T - Memorials

Mary was the 11th of 12 children born to William Spottiswoode (Laird of Glenfernate) and Janet Mitchell at Kirkliston in Scotland. Her father was a grain merchant, prosperous enough for the family to tour Europe between 1820 and 1822. It was in Florence that they first met the Trevor family.

She married Lieutenant Robert Salusbury Trevor in June 1829 in Cawnpore.

In 1839 she accompanied the now Captain Trevor to Kabul.

After his death in December 1841, she initially joined the retreating army. On 9th January, after it became obvious that there was no escape from ambushes and the winter weather, Akbar Khan offered sanctuary to the women and children (those of officer class) and any wounded officers who were prepared to give themselves up. Eight women, nine children and two men were taken away. After initial hardship they were treated well. Mary and seven of her children were among them. She was pregnant and gave birth to Jessie Macnaghten Trevor in Kabul on 16th July 1842. (Lady Macnaghten was one of the other women with Mary.)

In mid-1842 the British launched a campaign of retribution with 14,000 troops in two groups. One was to “retreat” from Kandahar via Kabul, the other advanced towards Kabul from Jalalabad. Mary and the other hostages were freed on 21st September. The British withdrew from Afghanistan after laying waste to much along their route and blowing up and burning most of Kabul. William Dalrymple has no hesitation in describing what was done as “War Crimes”.

Sadly, Jessie died later that same year on 16th December in Ferozepore/Firozpur, Punjab.

   

Trevor was born in Chester to Rev. Thomas Trevor Trevor (formerly Humphreys) and Elizabeth (Briggs) Trevor. He attended Rugby School and Christ’s College Cambridge (for 3 terms, 1820-21).

The family toured Europe from 1820. On 4 July 1820 Florence Nightingale, who was born in Florence on 12th May 1820, was baptised by Rev. Thomas Trevor Trevor.

He joined the East India Company, trained at Addiscombe College and arrived in India 9^th June 1924 as an infantry Ensign. He transferred to the 3rd Light Cavalry in 1825 and was promoted Lieutenant 13 May 1825. He served in the siege and capture of Bhurtpore/Bharatpur, commanded by General Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere. He became Acting Interpreter and Quartermaster of the 3rd Light Cavalry on 11 February 1828, this was confirmed on 9 February 1929.

He married Mary Spottiswoode, youngest daughter of William Spottiswoode in June 1829 in Cawnpore. They had met in Florence several years earlier. He served as District Officer for the 3rd Cavalry at various stations between 1830 and 1839.

Trevor was an aide to Sir William Hay Macnaghten, political head of the British forces, during the 1^st Anglo-Afghan War (1839-42) which deposed Dost Mohammad Khan in favour of Shah Shuja (an ancestor of Hamid Karzai). He was accompanied by his wife and children. The initial success of the invasion and change of regime had been undermined by, among other reasons, the treatment of local women by the soldiers and reduction of payments to tribal chiefs.

During the British occupation Trevor was put in charge of changing the Afghan Army from the traditional tribal form to a more European model. This was seen as undermining the influence of the tribal elders and was very unpopular. Trevor, who Dalrymple describes as “young, tactless and unpopular”, made things worse.

Mohammad Akbar Khan, son of Dost Mohammad, arrived in Kabul and, aided by British incompetence, took effective control of Kabul. An agreement was made for the British to withdraw (Trevor was to be a hostage until this was complete) but the British sought to undermine it by exploiting divisions between the tribal groups.

On 23^rd December 1841, Trevor accompanied Macnaghten to a meeting with Akbar. Akbar knew of the British attempts to undermine the earlier agreement and planned to expose this perfidy.

The meeting went badly and ended with Akbar trying to get the British delegation to safety (or captivity) while others tried to kill them. One account has Trevor falling off his horse and being killed. Macnaghton was also killed, possibly by Akbar himself. The other two British officers in the group, Colin Mackenzie and George Lawrence, were briefly held captive but then released to join the retreat.