The year 1833 brought about a significant change in Town Calcutta. From a protected settlement of the East India Company, it became a rising frontier of the British Crown. After the India Act of 1833, Calcutta became a magnet for settlers. Apart from rulers and administrators there were missionaries, traders, fortune hunters, entertainers wanting a slice of the pie. Some found their calling , some failed but each of these persons left their mark on the existence and fabric of the society. Introduced to Western education, epithets and lifestyles the melting pot for Indians was on the cusp of radical change, Integration and assimilation.

 

A society’s history is not just that of rulers and winners, it is the “others” who craft the social norms and changes, narrate and record for posterity. This book brings to the fore a “subaltern group of individuals” insists the author. Not significant really in the actual scheme of things yet contributing greatly to the rich tapestry of social interactions ànd intersecting lives. The piano tuner Major Harry Hobbs, John and Talbott Shakespear(e), the Frenchman Chevalier Antoine De L’Etang reputed to be lover of Marie Antoinette, Richard Reid, Calcutta’s first detective and crime writer, Shirley Tremearne, the city’s first media Moghul, the Prinsep who lent his support to the slave trade, Colonel Percy Wyndham and the Comic Star of India Dave Carson. Isaac Henry Townley Roberdeau, the model civil servant who died very young yet his phrase, “minutely just, inflexibly upright”, formed the foundation of India’s civil services. These were all people who came from another world, but made a major difference to the social, cultural, political, intellectual and entrepreneurial life of the city.

 

Major Harry Hobbs, a piano tuner who arrived in Calcutta in 1883, fell in love with Calcutta and became one of its prominent archivists, chronicler of its life and times. He was a true believer in the tenacity and ingenuity of Bengalis and staunchly supported them.

 

His pen was his sword, and he was referred to as Calcutta’s Bernard Shaw. He wasn’t the best writer but was the best raconteur, etching vivid scenarios and characters who lived then. Some of his writings include The Piano in India, The Romance of the Calcutta Sweep, Spence’s Hotel and its Times, Scoundrels and Scroungers, and his best known work ‘John Barleycorn Bahadur—Old Time Taverns in India.

 

The opening of the Suez Canal in November 1869 made the journey to India from England considerably easier. It facilitated hotels in bringing European girls to India to work in the bars. At leading British hotels in Kolkata, they signed 6-month contracts. Some girls remained after their contracts ended, but relatively few stayed beyond their appointed time. One or two found husbands on board, who took them off at Colombo or Chennai, and they failed to report back at Kolkata. Others, perhaps more fortunate, did find grooms in Kolkata.

 

One bright girl attracted the attention of Kolkata society by putting in place a fellow who thought he could “shine” with her. “So, you are the maid, are you?” asked the drunk. She replied, “Yes, I am…” Feeling insulted, she put one hand on the bar and vaulted over with ease, smacking Lothario on his face. In her early years, she had been in a circus. Many of the ‘mashers’, who came for the wool, went away shorn.

 

Hobbs was a keen observer, He wrote about the happenings, rise and fall of the rich and not so famous. He described tavèrns, performance theatres, performers, Indians and Sahib, the Babus, the box wallahs. the kerani clerks who became indispensible for this city.

 

Devasish Chattopadhyay manages to encapsulate the same very eloquently. Fascinated with the books of Harry Hobbs he found mention of the other protagonists of his book. He dug further and has produced this gem of a book with the nine persons each shining bright but Harry Hobbs remains the author’s favourite.

 

Catherine Tucker, the great grand daughter of Harry Hobbs came to Calcutta to connect the dots and trace his legacy. Interestingly their four homes in London are called Chingrikhal as is the book written by her father Martin Tucker.

 

A conversation between these two showcased the man and the story teller, Devasis Chattopadhyay unraveled the books written by him and showcased some interesting nuggets. Dave Carson and his shows were always houseful, his scripts racily outlining social realities of the time. Capital, the first financial newspaper presented authentic data and concepts relevant even today. The Business standard picked up its reportage style from this newspaper.

 

History, helps make sense of the journey of humankind, helps analyse events today and those that may occur in the future. The lens of these outliers provides insights into “cultural elements, language, literature, art, music, cinema, education, religion and built heritage” says this incredible researcher and the author of this tome.

 

An engrossing evening in a cosy space Z’s Precinct owned by Rajesh Sen , who readily agreed to host this talk and made this event very special.

 

Thank You!

Mona Sen gupta for pics

Nandini Roy Chowdhury for books