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The Survivors of Lucknow

Posted on by Helen Bishop-Stephens

The Siege of Lucknow, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, has gone down as one of the pivotal moments in the history of the 32nd Regiment of Foot, the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and their successor regiments: the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry, The Light Infantry and The Rifles.

For a period of six months, around 1,000 soldiers, including a core group from the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot, held out in the Residency at Lucknow against Indian sepoys who had rebelled against British rule. In total, there were around 3,000 people inside the Residency, including over 700 Indian troops who sided with the British and around 1,280 civilians, including hundreds of women and children. They were subjected to incessant rifle and artillery fire coming over the walls of the compound, as well as attacks involving mines laid by diggers tunnelling under the perimeter.

Damage to the front of the Lucknow Residency following the siege, from C.H. Mecham’s Sketches and Incidents of the Siege of Lucknow (1857).
Bernard McCabe’s Last Sortie. These rapid attacks on gun emplacements outside the Residency walls were essential in relieving pressure on the besieged population inside. McCabe, of the 32nd Regiment of Foot, was killed during this brave attack.

As the custodians of the history of the 32nd Regiment of Foot, Bodmin Keep-Cornwall’s Army Museum holds an array of items relating to the siege, including weapons, awards and even melted tableware damaged in a fire caused by an attack on the Residency. Perhaps the most notable artefact is the so-called ‘Lucknow Quilt’, made by a soldier serving as an orderly to Captain Birtwhistle during the siege. Over the last year, the quilt has formed the basis of a series of talks we have delivered to societies around Cornwall.

Silver damaged during the Siege of Lucknow held at Bodmin Keep

Silver damaged during the Siege of Lucknow held at Bodmin Keep
Collections volunteer Val Marshall with the Lucknow Quilt, made during the Siege of Lucknow from the uniforms of fallen soldiers and the green cloth from a billiard table destroyed by enemy fire
Collections volunteer Val Marshall with the Lucknow Quilt, made during the Siege of Lucknow from the uniforms of fallen soldiers and the green cloth from a billiard table destroyed by enemy fire

Coinciding with our renewed interest in the Siege of Lucknow, Bodmin Keep has recently received another precious item to add to our Lucknow collection: a photograph of the survivors of Lucknow. The letter accompanying the photograph tells us that it features Henry Adulphus Brett, the great-grandfather of the donor.

Photograph of survivors of Lucknow. It is believed that Henry Brett (the great-grandfather of the donor), who served in the 32nd Regiment of Foot at Lucknow, is standing at the back with his arms crossed.

Taking a closer look at the photograph and the information provided, what else can we learn?

Firstly, while the photograph is annotated “1857” in reference to the year of the Siege of Lucknow, it is certain that it was taken later. The Indian Mutiny Medal, with Defence of Lucknow clasp, which all the soldiers are clearly wearing, was not approved until 1858. Similarly, their insignia, featuring the bugle horn badge, signifies their new status as Light Infantry, an honour awarded by Queen Victoria in 1858 in recognition of their actions at Lucknow the previous year.

Survivors of Lucknow
Close-up of soldiers from the photograph showing the new bugle badge with 32 underneath. The Indian Mutiny Medal with distinctive white and red stripes is also visible.  
Indian Mutiny Medal with Defence of Lucknow clasp. Several examples are held at Bodmin Keep-Cornwall’s Army Museum.

Andy Tonge, a specialist in Cornwall’s military insignia, was able to provide further insights. The tunics worn, with their distinctive white cuffs, are the 1857 to 1868 pattern, but the officer with the drooping hair plume on the right of the photograph is wearing an 1861-pattern quilted shako.

Lastly, we turn to Brett himself, whom the donor believes is standing in the back row with his arms crossed. This aligns with our additional research. The man in question has both the Punjab and Indian Mutiny Medals, which accords with Brett’s military service, which began in 1842. He also wears the insignia of a Corporal (the two stripes on his left arm) and good conduct badges on his lower right arm. Again, this aligns with Brett’s service history as recorded on his discharge papers when he retired in 1865.

Put all that together and we can say that the photograph dates from between 1861 and 1865 may have been taken at Devonport, where the regiment was based for some of that time. Perhaps most significantly, we can say with some confidence that this is one of the earliest photographs of men from the 32nd Regiment of Foot wearing the bugle insignia, the symbol that is now synonymous with the history of the Army in Cornwall.