Page 71 - Wish Stream Year of 2016

The Residency now – Dr Fayrer’s house and hospital building. The basements were used to shelter the women and children at times during the siege, and the hospital to treat the very large number of sick and wounded.
This building became General Outram’s HQ during
the second siege. Sir Joseph Fayrer was an eminent physician who survived the siege, and died in 1907
moved to the Alambagh. Campbell left Outram with 4,000 men to defend the Alambagh, while he himself moved with 3,000 men and most of the civilians to Cawnpore on 27th November. The civilians were then evacuated via Allahabad to Calcutta. Campbell was subsequently enno- bled, becoming Baron (Lord) Clyde of Clydes- dale in August 1858.
Interesting facts
The rst siege lasted 87 days; the second siege a further 61.
The rebels were left in control of Lucknow over the following winter, but were prevented from undertaking any other operations by their own lack of unity and by Outram’s hold on the eas- ily defended Alambagh. Sir Colin Campbell returned to retake Lucknow, with the attack starting on 6th March 1858. By 21st March all ghting had ceased.
The largest number of Victoria Crosses ever awarded in a single day was the 24 earned on 16th November, during the second relief. Four VCs were won by the 32nd Regiment of Foot during the rst siege and seven by the 78th High- landers during the rst relief and second siege.
65 armed schoolboys and staff from the La Mar- tiniere School (about two miles from the Resi- dency) manned a defensive post on the Resi- dency perimeter for the duration of the siege, as well as helping with duties in the hospital and as semaphore signallers.
La Martiniere Boys’ College in Lucknow in the Constantia building. In 1932, the British Government nally of cially recognised the College’s part in the siege by awarding it military-style colours. La Martiniere is therefore the only school in the world with of cial battle honours. Since independence in 1947, to avoid offence to the Indian Government, the colours are never displayed, but are still in the school’s possession. All boys and staff who took part in the siege
were awarded the Indian Mutiny Medal by Queen Victoria, inscribed ‘The Siege of Lucknow’. Many ‘old boys’ fought in the British Indian Army during both World Wars.
At least two ladies under siege in the Residency kept comprehensive day-to-day diaries of the events, both published in the 1870s. One was by Mrs Harris, the wife of the Rev. James Harris, the La Martiniere chaplain, both of whom took refuge in the Residency (and survived) during the entire siege. The other (Mrs Case) was a widow of an of cer of the 32nd whose husband was killed during the siege.
La Martiniere
La Martinière Boys’ College was founded in 1845 by an endowment from the wealthy eighteenth- century Frenchman from Lyon, Major-General Claude Martin, who was an of cer in the French Army and later the British East India Company Bengal Army. Martin acquired his fortune by trad- ing while serving the Nawab of Oudh, and was reputedly the richest Frenchman in India. Con- stantia, the palatial building which now houses the Boys’ College, was built in 1785 as Martin’s country residence, but was not completed until 1802, two years after his death. It is still a school (boarding and day), run in the English language on British public school lines (with its own polo ground and stable of polo ponies) and consid- ered one of the best private schools in India. There is now also a Girls’ College on a sepa- rate campus in Lucknow. There are ‘sister’ La Martiniere schools in Calcutta and Lyon. Martin’s body is interred in the basement of Constantia.
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