Major General Forster Walker - Memorials

1781, January/February - Foster Walker was born in Yorkshire. He was the eighth son of Rev. Benjamin Walker and Isabella (née Warren).

A history of North Allerton/Northallerton in Yorkshire records the names of the 18 sons and daughters of Rev. Benjamin and Isabella as well as baptism dates for some of them.

Foster Walker was baptised on 12th February 1781. Given he died on 19th January 1843, aged 61, he must have been born after 19th January 1781. The interval between birth and baptism might be a few weeks or even a few days, especially if the child was sickly, (for example, his brother, Arthur Warren Walker, born 21st March 1784, baptised 24th March, died aged 8).

The sixth son, George Warren Walker (1778-1843) joined the British Army and served in Ceylon/Sri Lanka and India.

Rev. Benjamin was vicar of All Saints Church North Allerton/Northallerton for 38 years, from 1775 to his death in 1814. The church has inscriptions for Forster and George, but not for any other siblings. The church is Listed Grade I.

1800 - He joined the East India Company Army as a cadet. Initial training would probably have been in England.

1801, end - He arrived in Calcutta/Kolkata.

1801, 18th October - Entered the rank of Ensign/2nd Lieutenant.

1803, 13th July - Promoted to Lieutenant.

1804, 13th November - Posted to the 1st European Regiment.

The East India Company was divided into three Presidency areas, Bengal (Calcutta/Kolkata), Madras and Bombay.

There appears to have been a fairly comprehensive training system for EIC cadets. The Asiatic Journal includes records of examination results and awards for the best students. A dedicated college was opened in 1810 in Addiscombe, near Croydon but before that, most EIC training in the UK was carried out in British Army facilities or privately.

The 1st European Regiment would have been the oldest regiment in the Bengal Presidency Army but, by this time, largely comprised Europeans who had gone to India to get rich, and hadn't, so were largely drunks, petty criminals and wasters.

The EIC Army was sizeable but, for major operations, was usually supported by regular British Army troops and overall command was by senior British Army officers.

1804-1805 - During the 2nd Anglo-Maratha War he was at the battle and siege of Deig/Deeg in 1804 and was engaged in four assaults on the fortress of Bhurtpore/Bharatpur in 1805. All failed.

The most famous participant in the 2nd Anglo-Maratha War was Sir Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington. His elder brother, Richard Wellesley, was Governor General.

The reverse at Bhurtpore/Bharatpur led to the recall of Richard Wellesley.

1813 - Walker was appointed Adjutant and was in Amboyna/Ambon Island/Teluk Ambon (one of the "Spice Islands") in what is now Indonesia. This had been seized from the Dutch who were allies of the French at this time.

The Spice Islands were captured by the British from the Dutch (for the 2nd time) in 1810. They were the only source of nutmeg, cloves and mace and a major motivation for the campaign was to break the Dutch monopoly in these. In 1814, after Napoleon's first defeat, they were handed back to the Dutch, but not before the EIC had taken seeds, cuttings and even whole trees to raise elsewhere.

1815, 13th August - Promoted to Captain.

1821, 29th March - Walker married Lydia Sarah Pattle in St. John's Church (then the Cathedral) Calcutta/Kolkata.

Six children are named on the Kensal Green Cemetery monument. Only one survived into adulthood.

The Pattle family was well known in Calcutta/Kolkata. Lydia Sarah's uncle was James Peter Pattle, a Judge and father of seven attractive daughters. Virginia Woolf was descended from this branch of the family. See below.

Information about the children is based on the dates and ages on the monument in Kensal  Green Cemetery (KGC). Newspaper notices have been found for two of them and information on the Families in British India Society (FIBIS) database gives dates of birth for James, Lydia and Isabella which are largely compatible with other information.

1822, 17th July* - Their first son, Forster Pattle was born.

* Birth date calculated from other information.

1823, 11th April - Son Forster Pattle died, aged 8 months & 25 days. Buried in India.

1823, 11th September - Captain Forster Walker, European Regt. was transferred to the 33rd Regt. N.I.

N.I. is Native Infantry. The private soldiers and some NCOs would be local, but the officers would all be white. The local NCOs would rank below white NCOs.

1823, 14th September - Their second son, James, was born in India.

1824, 2nd December - Birth of daughter Lydia in India.

1824, December - There was a renumbering of regiments. The 33rd N.I. became the 65th.

1825, 15th June - Son James died, aged 22 months.

1827, April* - Son Benjamin born and died after a few days.

* April is inscribed on the KGC monument. The FIBIS database indicates a son was born to "The lady of Major F. Walker, 65th N. I." on 4th September 1827. This is either a transcription error (9/4 instead of 4/9 for example) or an error of record by Isabella.

1828, 15th September - Daughter Lydia died, aged 3 years, 10 months.

1828, 13th October - Daughter Isabella born.

1829, 25th February - Walker promoted Lt. Colonel.

1833, 13th January - Daughter Arabella* Jane born in Bath, England.

* While the first name is badly damaged on the KGC monument, one of Forster's sisters was called Arabella and this would fit the traces of the name on the monument.

1834, 22nd January - Promoted to Colonel. This is on the Bengal Army list as Colonel but is referred to subsequently as Brevet.

Brevet rank was locally awarded, usually to fill a local vacancy. It might, or might not, be confirmed as permanent.

1836, 28th April - Daughter Arabella Jane died, aged 3 years & 3   months.

1837, 29th December - Walker was permitted to go to Europe on furlough "on account of private affairs".

It is tempting to conclude that this leave was granted for him to visit his wife after the death of her 6th child, but I haven't determined where Lydia was or where the child died.

1840, 23^rd December - Notice that Brev. Col. F. Walker had "Returned to duty from Europe".

The “overland” route via Europe, the Mediterranean, Alexandria, Cairo, Suez, the Red Sea and Aden opened in 1837. This made travel to India faster and safer.

I don’t know if Walker used this route, but it became increasingly common from this date.

1841, 1st April - Col. Foster Walker was in Court together with Sergeant Henry Douglas in Calcutta/Kolkata on a charge of assault against Mr J.G. Ricketts, a reporter. Walker was fined 50 rupees. The Court Martial arose from a dispute between two Engineer officers. Walker was President and tried to prevent a reporter taking notes and ordered Douglas to enforce this.

This was first discovered as brief news items in a collected volume of   the Bengal Catholic Herald. The report includes:

"The court was crowded with gentlemen and officers."

It was obviously quite a show.

1841, 13th July - Walker's claim to be reimbursed because the "offence" was actually part of his official duty was turned down.

It was argued that Walker had acted against the advice of the Government's Law Officer that he had no authority to limit public attendance or the taking of notes.

It doesn't seem to have done his career any harm.

1841, 14th July - Walker, now of the 8th N.I., was appointed temporarily a Brigadier of 2nd class on the eastern frontier. This was to replace Brigadier Littler.

1841, 17th July - Walker was posted to brigade staff in Oude/Oudh/Agra District.

1841, 22nd Sept - Confirmed as a Brigadier of 2nd class. The previous holder of the role had died.

1841, 10th November - Confirmed as full Colonel.

1841, 23rd November - Transferred to the 3rd N.I.

Brigadier was a role rather than a rank. This has varied through the years and there is a rank of Brigadier in the British Army now. It's equivalent to a 1 Star General but a Brigadier is considered to be a Field Officer, not a General Officer.

1842, 29th July - Maj. Gen. F. Walker transferred to the Presidency (at Calcutta/Kolkata) in preparation for leave in Europe.

1842, 23rd December - Brigadier (Major General) F. Walker (on leave), removed from Oude, and posted to Barrackpore.

Barrackpore was a military and administrative centre for the British just north of Calcutta/Kolkata.

It looks as if his transfer from inland to Barrackpore on his way back to Europe exposed him to the disease that killed him. Ironic really.

This cemetery was opened in 1840 to cope with the increasing demand for European burial plots.

Forster's brother, George Warren, also died in India of cholera in 1843!

1866 - Construction of monument in Kensal Green Cemetery.

Cemetery records show that the only interment there is Lydia Sarah Walker.

She is buried in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome.