Cemeteries

This article details sources for monumental inscriptions and cemetery records.

See also:

• List of cemeteries in British India, for records of individual cemeteries and districts
• Cemeteries and monumental inscriptions reading list
• LDS Microfilms of Church registers in India includes burial registers

FIBIS resources

• The FIBIS database has a category of records called Cemeteries
• FIBIS Fact File No 6: Graves in British India by Richard Morgan 2011.
  • Part 1 explains what sources, paper and online, there are for Memorial Inscriptions in British India.
  • Part 2 suggests how to make best use of your time and resources if you wish to visit India and transcribe or photograph MIs of ancestors there.

Available to buy from the FIBIS Shop

• FIBIS blog: Book of the month. A comprehensive new edition of Burma Register of European Deaths and Burials, edited by Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, published by BACSA, 2015. Covers burials up to 1948. 212pp
• "Some Unpublished Inscriptions from the Cemeteries of Jaipur" by Syed Faizan Raza FIBIS Journal Number 37 (Spring 2017) pages 47-51. See FIBIS Journals for details of how to access this article

British Library Records

• The British Library has the book, in three volumes, The Oriental Obituary being an impartial compilation from monumental inscriptions on the tombs of those persons whose ashes are deposited in these remote parts since the formation of European Settlements, to the present time To which is added Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes, etc by William Urquhart of Madras. Published in Madras by Journal Press, 1809. Shelfmark: General Reference Collection C.55.d.23. This book must be read in the Rare Books Reading Room. The first volume of The Oriental Obituary is available online at archive.org, refer below. It appears that some or all of the contents of this book has been borrowed by M Derozario for his 1815 book The Complete Monumental Register, available online, refer below.

• IOR/V/27/73/3-6 gives details of the four volumes of the book List of burials at Madras / compiled from the register of St. Mary’s Church, Fort St. George by C.H. Malden, for the period 1680-1900, published 1903-05. Also available as Shelfmark OIR 929.5 open access , where the four volumes are bound in one. Volume 3, for the period 1800-1850, is available online, refer below.

• Official Publications: Monumental Inscriptions and Monuments IOR/V/27/74 1848-1946. Many of these items are books on the open access shelves.
  • Two of these books, items IOR/V/27/74/69 -70, A list of inscriptions on Christian tombs or monuments in the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Kashmir and Afghanistan possessing historical or archaeological interest Part 1 by Miles Irving (1910) and Part 2 by George William De Rhe-Philipe (1912), the latter containing biographical information, have been reprinted by the Naval and Military Press under the title Soldiers of the Raj. These books are also available to read online, refer below.
  • An additional book at the British Library is List of Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions : with biographical notes by O.S. Crofton. 1941 (UIN: BLL01001781826). Also available in an Indian reprint edition.
• United Kingdom High Commission files relating to cemeteries IOR/R/4/1-539 1943-1967. Transferred from Indian Public Works Department to the British High Commission, New Delhi, and from there to the India Office Records in 1972-73. Includes
  • File 12a Military memorials of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in India and Pakistan IOR/R/4/87 Dec 1948-Dec 1950
  • File 12b Military memorials of the Royal Artillery in India and Pakistan IOR/R/4/88 Jul 1947-May 1948
  • File 12e Military memorials of the Royal Engineers and the Sappers and Miners in India IOR/R/4/91 Jul 1947-Dec 1947
  • File 18/1 Durham Light Infantry monuments IOR/R/4/97 Aug 1949-May 1950
  • File 18/4 Graves of foreign nationals IOR/R/4/114 Mar 1890-Sep 1950
  • Also contains items "List of inscriptions". As an example, the FIBIS data base contains Transcriptions of summary data from gravestones in Chakrata taken from IOR/R4/539

Note these records are available on Family Search microfilm/digitised microfilm where there is more detail provided about the individual items, in the "Film Notes".

• Bengal Past and Present which was the Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society was issued from 1907. Some issues contained articles about burial inscriptions. Most editions are held by the British Library, although some appear to be missing. There is also an Index volume for the years 1907-1985, available on open access in the Asian & African Studies Reading Room
• There is an extensive collection of records in the BACSA archive at the British Library, refer British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia, Mss Eur F370. The BACSA archive also includes publications, one BACSA listing is "Publications containing data chiefly of geographical interest", where at least one of the publications does not appear to be listed elsewhere Inscriptions on Christian graves and memorial tablets in the Purnea District, Bihar and Orissa by Rev H Hosten, SJ (Patna, 1920) photocopy of printed book Mss Eur F370/1156. There is also a BACSA listing titled "Publications containing data chiefly of biographical interest", see BACSA, where geographical coverage is mixed/covers multiple locations.
• Lloyd Collection: papers on European cemeteries in India and biographical information on British in India Mss Eur F146

Libraries in India

• The Goethals Indian Library in Calcutta holds the book The Registers & Inscriptions of the Church of Our Lady of Dolours, Baithakhana (1810-1914) by Fr H Hosten, published 1915, which probably contains burial details.This was a Portuguese church. See Calcutta - Churches and missions for more details.

Other libraries

• Some of the cemetery inscriptions by Fr H Hosten are held at the Maurits Sabbe Library, University of Leuven, Belgium.

Organisations

BACSA

A very useful resource for locating ancestors buried in South Asia is the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia (BACSA). This organisation is dedicated to preserving European cemeteries in the region and has completed many projects to preserve cemeteries. It has many records in its archive at the British Library. In addition, BACSA publishes many useful books on the subject of South Asia, including complete transcriptions of all the monuments in many cemeteries. To view the Cemetery Record books currently available, and also those out of print, go to BACSA Books and select Cemetery Record Books. Also see Cemeteries and monumental inscriptions reading list.

For online editions of the BACSA Journal Chowkidar, refer Other external links, below.

Indian-cemeteries.org

• Indian-cemeteries.org has hundreds of transcribed memorials from cemeteries all over India. This website is now archived, however most of the internal information still appears to be accessible.

CWGC

If your ancestors died during the First, or Second World War whilst serving with Commonwealth armed forces (for the six member counties Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom, but also including some other Commonwealth forces), then their graves will be maintained in special cemeteries by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. These are scattered throughout Asia (and other parts of the world) and are beautifully maintained. The dates covered for commemoration on the CWGC website are 4 August 1914 to 31 August 1921 and 3 September 1939 to 31 December 1947. There were some additional military burials in cemeteries maintained by the CWGC, outside these dates, which are also maintained, but the names will not be included in the database on the website.

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission Homepage. To find the cemeteries in India on the CWGC database, select "Find a Cemetery" and enter India in "Country"

The CWGC has a long term program in India for the reinstatement of First World War Cantonment Graves which were previously declared un-maintainable

For images, see the "War Graves Photographic Project" below

The CWGC, (until 1960 called the Imperial War Graves Commission), maintains the CWGC Archive, including a Library, located in the Head Office in Maidenhead, England. An earlier webpage, now archived, with more details.
Hierarchy Browser for the Archive. Includes "1 Historic Archive", subdivided according to WW1 and WW2 (click through for more sections) . For WW1, "Section 7 - Care of Graves and Cemeteries of British and Empire War Casualties" and "Section 8 - Care of Non-British Empire Graves by the Commission", see the archived earlier version webpage which shows the Archive holding in one document.
The Library holdings. Includes a number of regimental histories.
Archive catalogue Search. Some of the catalogue items have been digitised, and these are located through the catalogue Search.
War Records Revealed website, Category Records, includes some articles on the CWGC records and Archive.

Inscriptions in online books

• The Oriental Obituary: Volume 1 by William Urquhart 1809, published in Madras. Archive.org
• Asiaticus : In Two Parts. Part One, Ecclesiastical, Chronological and Historical Sketches. Part Two, the Epitaphs in the Different Burial Grounds in and about Calcutta by John Hawkesworth 1803. (80 pages) (Google Books)
• The Complete Monumental Register: Containing All the Epitaphs in the Different Churches and Burial Grounds in and about Calcutta...together with General Inscriptions from the Presidencies of Madras, Bombay etc.] by M Derozario 1815 (230 pages) (Google Books). Index of names.The author advises he has borrowed the contents of Asiaticus by Mr Hawkesworth and of the Oriental Obituary by Mr Urquhart of Madras.
• The Bengal Obituary: or, a record to perpetuate the memory of departed worth, being a compilation of tablets and monumental inscriptions from various parts of the Bengal and Agra presidencies 1851 Google Books Index of Names
• List of inscriptions on tombs or monuments in Bengal possessing historical or archaeological interest by C R Wilson, 1896 is available to read online, or download, at FamilySearch. You need to be registered and sign in first. Includes index. Part I contains the Calcutta inscriptions; part II (whose Contents precedes page 121) contains inscriptions from the Lower Provinces. (c 248+ additional pages).

Also available from wikimedia.org as a pdf.

• Madras Presidency
  • Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in Madras possessing historical or archaelogical interest Julian James Cotton 1905 archive.org.“It includes all epitaphs of adults earlier than 1800 and such entries of later date as possess historical or local interest”. Covers the Madras Presidency. Table of Contents An Index of names appears at the end.
    • A revised edition, with additional information, was published in two volumes 1945-46. The first volume relates to the City of Madras, French India, Indian States and Fort Marlborough on the West Coast of Sumatra. The second volume relates to the districts of the Madras Presidency. There are two indexes at the end of each volume, an index to names on tombs or monuments, and an index to names in notes. Volume I Contents, Volume II Table of Contents Archive.org.

  The three volumes are also available in the Digital Library of India Collection on Archive.org

  • List Of Tombs And Monuments of Europeans &c In The Madras District 1898 Archive.org. There is no index. Listed by cemetery and year of death, with deaths up to the 1890s. (65 pages).
  • List Of Burials At Madras (In St Mary's Cemetery) from 1801 to 1850 from the Register of St Mary’s Church, Fort St George by Rev CH Malden 1904. Archive.org, Public Library of India Collection. Same file, white pages Archive.org.

  A Hand book to St. Mary's Church : with a description of its monuments and other objects of interest with illustrations and a plan by the Rev. Charles Herbert Malden 1905. Tamil Virtual Library. Note author incorrectly cataloged as Maiden. Full title includes the words ... St. Mary's Church, Fort St. George, Madras.

  • From Tamil Virtual Library, a Division of Tamil Virtual Academy. Available to read online, or download. At the top of the webpages click on E (for English).
    • List of European tombs in the Bellary district with inscriptions thereon 1894.
    • List of European tombs in the Chingleput district with inscriptions thereon 1894
    • Supplemental list of European tombs in the Chingleput district with inscriptions thereon 1895.
    • Revised list of tombs of Europeans and Eurasians in the Coimbatore district with inscriptions thereon 1895.
    • Revised list of tombs of Europeans and Eurasians in the Coimbatore district with inscriptions thereon 1909.
    • List of European tombs in the Cuddapah district with inscriptions thereon 1900.
    • List of European tombs in the district of Cuddapah with inscriptions thereon 1904.
    • List of European and Eurasian tombs in the Ganjam district with inscriptions thereon 1893.
    • List of European tombs in the Godaveri district with inscriptions thereon 1895.
    • List of European and Eurasian tombs in the Kistna district with inscriptions thereon 1893.
    • Inscriptions on the European & Eurasian tombs in the Bandar and Bezvada divisions of the Kistna district 1904.
    • List of European tombs in the Kurnool district with inscriptions thereon : corrected up to 31st March 1904 1904.
    • Revised list of tombs of Europeans and Americans in the Madura district with inscriptions thereon 1904.
    • List of European tombs in the Nellore district with inscriptions thereon 1904.
    • List of European tombs in the North Arcot district with inscriptions thereon : revised up to 1st January 1904 1905.
    • List of European tombs in the South Canara district with inscriptions thereon 1893.
    • List of European tombs in the Tanjore district  : compiled under the orders of the collector of Tanjore 1894.
  • List of European Tombs in the Tanjore District 1914 Archive.org. Includes Tranquebar. Also available Tamil Virtual Library.
  • The Monumental Remains of the Dutch East India Company in the Presidency Of Madras 1664-1824 by Alexr. Rea. Reprint edition, first published 1897. Archive.org.
• A list of inscriptions on Christian tombs or monuments in the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Kashmir and Afghanistan possessing historical or archaeological interest: Part I by Miles Irving (1910) Index (Hathi Trust Digital Library), Part II Biographical Notices of Military Officers and others whose names appear in the inscriptions of Part I by George William De Rhe-Philipe (1912), (Archive.org) . Both these books were later reprinted under the title Soldiers of the Raj. Part 1 is also available on Archive.org, and previously it did not seem possible to read the book online, but this problem seems to have resolved.
• "God’s Acre in North-West India" by Colonel R. H. Firth Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps 1914. A record of the names, the careers, and details as to the graves of, or monuments to, all the medical officers buried or memorialized in the Punjab, the North-west Frontier Province, and Kashmir. Part 1 Volume 23:3 320-333 and Part 2 Volume 23:4 415-439
• List of Christian Tombs and Monuments of Archaeological or Historical Interest and their Inscriptions in the North-Western Provinces and Oudh by Rev A Fuhrer 1896 Archive.org. Note: entire book is printed sideways. For those in areas such as North America, also available on HathiTrust Digital Library, where the pages may be rotated. This book was subsequently revised and enlarged as Blunt's 1911 publication which follows

List of Inscriptions on Christian Tombs and Tablets of Historical Interest in the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh by Sir Edward Arthur Henry Blunt (1911) Archive.org. Index of names, following page 263.

• List of Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in Assam 1902. Pdf download, PAHAR-Mountains of Central Asia Digital Dataset. Google Books version now seems to be full view.
• Articles in Bengal, Past and Present, Archive.org, mostly from the Digital Library of India Collection.
  • "Forgotten Graveyards" by D G Crawford, Lt.-Colonel IMS p189-201 BPP Volume 3, April-June 1909. Archive.org/DLI.
  • "Some Notes on Burial Grounds" by Walter K Firminger page 183 BPP Volume 10, April -June 1915. Archive.org/DLI.

  "Some Old Burial Grounds" by Walter K Firminger page 107, BPP Volume 12, January-March 1916. Archive.org/DLI.

  "Some Old Graves at Dacca" by Walter K Firminger pages 1-4 BPP Volume 15, part 1. 1918. Archive.org/DLI.

  • 3 Graves at Katwa, page 54 BPP Volume 15, part 1. 1918. Archive.org/DLI.
  • "Inscriptions on Christian Tombs, Akyab, Arakan" [1836-1906] page 15, BPP Volume 18, Jan-June 1919. Archive.org/DLI.
  • "List of Tombs of Historic Interest in Dacca Cemetery" by H E Stapleton page 10, BPP Volume 31, January-March 1926. Archive.org/DLI.
  • "Monumental Inscriptions in the United Provinces Part 2" Nos. 123-223 by Captain H Bullock, pages 148-156 (digital file page 72) Bengal, Past and Present Volume 41, Part 2, April-June 1931. Archive.org. Includes some corrections to Blunt transcriptions.
    (Part 1 is pages 58-67 Volume 41, January-March 1931, unfortunately not online.)

  "More Monumental Inscriptions III", Nos. 745-815, page 169 BPP Volume 44 July-Dec 1932. Archive.org/DLI.

  "Anglo-Indian Monumental Inscriptions in Kent and Sussex", Nos. 1406-1456 by H Bullock, page 137, BPP, Volume 49 January-June 1935. Archive.org/DLI.

  "Monumental Inscriptions, Third Series", Nos. 1457-1577 by H Bullock page 90, BPP, Volume 50, July-December 1935. A continuation of Kent and Sussex inscriptions, and a list from Bhuj, Cutch. Archive.org/DLI.

  More Monumental Inscriptions Part V. Nos 1831-1889 by H Bullock, Major. Page 39 BPP Volume 53 January-June 1937. Archive.org/DLI.

  "Monumental Inscriptions, Third Series" Part VI. Nos.1891-2000 by H Bullock, Major. Page 89 BPP Volume 53 January-June 1937. Archive.org/DLI.

  Note, a complete set of the Bullock entries from BPP, is to be found as bound reprints in the Lloyd Collection at the British Library, refer above, Mss Eur F146/9 and Mss Eur F146/13.

  • See Calcutta-Historical books online for Calcutta burial records 1713-1788 from BPP.
• The following books are available as mirror editions on Archive.org, originally from the Digital Library of India.
  • List Of Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in the Central Provinces and Berar by O S Crofton 1932. Contents digital file page 11 from Mandla (the previous page appears to be missing). A number of pages are missing at the beginning of the book. The inscriptions commence page 2, (missing pages 1 and 3) Archive.org version. Also available as Archive.org, 2nd file which seems to be the same digital file. The author is stated to be Olive Crofton, wife of a Civil Servant, and there is reference in the Introduction to "the husband of the writer". Crofton, in the Introduction, also mentions that the numbers killed by tigers and other animals of the jungle “is considerably larger than would appear from the lists”. This book is also available on LDS microfilm 795967, and has been digitised but unfortunately is not available for digital viewing and only appears to be available if a microfilm can be located. See FamilySearch Centres. Also available at the British Library, UIN: BLL01009530366 .

  List of Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in Rajputana and Central India by O S Crofton. Table of Contents digital file page 14. Author is catalogued as Croften and publication date 1905, but the latter appears to be c 1934-35. Archive.org version. Also available as Archive.org, 2nd file.

  Olive Crofton also wrote List of Inscriptions on Tombs or Monuments in H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions : with biographical notes, not available online, but available at the British Library, UIN: BLL01001781826 . Also available in an Indian reprint edition.

• Barry Lewis’ Colonial Cemeteries contains many transcriptions, together with downloads of the following publications
  • List of European Tombs in the Cemeteries Attached to the Various Churches in the Nilgiri District 1905 (106 pages)
  • List of Tombs of Europeans Interred in the Nilgiri District, with Inscriptions Thereon by J D Rees 1895
  • List of European Tombs in the Anantapur District 1894
  • List of European Tombs in the Bellary District with Inscriptions Thereon by J J Cotton 1894 (41 pages)
  • List of European Tombs in the District of Cuddapah by CH Mounsey 1893
  • List of European Tombs in the Kurnool District 1894
• A record of Inscriptions at the Catholic Church at Patna, Bihar and Orissa Prepared by the Rev A Gille 1917 Archive.org
• Jesuit Missionaries in Northern India and Inscriptions on their Tombs, Agra (1580-1803) by Rev H Hosten SJ (1907) Archive.org
• The Annals of Karnal- Chapter 6 Churches and Cemeteries by Major C H Buck 1914 Archive.org lists some of the inscriptions in the cemeteries at Kurnaul
• List of inscriptions on tombstones and monuments in Ceylon, of historical or local interest, with an obituary of persons uncommemorated by J Penry Lewis 1913 Archive.org. The information from this book has now been transcribed and is available on the FIBIS Database
• List of Graves at Howrah Cemetery in a ruinous condition page 701 Gazette of India April 3, 1915. Subsequently repeated page 774 Gazette of India April 17, 1915.
• Search individual location pages, including Cawnpore for other book links.

Other historical books online

• Two Monsoons by Theon Wilkinson with drawings by Bill Smith 1976. Archive.org Lending Library. The aim was to provide "an insight into the life and death of Europeans in India in the last three centuries".

Other external links

• Kabristan Archives 'Ireland - Ceylon - India Genealogy'. Includes a Search and partial transcriptions of records. Transcriptions (probably the same partial transcriptions) from some of the records are also available on the pay website findmypast in the database "British India Office Deaths & Burials".
• The War Graves Photographic Project. Worked in conjunction with the CWGC until June 2016. Covers “all nationalities and military conflicts”. A researcher found an image for a British Army soldier who died in Hong Kong c 1900. There is a fee payable if you require a high resolution image or photograph.
  • "An Indian Idyll: A Tour of Indian War and Cantonment cemeteries" by David Milborrow Probably early 2011 (archive.org link)
  • "On the Road to Mandalay" by David Milborrow February 2013. Burma cemeteries (archive.org link)
• British War Graves: War Grave Photographs is a site which provides free photographs of War graves from some cemeteries around the world. Includes category "Memorials to the Missing" which includes Basra Memorial.
• Asia War Graves. Provides free photographs of War graves in Asia for selected cemeteries, mainly relating to the Second World War.
• Find A Grave - millions of user added grave inscriptions from around the world, some with photos. Asian cemeteries not well covered but some with war graves/memorials have many entries.
• deceased online Search for free and pay to view records. Mainly UK records
  • Includes a section on burials at overseas military garrisons. For details, select coverage, then scroll down to " “The National Archives - Military Burials” date added: 12 Dec 2013". The records are mainly from Malta, Egypt and Cyprus. Selected records from WO 156/103-122.
• Stephen Lewis' Soldiers Memorials lists NCO and other ranks graves in India by surname, amongst other memorials. Officers Died is the equivalent commissioned ranks site.
• Last Post - Indian War Memorials Around the World by Rana T S Chhina. Photographs. issuu.com. Also available mea.gov.in Ministry of External Affairs, India which may be easier to view.

Memorials to Indian soldiers and sailors First World War cwgc.org, now an archived webpage.

Memorials to Indian soldiers and sailors Second World War cwgc.org, now an archived webpage.

• Taukkyan War Cemetery Burma Video on YouTube (Second World War)
• Online editions of the BACSA Journal Chowkidar from 1977 Digital Himalaya, University of Cambridge.
• Download Accurate POI [Point Of Interest] Satnav files for free! Useful when visiting CWGC cemeteries. Available for CWGC cemeteries in many countries. poigraves.uk