On 23^rd March 2023, Sue and her daughter Jessica Hyslop visited their ancestor Lt. William Hislop's grave. For some more informaion go here.

William Hislop was the illegitimate son of General Thomas Hislop who was in charge of the Deccan for the East India Company. Although Harowtee was opium growing country, William Hislop died in debt. The East India Company had declared a monopoly on opium trading in 1825 and William was arguing for a better share of profits for the Kotah State, the local businessmen and Rajrana Madho Singh the Dewan or Prime Minister who built his monument as a mark of respect in memory of the deceased. Willam's three-year old daughter and wife were not mentioned in later records but his daughter born after his death was brought up in an East India Company orphanage in Calcutta and went on to marry an indigo planter in Bihar.

The Hyslops have been able to track down their ancestor using genomic analysis and records in the National Museum of Scotland and family letters of General Hislop.

On 21^st February, 2023 the Royal Asiatic Society 's Tod Tour visited the British cemetery. It is 200 years since Col. James Tod wrote Annals and Antiquities of Rajputata, and the society's tour was following in his footsteps.

A treaty between Kotah State and the East India Company was signed in December 1817. A supplementary clause was added in February 1818 and signed under duress by Maharao Umed Singh I stating that he and his heirs would be the legal rulers de jure, but Zalim Singh and his heirs would be the actual de facto rulers in perpetuity. This led to an impossible contradictory situation and Tod as the Agent for Rajputana was involved. He resigned in 1822 ostensibly on grounds of ill health.

The tour group is sitting on the oldest grave in the British Cemetery belonging to Letitia, the wife of Major Caulfield, the first political agent after Tod's resignation. Letitia died on 26^th August, 1826, the first of many women and children to be buried in the new cemetery.

Adil, our chaukidar, works with his uncle Zaeed in a puncture repair shop and looks after the cemetery. He married his childhood sweetheart 18 year old Saniya, affectionately known as Gudia, in October. She is to be a 'house wife'.

Heritage Walk - 24 Oct 2021

On October 24th, 2021 a much postponed heritage walk was held from the Circuit House to the British Cemetery. 90% of the walkers, although from Kota, had never heard of the cemetery or the dramatic local history it illustrates.

Red-faced monkeys during the annual prune in March 2021.

Post pruning we relaid the flagstones in front of Major Burton's grave on a cement base.