art of travel

St John’s Church, Kolkata

If you’re a history buff with time for only one monument in Kolkata, the St John’s Church should top your list.

Excerpts From the Kolkata Report of the Bridge the Knowledge Gap Study Tour 2024

Where Job Charnock, the founder of Kolkata, and Begum Johnson, the oldest British resident in Bengal, are buried, St John’s Church offers a fascinating glimpse into Kolkata’s colonial past. It also bears witness to the political intrigues of Warren Hastings, the first Governor General of British India, making it a key location for understanding the city’s complex history.

WHAT TO SEE:

Outside the Church:

The Black Hole of Calcutta Memorial: Collective Memory and Narratives

During our visit to the Black Hole of Calcutta Memorial, we felt a deep sense of intrigue and contemplation. The monument stands as a reminder of the tragic events of 1757, when Bengal Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah sacked Fort William, and English prisoners were allegedly confined in a small room, resulting in many deaths that ultimately led to the Battle of Plassey. While the details remain disputed, the story has become became part of colonial folklore. The memorial was relocated to St. John’s Church at the height of the freedom movement in the 1940s. Standing there, we felt drawn to reflect on how this event shaped collective memory and how history is preserved through narratives and monuments.

Rohit from the study group quipped “Surely, Robert Clive fudged the number of deaths to justify going to war against the Nawab of Bengal, who was really getting in the way of the British East India Company’s ambitions.” This is something we will never know. But Rohit had a valid point. While the English claimed that 146 prisoners were squeezed into a small room where many died of suffocation and only 23 survived, the memorial lists just 43 dead. However, there is no denying that Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah was a cruel, hot-tempered, and rash ruler, just as Robert Clive was cunning and morally questionable.

Job Charnock’s Tomb: The man who defied the norms of his time

After being introduced to Job Charnok (1630–1692/1693) in the theory class in Gurgaon, we couldn’t wait to know more about him when we landed in Kolkata; a man whose legacy is as debated as it is fascinating. Though his role as the founder of Calcutta is disputed, what struck us most was the quirky, almost eccentric life he led in India. Charnock, who married an Indian woman and adopted her customs, seemed to have embraced the local culture in a way that puzzled his peers. One of them, Alexander Hamilton, criticised him for allowing his wife to convert him instead of the other way around. Hamilton even mentioned how Charnock would annually sacrifice a cock on her tomb, a practice that seemed far removed from his Christian roots.

Standing at his mausoleum, one of the oldest structures in Kolkata, we felt a strong sense of connection to the layers of history. The tombstone, made from Charnockite—a rock named after him—sparked our curiosity. It felt like we were peering into the life of a man who defied the norms of his time, blending cultures in a way that still resonates in Kolkata’s composite culture today.

Begum Johnson’s Tomb: The woman who loved India more than England

The remarkable Begum Johnson (1725-1812) is buried close to Charnock. She was such a prominent figure in Kolkata that, despite the graveyard being closed in 1767, the gates were reopened in 1812 just to fulfil her wish of being buried there, with the Governor General himself in attendance. When we discovered that Begum Johnson lived to the age of 87, marrying four times and outliving all her husbands, we were fascinated. In a time when surviving just three monsoons in Calcutta was a challenge, her longevity felt almost miraculous. And then our Guide pointed out – she was born in Madras (now Chennai). Did her early life in India give her a stronger immune system which made her more resilient than those who came directly from England and struggled in Calcutta? Maybe. Maybe not.

By the age of 24, she had been widowed twice. Her third marriage was to William Watts, whose legacy extended to one of their grandchildren becoming a UK Prime Minister. Watts was a close associate of Robert Clive and played a crucial role as the key negotiator with Mir Jafar, who betrayed Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah and handed the Battle of Plassey to the British East India Company.

Frances’ fourth marriage was to the energetic, Oxford-educated Reverend William Johnson, during which she was given the title “Begum”. The reasons for this title are not entirely known, but it may have been influenced by the coming together of British and Muslim traditions at the time. In Islam, men are permitted to marry up to four times, and this aspect of Muslim culture might have contributed to her being conferred the title. Later when the Reverend wished to return to England, they reached an unusual agreement: she paid him an annuity on the condition that he leave Calcutta for England without her and never return. This arrangement cleverly avoided the complications of divorce—an unthinkable option for a clergyman—while allowing both to go their separate ways.

Standing at her grave in St. John’s Church, we were struck with awe at the resilience and independence of a woman who lived her life entirely on her own terms in an era that rarely allowed it. Considering all she must have witnessed through her four marriages and long life, spanning from the Battle of Plassey to Kolkata’s transformation over the decades—her journey must have been truly extraordinary.

Her epitaph reads: “the oldest British resident in Bengal; universally beloved, respected and revered”.

Inside the Church:

Last Supper by Johann Zoffany: One of the most controversial colonial era paintings

Inside the St. John’s Church, we were captivated by German neoclassical painter Johan Zoffany’s The Last Supper—a painting that sparked significant controversy and even resulted in a court case. Completed in 1787, Zoffany stirred the city by using portraits of prominent European merchants as the apostles and controversially depicting St. John and Judas. St. John, modelled after W.C. Blaquerie, a disliked yet effective police magistrate known for his feminine looks and unconventional methods, was met with disdain. The portrayal of Judas, possibly modelled after either auctioneer William Tulloh or East India Company employee Mr. Paull, both of whom had public spats with Zoffany, further fueled the uproar leading to a court case.

Standing before the painting, we couldn’t help but feel the palpable tension of those times, reflecting on how art can both mirror and provoke the society it depicts.

Stories of the wall plaques: The Tragic, Curious, and Mysterious

As we explored the memorials on the walls of St. John’s Church in Kolkata, we saw tributes to past army generals, Bengal Civil Service members, and everyday worshippers. Among them, a few stories stood out. We paused at the tablet of George Cracroft Aubert, who tragically died at 25 after being struck by lightning while riding home during a storm in 1843. Equally intriguing was the memorial to Andrew Stirling, who passed away at 36 in 1830, having served in the shadowy “Secret and Political Department.” His role made us wonder about the mysterious tasks he might have undertaken during his career.

Warren Hastings’s Office at St. John’s Church: Political Intrigue and Conspiracies

Our guide took us to the vestry (where the priest’s ceremonial robes are kept) at St. John’s Church, once Governor General Warren Hastings’s office, instantly reminding us of the political intrigues and conspiracies that was shared during our theory class in Gurgaon.

Looking at the wood-panelled walls, the octagonal table, and the portraits, we found ourselves imagining the intense political drama that must have unfolded here—Hastings’s fierce battles with his own council, where he famously secured each member’s loyalty for £100,000 apiece – his pistol duel with arch rival Phillip Francis, and the silencing of James Hickey, the outspoken critic and journalist of Bengal Gazette who dared to challenge him. The episode of Maharaja Nandkumar, who accused Hastings of bribery and was swiftly tried and hanged by Hastings’s ally, Sir Elijah Impey—the then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who received major bridge contracts in return for the favour done —also crossed our minds.

Read before you go to St John’s Church: “Doolally Sahib and the Black Zamindar” by MJ Akbar

“Doolally Sahib and the Black Zamindar” by MJ Akbar offer a biting and often humorous look at the racial relations between Indians and their British colonisers. In July 1765, Robert Clive called Calcutta “one of the most wicked places in the Universe,” a reflection of the deep-seated white superiority of the time. The book uses letters, memoirs, and journals to uncover this prejudice, including amusing anecdotes like a British bureaucrat who wrote an entire book to vent his frustrations with his Indian servants. The book exposes the devastating effects of British policies while also showcasing extraordinary individuals who defied these prejudices. The British’s consistent military dominance is contrasted with the native’s clever, often humorous resistance, showing a complex interplay of imitation, adaptation, and parallel lives.

Good to know:

• St John’s Church is open on all days, 10:00 to 16:00 hrs.
• Toilet facilities available.
• Ample parking available within the church grounds.

Bridge the Knowledge Gap is an annual summer training programme that the Destination Knowledge Centre (DKC) has been organising since 2017. It aims to empower, educate, and share the collective knowledge of the DKC with the Tour Operations staff. The programme consists of a five-day in-depth classroom session in our Gurgaon office followed by a two-week on-ground study tour, ensuring that participants not only learn about destinations but also experience them first-hand.