Sub-fonds
British High Commission Indian Cemetery Records
Catalogue reference: IOR/R/4
What’s it about?
This record is about the British High Commission Indian Cemetery Records dating from 1869-1967.
Is it available online?
Maybe, but not on The National Archives website. This record is held at British Library: Asian and African Studies.
Can I see it in person?
Not at The National Archives, but you may be able to view it in person at British Library: Asian and African Studies.
Full description and record details
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Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
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IOR/R/4
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Title (The name of the record)
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British High Commission Indian Cemetery Records
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Date (When the record was created)
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1869-1967
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Description (What the record is about)
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High Commission files about the maintenance of Indian cemeteries (1946-67), lists of inscriptions on tombs in various provinces, and registers and accounts of cemetery endowments (c1870-1948) mostly kept by local Public Works Department officials responsible for particular cemeteries throughout India.
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Related material (A cross-reference to other related records)
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Records of the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia from 1975 (continuing), IOR ref: Mss Eur F370.
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Held by (Who holds the record)
- British Library: Asian and African Studies
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Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
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Public Record(s)
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Language (The language of the record)
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English
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Physical description (The amount and form of the record)
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871 files or volumes
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Access conditions (Information on conditions that restrict or affect access to the record)
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Unrestricted
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Administrative / biographical background (Historical or biographical information about the creator of the record and the context of its creation)
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The future administration of British cemeteries in India was an unresolved minor problem at Independence. Before 1947, most were maintained by the local Executive Engineer of the Central Public Works Department, in consultation with the local chaplain. Each Executive Engineer kept registers and accounts of endowments for the upkeep of individual graves in cemeteries under his jurisdiction. In 1948, responsibility was transferred to the United Kingdom High Commissions in India and Pakistan. Endowment sums were pooled and efforts were made to obtain sufficient further donations to establish a permanent maintenance and conservation fund, operated through Provincial Boards and local Committees within the Christian community. But inflation eroded the capital fund so badly that by the late 1960s a central maintenance system was no longer operable.
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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/28c92179-0793-445d-88c0-ceb3dfbae0df/
Catalogue hierarchy
This record is held at British Library: Asian and African Studies
Within the fonds: IOR/R
India Office Records transferred later through official channels
You are currently looking at the sub-fonds: IOR/R/4
British High Commission Indian Cemetery Records