Knowledge base

Overseas and Military

Overseas and Military Records
British India Records

1. Overseas and Military records

The overseas records provide details of births, marriages and deaths of British citizens that have taken place abroad since the late 18th century.
The records are made up of three main types

consular records
army records
other records

They include the following data ranging from as far back as 1761 and up to 2005.

Consular, army and other records

Consular

If you have a relative or ancestor who was born, married or died overseas, but was still classed as a British citizen at the time of the event, then it is quite possible that the British Consul or the UK High Commission in the relevant jurisdiction would have been notified of the event, allowing you to find their record within the GRO's Consular indices.

There are some caveats to this though:

• Whilst most births, deaths and marriages were registered with the British Consul or the UK High Commission, the overseas records are somewhat incomplete, as registration is not compulsory for British nationals abroad.

• If the person you are tracing was born, married or died in a Commonwealth country, you should also note that only events which took place after the country’s independence (eg Jamaica from 1965, Seychelles from 1976) are included in the records.

• Where the country still has a strong link to Britain, there is “no provision” (NP) for separate registration. NP territories include Australia, Canada, Falklands, Gibraltar, New Zealand and various islands in the British West Indies (including Bermuda).

• In other words, it would be expected that a birth, marriage or death of a British national in a NP country would be registered within the domestic civil registration system of the country concerned and not separately at the Consulate or High Commission – therefore they would not appear in the GRO’s overseas indexes.

Note: Up to 1965, Consular and High Commission records were in separate lists to the Army births, marriages and deaths. However, from 1966 all the Consular, High Commission and Army birth, marriage and death records were merged into one single indexed sequence simply called ‘Abroad’.

Army

The Army records include the registrations of British armed forces (including serving members who were not British nationals) posted overseas.

The historic records include:
Chaplains to the Forces – births, marriages and deaths before 1880
Regimental registers – births before 1924
Boer War deaths – 1899-1902
WW1 deaths – Army Other (including RAF). Army Officers, Naval
WW2 deaths – Army Other, Army Officers, Naval Ratings (ordinary sailors), Naval Officers and RAF
Indian States births and deaths

Note: Up to 1965, Army records were in separate lists to the Consular and High Commission births, marriages and deaths. However, from 1966 all the Consular, High Commission and Army birth, marriage and death records were merged into one single indexed sequence, simply called ‘Abroad’.

Other

These records include births and deaths (no marriages) for:

Marine
Civil aircraft
Hovercraft deaths
Offshore installation deaths

War deaths – World War 1, World War 2 and the Boer War

If you are searching for a relative who died in active service during World War 1, World War 2 or the Boer War you may be able to find a record of their death in the following sets of records:

GRO Natal and South African Forces Deaths 1899-1902
GRO War Deaths Army Officers Indices 1914-1921
GRO War Deaths Army Other Ranks Indices 1914-1921
GRO War Deaths Navy all Ranks Indices 1914-1921
GRO War Deaths Army Officers Indices 1939-1948
GRO War Deaths Army Other Ranks 1939-1948
GRO War Deaths Naval Officers Indices 1939-1948
GRO Naval Ratings Indices 1939-1948
GRO War Deaths RAF all Ranks 1939-1948
GRO War Deaths Indian Services 1939-1948

Some of these records include details of people who served within the British forces, even though they were not British nationals.

Consular and high commission returns

The Annual Consular and UK High Commission returns date from 1849 up to 2005. If your ancestors were born, married or died abroad you may find them in the following sets of records:

GRO Consular Birth Indices 1849–1965
GRO Births Abroad Indices 1966–1978
GRO Births Abroad Indices 1979–1994
GRO Births Abroad Indices 1995–2002
GRO UK High Commission Birth Indices (pre 1956)
GRO UK High Commission Birth Indices (up to 1981)
GRO Consular Death Indices 1849-1965
GRO Consular Death Indices 1995-2002
GRO High Commission Death Indices (up to 1955)
GRO High Commission Death Indices 1956–1965
GRO Deaths Abroad Indices 1966-1994
GRO Consular Marriages 1849–1965
GRO UK High Commission Marriages (up to 1960)
GRO UK High Commission Marriages 1961–1965
GRO Marriages Abroad 1966-1994
GRO Marriages Abroad 1995-2005

Please note the following:

The consular returns are registrations made by the British Consul in a foreign country dating from 1849–1965.

The UK High Commission returns are registrations made by the British High Commission in a Commonwealth country. These date from the date of independence of each country.

In 1966 the returns from the Consulates, the High Commissions and the Forces were all amalgamated into one index per type of event, which is why the Consular and High Commission records only go up to 1965. Currently, the amalgamated event indexes on our website date up to 1994.

Army returns and service department registrations

The Army Returns and Service Department Registrations relate to forces registrations from 1880-1965, known as "Army" Births, Deaths and Marriages. From 1959 - present day the records are known as "Forces" Births, Deaths and Marriages.

The term Service Department is a relatively modern term from the late 1950s, emanating from the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Special Provisions) Act of 1957 and the Service Departments Register Order of 1959.

If you are looking for a relative who was married or died whilst serving in the forces from 1881 to 1965, please search the following records:

GRO Army Birth Indices 1881-1965
GRO Army Death Indices 1881-1955
GRO Index Army Marriages 1881-1955
GRO Army Marriages within British Lines 1914-1925
GRO Service Department Marriages 1956-1965
GRO Service Department Death Indices 1956-1965

Regimental registers

The Regimental Registers date from 1761-1924 and include British Regiments in the UK, Ireland and overseas.

The records cover births/baptisms. If you are unable to find your ancestors in these records you should note that the Overseas department of the General Registry Office also holds additional records of regimental marriages taking place between 1761 and 1924 that have never been indexed. As these additional records have never been indexed, you will not find them on our website.

GRO Regimental Birth Indices 1761-1924
GRO Regimental Birth Indices Supplement 1761-1924

Chaplains' returns

The Chaplains' returns are a set of records that were compiled by chaplains to the forces covering births/baptisms, deaths and marriages from 1796-1880. As the Chaplains were working for the forces, you may find that some of these records are duplicated in the Regimental records.

GRO Army Chaplains Birth Indices 1796-1880
GRO Army Chaplains Death Indices 1796-1880
GRO Chaplains Returns Marriages 1796-1880

Civil aviation authority births, deaths and missing persons

If your relative/ancestor was born or died in the air on a British registered aircraft, you should find their record listed in the following indices:

GRO Air Births Indices 1947-1965
GRO Air Deaths Missing Persons Indices 1947-1965
GRO Air Deaths 1947-1965

The Civil Aviation Authority was required to register births and deaths on British-registered aircraft and send the details to the General Registry Office.

In respect of deaths, initially the Civil Aviation (Births, Deaths and Missing Persons) Regulations of 1948 made provision not only for deaths, but also defined "Missing Persons" ("persons with respect to whom there are reasonable grounds for believing that they have died in consequence of an accident to an aircraft registered in Great Britain and Northern Ireland").

The regulations came into effect on 1 October 1948. However the first entry was not made until 22 March 1949.

Nowadays, the General Registry Office is unlikely to receive any details about missing persons from the Civil Aviation Authority as it is very unlikely that an aircraft is not found after a death. Deaths due to aircraft crashes are today recorded as such.

Registry of shipping and seamen

The Registry of Shipping and Seamen records list the birth and death returns from 1837 to 1965. Marine records came into existence under the provisions of the 1836 Act and were continued to be made under subsequent legislation.

Currently the registrations are made under the Merchant Shipping Act and subsequent regulations which state that if a child is born in a ship or a person dies in a ship, registered in the UK, the master of the ship will make a return to the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen who will register the event.

The Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen will then send a certified copy of the registration to the appropriate Registrar General.

Whilst the majority of these records will be about merchant seamen, many of the records also include details about passengers.

If you are searching for an ancestor who may have been born or died at sea, please search the following records:

GRO Marine Death Indices (informal certs 1-41)
GRO Marine Birth Indices 1837-1965
GRO Marine Death Indices 1837-1845
GRO Marine Death Indices 1846-1902
GRO Marine Death Indices 1903-1965

Please note:

There are no marriage returns in these records.

The GRO also holds records for people who have died on off-shore installations or hovercrafts.

Alternatively if the event occurred from 1966 onwards, please look in the GRO Deaths Abroad Indices.

Overseas Records

Article 7 marriages

Provision is made under Article 7(1) of the Foreign Marriage Order (commonly referred to as Article 7 Marriages) for certificates of marriages which have taken place in non-commonwealth countries (translations into English where appropriate) to be deposited with the Registrar General.

This deposit is made via the British Consul in the country concerned.

Please note that this is not a registration made by the British authorities, but merely a way to enable British nationals to readily obtain further copies of their documents once they have returned to the UK.

Nonetheless, the records are indexed in the normal Marriages Abroad Indexes and certified copies of certificates can still be ordered from the General Registry Office.

To look for your ancestor in these records please search the records titled:

GRO Article 6/Article 18 Marriages (up to 1955)
GRO Article 6/Article 18 Marriages 1956-1965
GRO Marriages Abroad 1966-1994

Births, marriages and deaths – Ionian Islands

Between 1815 and 1864 the seven Greek Ionian Islands were under British protection after a short period of rule by France. During this time Britain controlled the police, the forts and military administration as well as all foreign relations.

Spurred on by the French revolution of 1848, however, the residents on Cephalonia began to revolt against the British rule and demanded that their Islands be returned to Greece. Whilst this was vigorously repressed by the British in 1849, it became clear each year that the issue would not go away.

Finally, William Gladstone was sent to the Ionian Islands to monitor the extent of the anti-British feeling and he recommended that the islands be given back to Greece.

Once King Otto, the King of Greece, was disposed in 1862, and King George I ascended the throne in Athens, it was agreed that the islands could be united with the Kingdom of Greece, and between 21 May and 2 June 1864 the islands were surrendered.

The seven Ionian Islands are:

Corfu (sometimes known as Kerkyra, Corcyra)
Paxos
Leucadia (or Santa Maura)
Ithaca (or Thiaki)
Cephalonia
Zante (or Zacynthus)
Cerigo (or Cythera)

If you are trying to trace British civilian or military ancestors who were based on the Ionian Islands, you may find their birth, baptism, marriage or burial records within the following indexes.

Please note that whilst the records end in 1864 when the British left the islands, they do not start until 1818, which was three years after the British took control.

GRO Ionian Islands Chaplains' Returns Births 1818 - 1864
GRO Ionian Islands Military Registration Births 1818 - 1864
GRO Ionian Islands Civil Registration Births 1818 - 1864
GRO Ionian Islands Chaplains' Returns Deaths 1818 - 1864
GRO Ionian Islands Military Registration Deaths 1818 - 1864
GRO Ionian Islands Civil Registration Deaths 1818 - 1864
GRO Ionian Islands Chaplains' Returns Marriages 1818 - 1864
GRO Ionian Islands Military Registration Marriages 1818 - 1864
GRO Ionian Islands Civil Registration Marriages 1818 – 1864

Overseas certificates – what’s included

Certificates vary greatly for overseas records due to the variety of countries reporting registrations.

You should be aware that certificates relating to overseas records will not always be as detailed as certificates relating to events of births, marriages and deaths that occurred in the UK.

Births certificates for overseas records normally contain the following information:

The child's name
Date and place of birth
The parent's names and surnames

Death certificates for overseas records normally contain the following information:

Name and surname of the deceased
Date and place of death (just the country in the case of war deaths)
Date of birth or age at death

Marriage certificates for overseas records normally contain the following information:

Names and surnames of the bride and groom if the ceremony took place in a British Consul or was registered by the British Forces
Date and place of marriage

If the details were deposited in the UK, the documentation takes the form of a certified copy of the original document plus a translation if applicable.

Ordering overseas certificates

Once you have correctly identified the person you are looking for using the Overseas Records index, you can order the certificate.

Make a record of all the details that you find in the index, including

the district,
volume
page number
the year if the data is available

As the original documents are not available to the public, the copy of the certificate is your primary link back to your ancestors.

But be warned, each new copy is largely freshly made and while every effort will be taken by the General Register Office to ensure the information is correct, an error in the transcription may creep in.

If the original data is too difficult to read, GRO staff will hand write the certificate. If you receive a handwritten certificate, but want to see an original signature too, then in some cases (depending on the document) you may be able to have a photocopy as well.

Simply use this site to search for index numbers for certificates and apply online (registered users only).

Once you have signed-in, found the records you are looking for and recorded the index data, go to the "order a certificate" page to order online.

Please note that applications for certificates of overseas birth, death or marriage certificates can be made by post, by fax, by telephone or online using a secure ordering service.

Delivery

Overseas certificates are usually produced within five working days. For copies of certification for marriages that have taken place in countries overseas, please allow 7 to 10 working days.

Overseas certificates costs

Costs for overseas certificates from the General Registry Office are the same as the costs of a normal certificate.

Incomplete indices

Because registration with either the British registering authorities or the armed forces Service Departments is not compulsory, the General Register Office does not receive automatic notification of every birth, marriage or death that happens or has happened.

Births, marriages deaths at sea

About

Births, Marriages and Deaths at Sea 1854 - 1890 British Subjects and Other Nationalities

The Archive of Indexes to Births, Marriages and Deaths at Sea contains digitised images of original registers compiled by the Registrar General for Shipping and Seamen (RGSS) and its predecessor the General Register and Record Office of Seamen.

The registers were compiled by the RGSS from the official ships’ logs and information received from the Masters. The original registers are held by The National Archives, London, England, under the series title BT158.

The registers primarily contain entries of births, marriages and deaths of passengers at sea including British subjects and other nationalities.

Analysis of the registers reveals there are also entries detailing deaths of Masters of Ships and births and deaths of their families. There are many entries detailing events for men serving in various British Regiments and the Indian Army. Some deaths of Seamen are also recorded together with births and deaths of Regimental Wives and their causes.

The registers were compiled between the dates of 1854 to 1890. It should be noted that these are the dates of the registers themselves and not always the actual date of the event.

In some cases events were entered into the register the year after they occurred at sea. Most events are recorded with both dates but for some cases only the date of registration is included.

The RGSS was required to report these events to the relevant Registrar General of Births, Marriages and Deaths; for England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales.

However it is estimated that more than half of these events were not reported to the relevant Registrar General and therefore may not be found elsewhere.

How to interpret

The registers comprise of nine handwritten volumes of events during the passage at sea of emigrants, standard passengers, and many soldiers between 1854 and 1890.

Nationalities from all around the world have been noted (and despite the existence of other registers for seamen) many marriages, births to and deaths of Masters and their families are also recorded, as shown in our examples.

Births - how to interpret

The most consistent information available in the registers of births is the parent’s surname and the child's gender.

Only a minority of entries include the child's Christian name.

Marital status is not always confirmed as many entries include both surnames of the parents and it is often not clear which surname the child was given.

Therefore, when creating the searchable database of births if both surnames were present and marital status unclear, we have included the surname of both parties.

Births 1854 to 1858

From 1854 to 1858 entries of births are not recorded on pre-printed pages, all of the information and headers are written by hand. In 1858 the RGSS introduced registers with pre-printed headers although; generally the information recorded is much the same and remains so until 1872.

Please note there are no births recorded in the registers after 1888.

For example: The birth of twins to Joanna Wedderburn the Wife of Andrew Wedderburn of the Madras Civil Service.
©Crown Copyright

Births 1872 to 1888

From 1872 the pre-printed header changes to include the name and official number of the ship.

Entries no longer conclude with further information about the ship, the port of arrival or the name of the Master. The information that can be found is as follows:

Names of Parents
Date of Birth
Sex of Child
Christian Names
Name of Ship
Official Number, Date of Receipt of List.

N.B. "Date of Receipt of List" indicates the date when the information was received by the RGSS.

Marriages - how to interpret

The most consistent information available in the registers of marriages is the forename and surname of the parties concerned and we have utilised all of this information to create the searchable database of marriages.

Marriages 1854 to 1858

From 1854 to 1858 marriage entries are not recorded on pre-printed pages, all of the information and headers are written by hand. In 1858 the RGSS introduced registers with pre-printed headers although; generally the information recorded remains the same until 1872.

For example: An entry for the marriage’s of two Masters. John Ramsden Homan to Elizabeth Green 6th April 1854 and Edward Noaks to Marie Bonar 16th March.
© Crown Copyright

Marriages 1872 to 1890

From 1872 there are some additional points to remember.

Marriage entries were made in a death register with the title Deaths scored out and Marriages written in. Some inconsistency with dates of events and the date of the registers is evident and a few marriages are recorded after 1900.

The information recorded is as follows:

Name of Parties
Age
Date of Marriage
Name of Ship
Official No., Date of Receipt of List.

A few entries recorded after 1900 include additional information such as Father’s name and occupation.

In addition to these registers (known as BT158), The National Archives hold original registers started in 1891 that officially combine events for passengers and seamen under the series title BT334.

We have noted that many of the marriages recorded in BT334 from 1854 until around 1900 have been duplicated from the earlier registers that are detailed here.

Deaths - how to interpret

The most consistent information available in the registers of deaths is the forename initial, surname and gender of the deceased.

Only a minority of entries include all and full information. Therefore, when creating the searchable database of deaths, we have used the forename initial and gender recorded for each entry.

Deaths 1854 to 1858

From 1854 to 1858 entries of deaths are not recorded on pre-printed pages, all of the information and headers are written by hand.

In 1858 the RGSS introduced registers with pre-printed headers although; generally the information recorded is much the same and remains so until 1872.

For example: The death of infants, Frank Arthur Jacobs and Leilla Ellen Marie Kirkland 10th June 1857.
Crown Copyright

Deaths 1872 to 1888

From 1872 to 1888 the pre-printed header changes to include the name and official number of the ship. Entries no longer conclude with further information about the ship, the port of arrival or the name of the Master.

The information that can be found is as follows:

Name of Deceased
Sex
Age
Cause of Death
Date of Death
Name of Ship
Official Number
Date of Receipt of List

Deaths 1888 to 1890

In 1888, the registers of deaths change dramatically to a double page entry book and continue with this format until the last death is recorded in December 1890. The registers include vastly more information than found previously, this is as follows:

Name and surname of deceased
Sex
Age
Rank
Profession or Occupation
Nationality or birthplace
Last place of abode
Cause
Date
Place
Name of ship
Official number
Port of registry
Trade
Reg-Gen of deaths to whom reported
Source of information.

Marine births and deaths

From 1837 to 1965, the Registrar General’s Office (GRO) compiled registers and indexes of births and deaths of persons of British nationality, normally resident in England or Wales.

These include events occurring on both British registered (and colonial) merchant ships and Royal Navy vessels. If the event occurred from 1966 onwards, it was recorded in the GRO Registers of Births and Deaths Abroad.

However, it was not until the Merchant Shipping Act 1850 that the deposit of official logs with the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen (RGSS) became compulsory.

From 1854, registers were compiled from the entries in these logs of births, deaths and marriages of passengers at sea.

And not until the Registration Births and Deaths Act 1874 were ships’ masters required to report all births and deaths on board ship to RGSS who then reported them periodically to the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages of England and Wales, Scotland or Ireland as appropriate.

Whilst the majority of these records will be about merchant seamen, many of the records also include details about passengers.

There are no marriage returns in these records.

Therefore, the registration of births and deaths at sea before 1874 was at the best irregular: the earlier entries probably being taken from log books sent directly to the GRO by ships' masters.

The Public Search Room of the General Register Office for England and Wales at the Family Records Centre (1 Myddelton Street, London, EC1R 1UW) holds the above mentioned indexes in several series. However, these are now conveniently available to search on the 1837Online.com website, and comprise:

GRO Marine Births Indexes 1837-1965
GRO Marine Births Indexes Informal Certificates 1-41
GRO Marine Deaths Indexes 1837-1846-1965
GRO Births Abroad Indexes 1966-1994
GRO Deaths Abroad Indexes 1966-1994
Similar material dating from the start of their systems of civil registration is held by the General Register Offices in Edinburgh (1855), Dublin (1864) and Belfast (1922).

Royal Navy Personnel deaths

The GRO for England and Wales hold registers, and indexes, related to the deaths of Royal Navy personnel during both the First and Second World Wars.

With the exception of these war periods, the registration of deaths of Royal Naval personnel should be found amongst deaths at sea, or occasionally in 'Army Deaths' (from 1881) and 'Service Deaths' (from 1956).

These indexes are again held at the Family Records Centre or are searchable at 1837Online.com:

GRO War Deaths Naval Officers Indexes 1939-1948
GRO War Deaths Naval Ratings Indexes 1939-1948
GRO War Deaths Naval All Ranks Indexes 1914-1921

The GRO also holds records for people who have died on off-shore installations or hovercrafts.

If you are searching for an ancestor who died on a British-owned oil or gas rig (including a survival craft belonging to an offshore installation) or a hovercraft, please look within the GRO Marine records above. Alternatively if the event occurred from 1966 onwards, you will need to look in the GRO Deaths Abroad Indexes.

The records of the RGSS, from which the GRO compiled its own registers of births and deaths at sea, are held at The National Archives (TNA).

These are in several different series covering different periods, events and categories of person. From 1875, the information held by the GRO, and described above, should duplicate these, but there is always the possibility that this may not be the case:

Registers of births, marriages and deaths of passengers at sea, 1854-1890 (BT 158)
Registers of births at sea of British Nationals, 1875-1891 (BT 160)
Registers and indexes of births, marriages and deaths of passengers and seamen at sea, from 1890 (BT 334)
Registers and wages and effects of deceased seamen, 1852-1881, 1888-1889 (BT 153; indexes BT 154)

The TNA also holds miscellaneous other records of births and deaths at sea, for example:

Registers of births, 1847-1854, and deaths, 1847-1869, of emigrants at sea (CO 386/17-172)
Register of deaths and births at sea, 1892-1918, first reported at Falmouth (CUST 67/74)
Deaths of British citizens on French and Dutch vessels, 1836-1871 (RG 35)
Deaths of officers and ratings [various series including WWI and WWII], 1854-1950 (ADM 104)
Deaths of officers and ratings, WWI [various series] (ADM 242)

Further, but less important, records of births and death at sea are also held at Guildhall Library in London and at the National Maritime Museum Caird Library.

Paul Blake - is a professional genealogy and local-history lecturer. A regular contributor to the Family-History press, he is also joint author, with Audrey Collins, of Who was your Granny's Granny? (Foulsham, 2003).

2. British India Records

History of British Rule in India

Royal Charter

The history of British Rule in India is inextricably linked with the inception of the British East India Company or "John Company", known as Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies,prior to the Charter. Queen Elizabeth I granted the company a Royal Charter in 1600, permitting them a monopoly on trade to the East Indies for 21 years. In 1615, a treaty with the ruling Mughals, specifically Emperor Jahangir, allowed the British East India Company to establish trading posts in Bombay, Madras and Calcutta.

The treaty came about in part due to the defeat of the Portuguese by the British at the Battle of Swally in 1612. This victory pleased the Mughals, particularly due to the Portuguese’s anti-Muslim stance, including the harassment of pilgrim ships on route to Mecca.

The treaty saw the Company offer to supply Jahangir with European rarities and fine goods for his palace. An initial aim of the Company had been to dissolve the Dutch monopoly on trade in the East Indies; this objective was jettisoned following the Amboina Massacre and instead the focus shifted solely to activities in the Indian sub-continent.

The Growth of The British East India Company

Following the restoration of the monarchy to Britain after the death of Oliver Cromwell, the Company’s standing increased significantly. King Charles II in 1670 granted it the right to acquire land, mint money, command its own army, make war, and rule any land that it gained.

In essence the Company had become a nation in itself. Its dominance was briefly threatened by a 1694 Act deregulating trade in India. The Act was prompted largely by the pressure of tradesmen keen to emulate the new-found wealth of Company employees. A merge between the two bodies occurred soon after, in 1702, securing exclusivity for the United Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies, as the merged company was titled.

The only issue was the lack of permanent establishment – parliament was unwilling to concede this as it would have limited its ability to bargain with, and therefore benefit financially from, the now highly profitable Company.

Clive of India and the French East India Company

The British East India Company faced competition from its French counterpart, governed by Joseph François Dupleix from 1741. The Mughal Empire was disintegrating and the French were as keen as the British to exploit this weakening grip on power to gain land for themselves.

This resulted in a number of conflicts between troops of the two companies as they struggled for supremacy in the region. Ultimately Robert Clive, otherwise known as Clive of India, led the British East India Company to a series of important victories culminating in the Battle of Plassey in which his forces defeated the Nawab of Bengal.
With this victory, crucial territory was gained; Bengal and its wealth came under the rule of the Company. The heavy tax burden placed on the farmers of Bengal led to an horrendous Famine in 1769-1773, in which up to a third of the population died.

The Regulating Act, 1773

Corruption was rife in the Company’s administration of Bengal, following the Battle of Plassey, and this led to the British Government’s intervention, in the form of The Regulating Act of 1773. The Company’s employees had been practicing wide-ranging corruption; using the wealth of Bengal to make a fortune for themselves rather than their shareholders.

So widespread was this malpractice that the Company was running at a loss by the time its Charter was due for renewal in 1773. This shortfall saw the Company apply to the Government for a loan; it was provided in conjunction with The Regulating Act. The Act saw the introduction of a Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William; this appointment was in tandem with the appointment of a Council of four councillors.

The first Governor-General was Warren Hastings, governor of Bengal at the time. As well as indicating for the first time a movement towards Crown control over British interest in India, the Act attempted to curb corruption, banning the Governor-General and his employees from accepting gifts or monies from the Indian leaders and zamindars. This was largely unsuccessful and Hastings himself was impeached in 1787, before being exonerated in 1795.

Indian Rebellion

The Crown’s control of British interests increased, as did the territory over which they were able to claim dominion. Under the Governor-Generals, French influence was removed from India, whilst both Punjab and Burma were annexed.

As well as expansion through military means, the Company gained further land through the highly controversial doctrine of lapse, introduced by Lord Dalhousie. This measure meant that any princely state, under the influence of the British East India Company, would be annexed by the Company if its ruler died without an heir or was ‘manifestly incompetent’. The ability for a ruler without issue to choose their replacement was a long established custom and its removal was a bitter blow to the increasingly dissatisfied native population.

Such cultural clashes between the native soldiers, or sepoys, and the British officers, as well as a feeling from the Indian aristocracy that their influence was being eroded as their land was taken from them, led in part to the Rebellion of 1857. The Company’s expansion, whilst contentious, was by this time necessary; huge quantities of Indian wealth were being shipped home and helping to fund the Industrial Revolution.

A strict Zamindari system, reminiscent of feudalism, was in place to gather the monies and goods as ‘taxes’, driving a further wedge between the administration and the locals. Another contributing factor to the uprising was the tale, thought to be untrue, that the sepoys had been issued with cartridges for the new Enfield Rifle that were oiled with both cow and pig fat, making them deeply offensive to Hindu and Muslim soldiers alike.

The Indian Mutiny, 1857

The changes being put in place by the British administration – interference with traditions and customs, an alleged drive towards Westernisation and evangelism, the annexing of princely lands and the lack of integration of Indian men into the civil service – had bred mass antipathy.

There were reports of arson in April 1857, but the mutiny proper began as a direct result of the Enfield Rifle cartridges. The violence began at Meerut on 10 May 1857; Indian soldiers of the Bengal army refused to use the controversial ammunition and were imprisoned. Their comrades turned on British officers to liberate them, then on the European cantonment, killing many women and children.

The rebels hoped to reinstate the Mughal Empire, even coercing the elderly Bahadur Shah Jafar into proclaiming himself as Emperor. The lack of a popular rising doomed the rebellion to failure; the British’s military strength and organisation proved too much for the insurrectionists.

The British retaliation, involving the razing of villages on the grounds of sympathising with the uprising, was dubbed ‘The Devil’s Wind’ by Indians. The mutiny was characterised by brutality on both sides, with a number of massacres were perpetrated, notably at Cawnpore and Lucknow.

Consequences of the Rebellion: The British Raj

The most obvious consequence of the mutiny, seen by some as the first War of Independence in India, was the dissolution of the British East India Company’s rule. India now came under direct control from the British Crown, the India Office was established and the Governor-General became Viceroy of India.

To reflect this new direct rule, in 1877 Queen Victoria was declared ‘Empress of India’. Bahadur Shah Jafar was exiled and most of his family killed, signifying the end of the Mughal Empire. Most institutions and structures remained in place after the changeover to direct rule but in light of the mutiny British attitudes towards governing undertook something of a sea change.

From an organisational point of view, Indians became ostensibly more involved in the governing of their country; from the 1880’s the Civil Service began to employ a number of natives. Paradoxically the divide between British and Indians grew; the mutiny of 1857 had alarmed the ruling classes; particularly concerning was the unity displayed by the sepoys. The British retreated into a more insular existence, typified by private clubs in which an air of decadence and disdain towards the local populace pervaded.

One example of the growing chasm between the races might be seen in the so called ‘white mutiny’ of 1883. The proposal that Indians might be allowed to try European legal cases was met with anger and uproar by the British, both at home and in India. Such was the reaction the bill was heavily amended.

In order to shore up the footings of the Empire the British operated a divide and rule policy, exaggerating and extenuating the internal differences of the native population, particularly along religious grounds. The governmental and political organisation of the British Raj was largely based around advice from the most conservative elements of the Indian hierarchy, leading to a very heavily defined caste-based society, and ultimately a growing divide between the emerging middle classes and the desperately poor.

Bengal Civil Service gradation list 1869

The Bengal Civil Service gradation list available to search here comes from an original document belonging to Valmay S Young. On her site, there is a page which sorts the civil servants in the gradation list alphabetically by surname and then, within that, by rank (not alphabetically by initials).

At the time of this gradation list India was divided into three provinces; Bengal, Bombay and Madras. A list of the districts contained in each Presidency can be found at the British Library’s India Office page.

The original list gives the Bengal presidency Civil Servants (also known as “Civilians”) graded in order by class (based upon length of service) and then by date of seniority within that rank (i.e. the date the rank was attained).

NB: Civil servants serving within the other two presidencies (Bombay and Madras) are not included. See map above for what this means, viz that only civil servants in northern India are included:
Promotion is by length of service. Civil Service grades are as follows:

First Class – from 34th year of service in India
Second Class – from 21st to 34th year in India
Third Class – from 13th to 20th year in India
Fourth Class – from 9th to 12th year in India
Fifth Class – from 5th to 8th year in India
Sixth Class – first 4 years in India

Given the length of service necessary to become Class I, it is clear that there will be very few civil servants of that grade. The top of each page of the gradation list gives the class of everyone on that page

The gradation list gives the following fields:

a marginal abbreviation:

B = appointment under Government of Bombay
I = appointments under Government of India
P = appointment under Government of Punjab
W = appointment under Government of North West Provinces

Number
Name (below their Class)
Dates of arrival (specific dates, within year bands)
(length of) actual service as at 1st Jan 1869 (Y & M = in Years & Months)
Appointments: abbreviations used include:

Asst - Assistant
Collr - Collector
Commr - Commissioner
Depy - Deputy
Divn - Division
Jt - Joint
Magt - Magistrate
Medl - Medical
Offg - Officiating
Supdt - Superintendent
&c - etcetera

This is from the first page of the gradation list:

Graduation List

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