Correspondence 1869 to 1872

Adventures encountered during their return from the Robert Napier rescue expedition, and the time it took, are unknown, although Bob must have been back in India by 1869, as he refers to having seen his siblings then in a letter. Indeed this is the next time we can pick up Bob’s story. On 8 March 1872 he writes a letter to his old friend Thomas Gamble-Nurse, who was now living in England. He begs forgiveness for not having been in contact for so long. He uses very flamboyant language! The first couple of sentences are:

“How am I to address you after the lapse of so many years? In the tone of

friendship truly; but am I certain that the feeling which made us in the years gone by familiar, has not in you become dead, or at least so feeble that this letter will kindle nothing more than astonishment? If it is so I cannot reproach you, for it was my fault that this feeling should die.”

In this correspondence, Bob appears quite morose and despairing of the state of society - perhaps showing a nostalgia for the way life was before the expedition. He laments the changes in people’s attitudes towards each other and to friendships. As a result he avoids the contact of others and appears to be quite lonely.

His elder brother, John William (“Willie”) is progressing well in his career as a clerk in an (unknown) agency office. Willie is married with a child, having lost their first.

His younger brother, George (pictured in later life in the family tree), is an apprentice in a hospital.

The tone of this letter suggests that he feels he is being left behind both socially and professionally by his two brothers.

Bob continues to lament that he has not seen any of his brothers since 1869, and does not expect to see them again for a considerable time due to circumstances beyond his control.

He is very keen to move to England, but wants to travel once he has a level of financial security…

“My dearest wish is left to the future: when it will be fulfilled God only knows, for with my present salary it is impossible to save a Rupee.”

Bob is certainly someone at this point who is not happy with his circumstances.

The rest of this letter then moves on to current affairs, expressing a very Anglo-colonial perspective:

“You have no doubt heard, of the Kuha disturbance (somewhere in Bengal) which was very promptly put down and most of the rebels captured. The Commissioner of the Province in which the disturbance took place, meted out

punishment in a most determined manner, viz. by ordering some 40 or 50 of the rebels to be blown off. His action – stern and prompt and which was justifiable when we remember the consequences of the conciliatory spirit of the authorities in 1857 – has been severely commented upon by the “Press”. The Execution of these scoundrels has been termed a “massacre” and instead of receiving credit from Gov’t the Commissioner is called upon to give an account of the disturbance. Not that he may be lauded but no doubt censured for acting on his own authority.”

I cannot find reference to the Kuha disturbance, but the reference to 1857 must refer to the Indian revolution which occurred in 1857-58 against British rule. It was a very violent and dangerous time for people on both sides of the conflict. Many Indians remained compliant and supportive of the British in spite of this revolt which spread far and wide across India. The British Empire is not remembered well in this period, and history does not reflect Bob’s comment about the revolution being resolved by the British in a “conciliatory spirit”.

However, this rebellion did mark the end of the East India Company’s political, economic and military stranglehold on India, with the British government assuming control from them.

I reference this part of Bob’s letter to further demonstrate how he felt about life in India, where his brothers would remain, and his desire to move to England.

Bob’s next letter to Tom, dated 29 May 1872, is much more upbeat, and only gives brief insight as to what may have made him so morose previously.

“...circumstances of a painful nature interposed - over which I brooded until nothing could interest for a period which for me seemed ages and when I gradually recovered from their Effects time had passed rapidly. Instead of throwing off the disinclination to exertion which had almost become second nature, I went along regretting and all that’s true but doing nothing to redeem the wasted past...”

Does this sound like what we would now recognise as PTSD? - not at all unlikely after the shocking experiences he must have gone through both during the Napier expedition and previous to that, the Indian revolution. It was such a turbulent time.

His letter continues with general updates to Tom of the life and society he left, but soon moves on to Bob expressing his concern (again) about his financial situation. He refers to his current income of 80 rupees a month being sufficient for him on his own, and that by five years time he may expect to be earning 100 rupees, but how this would be totally insufficient to marry and have a family on.

He also reassures Tom that he is not isolated and lonely (as his previous letter seemed to infer), rather, enjoying the company of his landlord and family (including two daughters). He suggests that it is his shyness that prevents him from being more involved in society.