follows:
...Debonnaire, probably the original refugee during the Huguenot emigration of 1666-1716.
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T
Peter Debonnaire
29%
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I
John Debonnaire, styled "the elder" and described as an E. I. merchant. have an inventory of his clothing, d. 1747, made apparently in Bombay. He d. 1756.
Ann Debonnaire; 1755-1829, heiress of the Debonnaire property, and described as the last of her
name. As 2nd wife = William Tennant
John Debonnaire, b. c. 1674 m. 1718: d. 1747. 1
John Debonnaire, styled "the younger: " 1724-1795, for whom the copy of Grant's defence was made in 1774. He was part owner of the "Grantham, taken by the ffrench and properly condemned as lawful prize" before 1765.
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John Debonnaire: b. c. 1757. He was a merchant residing in Calcutta, 1787.
Mary Wyld, as 1st wife.
She was the Mrs. Tennant painted by Gainsborough. Richd Temple of the The Nash William Tennant
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Charles Tennant Sophia Temple I Charles Tennant of St. Anne's Manor, owner of the MSS.
1 E., The Voyage of the Wake round the Coast of India, from the Hughli to Bombay in 1746 during the capture of Madras by the French under Labourdonnais. The wreck of the Doddington in 1755 on "a desert island" off the coast of Africa and the Voyage to India of the Happy Deliverance, built by the shipwrecked crew.
Richd Temple Governor of Bombay 1
Richd Temple, the present writer.
