Calcutta

History

Battle of Calcutta 1757
3rd Carnatic War 1756-63

Spelling Variants

Modern name: Kolkata
Variants: Calcutta

Location

Calcutta is now known as Kolkata in modern day India and is situated at 22°33′N, 88°20′E in the Ganges Delta.

Calcutta was the Head Quarters of the Government of the Presidency of Bengal. It was also the capital of India until Delhi became the capital on 12th December 1911 and had a large European mercantile community.

The Maidan

This was the centre of Calcutta and was bounded on the west side by the Hooghly River and the Strand Road and on the East side by Chowringhi Road. Government House, the Governors residence, was at the north end of the Maidan and Belvedere, the Lieutenent-Governor of Bengals residence, was near the southern end.

Eden Gardens

The Eden Gardens were started by Lord Auklands sisters and are beautifully laid out. It was the main gathering place of Calcutta Society in the time of the British Raj. It is the home of India's oldest cricket ground the Calcutta Cricket Club and has a lake which was the home of the Rowing Club. Beside the lake is a Burmese Pagoda brought from Prome and set up in the Eden Gardens in 1856.

There were also many statues in the Gardens.

Calcutta Businesses

The following are listed in Murray's Handbook of India Burma and Ceylon in 1933.

Hotels

European Standard Hotels

• Grand Hotel, Chowringhi Road
• Great Eastern Hotel, Old Court House Street

Other Hotels

• Spence's Hotel, Wellesley Place
• Continental Hotel, Chowringhi Road

Boarding Houses

• Mrs King's, 1 & 2 Little Russell Street & 48 Theatre Road
• Mrs Lord, (Lord's Ltd), 233 Lower Circular Road
• Mrs McDonnell, 1 Bishop Lefroy Road

Restaurant and Confectioners

• Firpo, 18/2 Chowringhi
• Peliti, 11 Govt Place
• Gt Eastern Hotel
• Grand Cafe attatched to the Grand Hotel, entrance Corporation Place
• Trocadero, 10-11 Esplanade East
• Bristol Grill, Lyon's Range
• Empire Restaurant, Hindustan Insurance Buildings, Hogg Street
• Hotel Continental, 12 Chowringhi

Bankers and Agents

• Grindlay & Co., 6 Church Lane
• T. Cook & Son, Ltd., 4 Dalhousie Square East
• Cox & King, Wallace House, 5 Bankshall Street
• American Express Co., 14 Government Place, East

Banks

• Imperial Banks of India, 3 Strand
• Ch. Bank of India, Australia & China, 5 Clive Street
• Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corp., 31 Dalhousie Sq
• National Bank of India, 104 Clive St
• Allahabad Bank, 6 Royal Exchange
• Lloyd's Bank, Cox's Branch, 101/1 Clive Street
• International Bankinf Association, 4 Clive Street
• P & O Banking Corporation, 1 Fairlie Place
• Yokohama Specie Bank, 1 Clive Street
• Eastern Bank, Clive Street

Swimming Baths

Swimming Bath on the Esplanade

Booksellers and Stationers

• Thacker, Spink & Co., Esplanade East
• W. Newman & Co., Old Court House Street
• Butterworth & Co., 6 Hastings Street (books only)

Bookmakers: Saddlers

• Watts & Co., 15/16 Chowringhi
• Cuthbertson & Harper, 10 Govt. Place
• Morrison & Cottle, 8 Esplanade East

Chemists

• R. Scott Thomson & Co., 15 Chowringhi Rd
• Frank Ross & Co., 16 Chowringhi Rd and 81 Park St
• Bathgate & Co., 17 Old Court House St and 1/1 Camac st
• Smith Stanistreet, 5 Dalhousie Sq East and 41 Theatre Rd
• A. Chandler, 7 Park St

Churches

Anglican

• St Pauls Cathedral
• St John's Church, formerly the Cathedral
• The Old Church, Mission Row C.M.S.)
• St Peter's, in the Fort
• St Thomas's (the Free School Church)

Church of Scotland

• St Andrew's, Dalhousie Sq
• U.F. Church of Scotland, Wellesley Sq

Other Churches

• Wesleyan Church, Sudder St
• Baptist Chapels, Bow Bazar and Circular Road
• Congregational Union Chapel, Dharmtolla and Hastings
• American Meth. Episcopal, Dharmtolla
• R.C., St Thomas, Middleton Row
• Cathedral, Portuguese Church Street, Dharmtolla Road

Clubs

• Bengal Club, 33 Chowringhi Road. Members of this club may use the Madras, Byculla, Hong-Kong and Shanghai Clubs and vice versa.
• United Service Club, 31 Chowringhi
• Calcutta Club (Europeans & Indians), 241 Lower Circular Road
• New Club, 38 Chowringhi
• Saturday Club, 7 Wood St
• R. Calcutta Turf Club, 11 Russell St
• R. Calcutta Golf Club
• Tollygunge (country) Club
• Jodhpore (country) Club

Conveyances

Indian Motor Taxi-Cab Co., 33 Rowland Road, Ballyganj

Dentists

• J Edgar Gill, 39 Chowringhi Road
• Smith Bros., 9 Chowringhi Road
• Metropolitan Dental Co., 2 Corporation Street

Drapers

• Francis, Harrison, Hathaway & Co., Government Place
• Whiteaway, Laidlaw, Chowringhi
• Hall & Anderson, Chowringhi
• Army & Navy Stores, Chowringhi
• Mitchell, Park Street

Freemasons Lodges

Dt. Grand Secy., Freemasons' Hall, 19 Park Street

Hairdressers

• Youd & Co, Old Court House Street
• Bromley, Chowringhi
• Taplitska, Park Street

Jewellers, Silversmiths and Watchmakers

• Cooke & Kelvey, Old Court House Street
• Boseck& Co., Chowringhi
• James Murray & Co., Government Place, E
• Garrard & Co., 2 Dalhousie Square

Livery Stables

• Cooke & Co., Park Street
• Hart Bros, Ballygunge

Lady Doctors

Dr Mary Hemfry, Dr Alice Headwards, 33 Theatre Road

Medical Men

Indian Medical Service Officers; Dr Houseman, 212 Harington Street

Missions

• Oxford Mission, 42 Cornwallis Street
• S.P.G., 224 Lower Circular Road
• The Clewer Sisters, working since 1881 had charge of the Canning Home for Nurses, European Girls Orphanage and Pratt Memorial School
• C.M.S., 10 Mission Row
• Church of Scotland, Cornwallis Square
• U.F. Church of Scotland. 2 Cornwallis Square
• Baptist Mission Society, 42 Lower Circular Road
• The Addil. Clergy Society
• Methodist Episcopal Mission
• L.M.S.
• Wesleyan Mission
• Zenana Mission HQ

External Links

Calcutta 1940's