Fonds SC24 - Patparganj Pillar

Identity area

Reference code

GB 891 SC24

Title

Patparganj Pillar

Date(s)

  • 2nd Apr 1918 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

1 file handwritten

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Henry Helsham-Jones grew up in Suffolk and joined the Royal Engineers in 1855. After two years in Gibraltar, Helsham-Jones was posted to India in 1867, where he remained, despite the death of his first wife, until 1878. After four years in England, he was posted to Egypt. He returned to England later that year and was based at Aldershot before a final posting to Malta in 1888. He retired in 1889 and settled in Surrey.

Name of creator

Biographical history

Sir Edward Douglas Maclagan was a colonial administrator in India. Maclagan wrote widely about the Punjab area and in 1906 he was appointed Chief Secretary to the Government of the Punjab, becoming, in 1910, Secretary to the Revenue Department of the Indian Government and, from 1915 to 1918, Secretary to the Education Department. He became Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab in 1919 and Governor from 1921 to 1924. Concurrently from 1919-1924 he was Chancellor of University of the Punjab. He returned to England in 1924. From 1925 to 1928 and 1931 to 1934 he was President of the Royal Asiatic Society, and in 1930, its Director..

Archival history

The letter was sent from Helsham-Jones to Maclagan.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The letter 'accidentally' became part of the Society's collections. It was inside a journal donated to the Society by Maclagan.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

A letter from Colonel Henry Helsham-Jones to Sir Edward Douglas Maclagan to give information regarding the Patparganj Pillar. This was erected in 1916 to commemorate the 1803 Battle of Delhi. Helsham-Jones relates that he had heard from Col. Creswell, a former Royal Engineer, who was assistant engineer when Helsham-Jones had been constructing the Lower Ganges Canal. Creswell had asked his daughter, a Mrs Talbot, when at Delhi, about the Pillar. Mrs Talbot had seen the pillar and asked General Norman who informed her that he "had moved the pillar to what was considered the right spot". Helsham-Jones therefore supposes that the pillar has been moved and set up on the mound mentioned at the conclusion of Maclagan's monograph.

With the letter is a note to say that the letter had been found in a copy of the Journal of the Panjab Historical Society, Vol. I, 1911-12 and that this Journal had been given to the Society by Maclagan.

The pillar can currently be found within the grounds of the Noida Golf Course.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open. Please contact the archivist. Details can be found here : https://royalasiaticarchives.org/. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID.

Conditions governing reproduction

Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Language and script notes

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    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    The Society's collections hold some publications by Edward Maclagan. Details can be found in our Library catalogue: https://ras.koha-ptfs.co.uk/.

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

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    Description control area

    Description identifier

    gb891-sc24

    Institution identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    Status

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    Language(s)

      Script(s)

        Sources

        Archivist's note

        This material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2022.

        Accession area