Mss Eur F699/1/2/2/95

Contains docketed sets of papers, numbered 2451 to 2499, consisting of correspondence, relating to applications for posts and other matters. These papers were originally included in one bundle of one hundred docketed sets of papers, labelled ‘No. 25 Private Secretary’s Correspondence, Nos. 2401 to 2500’. Each numbered set of papers usually consists of an original letter sent to the Private Secretary to the Governor General, or to the Governor General, a copy of the reply from the Private Secretary, Gerald Chetwynd Talbot, and any other papers. In addition, for each set of papers, either on the back of the original letter, or on a separate sheet of paper, is written the number of the set of papers, the year, the name of the writer of the original letter, the official position and location of the sender, the date the letter was despatched, the date it was received, the date it was answered, any cross references to other papers, and a brief summary of the letter. Numbers 2452, 2453, 2454, 2455, 2457, 2461, 2462, 2463, 2464, 2467, 2469, 2472, 2474, 2476, 2477, 2478, 2479, 2482, 2484, 2485, 2486, 2487, 2488, 2492, 2494, 2496 and 2497 have a red cross on them, to indicate that they ‘may be preserved’, whilst ‘the rest may be destroyed’.

2451. September 1857. Letter from Mr F W Place, Calcutta. In reply, will call upon the Private Secretary. Copy of earlier letter asking him to call.

2452. August to September 1857. Letter from the Reverend A Duff, Calcutta. Sends a copy of printed tracts in refutation of Lord Ellenborough's statement in the House of Lords in Jun, that Lord Canning was in some degree the cause of the Mutiny by reason of his subscriptions to Missionary Societies. Copy of reply, acknowledgement.

2453. August 1857. Letter from Mr E P Moore, 'Hurkaru' Office, Calcutta. Has some information about a conspiracy; asks for an interview with the Private Secretary.

2454. August 1857. Letter from Mr E P Moore, 'Hurkaru' Office, Calcutta. Sends the Persian letter destined for Ally Nukkee Khan; suggests it be delivered by a Government Agent who could take the answer. He would be sorry to hear that the Bishop of Baghdad had been arrested, as he might get other letters from him. He has noticed a very considerable number of up-country men about town. See also 2453, 2455.

2455. August 1857. Letter from Mr G F Edmonstone, Secretary to the Foreign Department. Submits a translation of a Persian letter (as in Number 2454) with remarks. See also 2453, 2454.

2456. September 1857. Letter from Major N Hobart, 1st Native Veteran Battalion, Madras. Encloses a letter with an extract about his promotion and asks for employment. Copy of reply, application noted. See also 2716.

2457. c. July to October 1857. Letter from Mrs Lucy Cheke. Reports news received through her husband about the Lucknow garrison.

2458. August to September 1857. Letter from Captain A H Ternan, Deputy Commissioner Nursingpore. Asks to be appointed Superintendent at Jhansi. Copy of reply, no appointment is to be made at present.

2459. September 1857. Letter from Major H L Thuillier, Deputy Surveyor General, Calcutta. Sends 2 maps (not enclosed). Copy of reply about this. See also 2404, 2403.

2460. September 1857. Letter from Mr W P Palmer, Civil Auditors, Calcutta. Sends a list of the fixed establishments under the Government of India, in the General, Political, Judicial, Revenue, Customs and Marine Departments as at 1 May 1857 (no longer enclosed).

2460a. October 1857. Letter from Copy of a letter to Lieutenant Colonel Strachey, Secretary to Government Central Provinces. Her Majesty's 13th Regiment is in the river from Algoa Bay. 30,000 men left England before the end of August; Private Secretary sends his congratulations on the complete fall of Delhi.

2461. September 1857. Anonymous letter, Calcutta. Deprecates the discontinuance of the Volunteer Guard pickets and patrols in Calcutta. Remarks on the consequences if, as reported, the King of Oudh is released and restored to his kingdom. 1/2 anna stamp.

2462. July 1857. Letter from Memorandum by Mr C Beadon, Secretary to the Government Home Department. Sending a revised draft of a letter to the Lieutenant Governor on the subject of arms (no longer enclosed).

2463. August 1857. Memorandum by C Beadon Esquire. The whole of Rattray's Sikhs at Soorie, with the Cavalry, have been ordered by the Lieutenant Governor to Raneegunge; 100 men of the same corps at present station in small parties will march with Mr O'Donnell of the Telegraph Department as far as Sherghatty.

2464. September 1857. Letter from Mr W Taylor, late Commissioner of Patna, Calcutta.

Submits letter in support of his appeal against the order of the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal removing him from the Commissionership. Copy of reply, acknowledgement.

2465. September 1857. Letter from Captain H J Costley, late of the 28th Bengal Native Infantry, Benares. Wishes to know the result of his application for the appointment of Lieutenant in the Bengal Yeomanry Cavalry. Copies of 2 replies, his application has been transferred to the Military Secretary. See also 2337.

2467. September 1857. Letter from Dr A Campbell, Superintendent of Darjeeling. Submits a copy of his letter to the Government of Bengal, with reference to their order raising a Gurkha Police Battalion for the Rajshaye district. See also 1983, 2028, 2449, 2571.

2468. September 1857. Letter from Captain J B Knocker, 40th Madras Native Infantry, Cuttack.

There are now sufficient officers with his regiment to make him eligible for an appointment. Copy of reply, his appointment as Assistant Commissioner in the Hyderabad Assigned Districts is confirmed. Note about this appointment. See also 2110, 2220, 2424.

2469. September 1857. Letter from Captain C M F Whish, 43rd Madras Native Infantry, Vizagapatam. Asks for information about his relatives. 1/2 anna stamp. Copy of reply, Captain Whish is safe at Nainital; nothing is known of the other officers he mentions. Note by Colonel Birch.

2470. September 1857. Letter from Mr W J Moore, late in the Commissariat Department, Howrah. Has been dismissed on insufficient grounds, and asks for an appointment as inspector of Post Office, or Extra Assistant. Copy of reply, the Governor General does not appoint such positions. See also 2444.

2471September 1857. Letter from Mr Jamsetjee Ruttonjee, Farsee merchant, Calcutta. Asks for an interview with reference to his petition asking for a short respite in the payment of the purchase money of opium bought by him. Copy of reply, refused. See also 2475.

2472. September 1857. Letter from Lieutenant P Stewart, Officiating Superintendent of Electric Telegraph, Calcutta. Sends a copy of a message reporting the death of Mr Colvin, the Lieutenant Governor of Agra, to replace the missing one previously sent. Message dated 9 September.

2473. September 1857. Letter from Lieutenant G Price, Civil Architect, Calcutta. Forwards completion certificates for the loose boxes in the Governor General's stables.

2474. September 1857. Letter from the Reverend James Mackay, Chaplain at Ghazeepore. Offers his services to raise money in England, Scotland and Canada for the Relief Fund. Copy of reply, if his services are accepted by the Relief Fund Committee the Governor General will be glad to grant him leave.

2475. September 1857. Letter from Captain K J Turnbull, Army Clothing Agent, 2nd Division, Fort William. Introduces Mr Jamsetjee Ruttenjee, a Parsee merchant who wishes to present a petition to the Governor General. See also 2471.

2476. September 1857. Letter from the Honourable E A Blundell, Governor of Singapore. States that the 'Adventure' passed the Straits of Sunda without heeding the signals of the vessel stationed there to intercept her; but fortunately her instructions were to touch at Singapore. Hence her delay in arriving at Calcutta. The 'Assistance' was to have left the Cape 3 days after the 'Adventure'. All is quiet in the Straits. See also 2482.

2477. September 1857. Letter from Lieutenant Colonel R Strachey, Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor Central Provinces, Benares. Sends a copy of a reply from the Commissioner of Allahabad about Peeroo Mull's services. See also 2411, 2743, 4292.

2478. September 1857. Letter from Mr Francis O'B Hely, late Acting Cornet, Bengal Yeomanry Cavalry, Calcutta. About his petition to raise a body of Europeans for service. Copy of earlier reply, refusing this offer. See also 2371, 2439.

2479. September 1857. Letter from Mr H Piddington, Calcutta. Submits copy of a pamphlet on the construction of rafts for troops or artillery. Copy of reply, grateful acknowledgement.

2480. September 1857. Letter from the Honourable A Eden, Joint Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Baraset. Thanks the Governor General for his subscription to the Charitable Hospital. See also 2143.

2482. September 1857. Letter from The Honourable E A Blundell, Governor of Singapore. The detachment of Royal Engineers, whom he had detained at Singapore, were not sent as was at first intended in the 'Fiery Cross' but in the 'Sans Pareil' and the 'Lightning'. He has no news of the 'Assistance' and 'Adventure'. He hopes that the Government will not make Singapore the receptacle for political prisoners. Copy of reply, the 'Adventure' is announced in the river, and the 'Assistance' is expected at Kedgeree. See also 2476.

2483. September 1857. Letter from Mr C Sharp, Superintendent of the Barrackpore Park. Reports of the state of the Park. Copy of earlier letter, sending suggestions made by Lady Canning about the flower garden; copy of reply to Sharp.

2484. August to September 1857. Letter from Mr H G Keene Superintendent, Zillah Dehra Doon. Submits a memorandum explaining the circumstances under which he was induced to adopt a local paper currency in Dehra Doon, for the benefit of the many European families now there. He suggests a similar issue throughout the Presidency. He applies for a post in the Secretariat. Copy of reply, acknowledgement; the Governor General does not see any probability of his being appointed to the Secretariat.

2485. September 1857. Letter from the Honourable P J Halliday, Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, Alipore. Sends copies of letters about Gurkha troops. Copy of reply, returning these.

2486. September 1857. Letter from Dr J Leckie, Surgeon to the Governor General Calcutta. About Mrs Boilard and the arrangements made for her, by the Relief Fund. See also 2487.

2487. September 1857. Letter from Mrs Adelaide Boilard, widow of the late Julien Boilard, Calcutta.

States that her late husband was a merchant of Allahabad, where he was murdered by the mutineers on 6 Jun and his property destroyed. They would have taken refuge in the fort had they not been positively assured by the officers of the loyalty of the sepoys. She is now destitute and asks for help. 2 certificates Copy of reply, sending 250 Rupees. See also 2436.

2488. September 1857. Letter from Mr H V Bayley, Calcutta. Asks for information about Lieutenant A D Jennings, 10th Bengal Light Cavalry, Ferozepore. Copy of reply, nothing known.

2488a. October 1857. Copy of a letter to F W Place. Arranging an interview.

2489. September 1857. Letter from Major G Newbolt, Secretary, Auxiliary Bible Society, Calcutta. Thanks the Governor General for his donation. Copy of earlier letter sending donation.

2490. September 1857. Letter from Captain H Hammond, Artillery, Berhampore. Sends a letter from England for the Governor General from W [?] Frederick Cavendish. Copy of reply, acknowledgement.

2491. September 1857. Letter from Nawab Hadjee Mahomed Khan, Kazzlebashes of Russapugla, Calcutta. Asks for a reply to his petition offering his services. See also 2325.

2492. September 1857. Letter from Mr Henry C Hamilton, Civil Service, and other residents of Ghazeepore. With reference to Government Order number 1743 of 4 September 1857 directing the removal of Christian women and children from all districts under martial law, prays that Ghazeepore may be exempted, as it would entail serious inconvenience and also absolute ruin for many of the residents.

2493. September 1857. Letter from Mr W Moore, Howrah. About petitions previously sent.

2494. September 1857. Letter from Mr W Tayler, late Commissioner of Patna, Calcutta. Reports the circumstances under which he accepted the Commissionership of Patna, in preference to a seat in the Sudder, and the injury which would be done to him if after being fully acquitted from all blame with regard to his proceedings at Patna, he should be transferred to another district. Asks for an interview. Copy of reply about this.

2495. September 1857. Letter from Major R R W Ellis, Political Assistant in Bundelcund, Nagode. In the event of Bundelcund being separated from the Office at Indore, asks to be appointed Agent to the Governor General for Bundelcund and Baghelakhand. Copy of reply, refused.

2496. September 1857. Letter from Mr J Clint, Calcutta. Reports having seen a strange looking man talking to one of the servants of Government House. Copy of reply, acknowledgement.

2497. September 1857. Letter from Lieutenant F A Dickins, 31st Bengal Native Infantry, Dumoh. Asks if it was his brother Lieutenant Dickins Artillery who was reported mortally wounded at Delhi. 1/2 anna stamp. Copy of reply, Regrets his brother has died of wounds. Note about this.

2498. September 1857. Letter from Brigadier W Hill, Commanding Hyderabad Contingent, Bolarum. Recommends Captain John Sinclair, 2nd in command of 3rd Infantry Hyderabad Contingent, for the Officiating Brigade Mayorship; Captain Sinclair has received a commendatory letter from his cousin Lord Caithness to the Governor General.

2499. September 1857. Letter from Baboo Ram Chund Mullick, Calcutta. Asks for a reply to an earlier letter. Copy of reply, there is no vacancy at Dewan.