Judy Hinshaw Thesis FINAL FINAL
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UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Imperialism and Widowhood: British Widows of the 1857 Indian ‘Mutiny’ by Judith Edna Hinshaw A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY CALGARY, ALBERTA JULY, 2011 ©Judith Edna Hinshaw 2011 Library and Archives Bibliothèque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-81780-3 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-81780-3 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriété du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette thèse. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privée, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont été enlevés de thesis. cette thèse. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. text Abstract Just as women who accompanied their husbands into the spaces of the British Empire have been termed imperial wives, those whose husbands died there can be considered imperial widows. To date, discussions of British nineteenth-century attitudes toward death and mourning practices have had a primarily domestic focus. This study examines how the British women widowed by the 1857 Indian Mutiny negotiated the Victorian prescriptions for death and mourning, not only in imperial spaces but under the duress of conflict and deprivation. In doing so, it looks at the inherent tension in domestic/imperial marriages as well as nuances in the determination of women’s complicity in or resistance to imperial missions. Furthermore as remnants and representatives of the imperial conflict, these women symbolized both domestic and national loss to Britain. This study follows the women to Britain where they were received as both victims and heroines. It examines the response of the traumatized nation to the women whose vulnerability echoed its own. The anxiety of the population became largely focused on the perceived duty of the nation to provide financial succour for all the widows whose protectors and providers had been sacrificed to the imperial cause. While the substantial Indian Mutiny Relief Fund, which resulted from generous public donations, ensured that all deserving widows received support, its regulations that the widows of soldiers in particular be industrious and respectable reinforced the imperatives of class. In addition to the Relief Fund, an examination of the range of other sources of income provides insight into how the widows negotiated their individual circumstances. ii Shortly after experiencing the fanfare which greeted the returning widows, the women disappeared from public view. This study looks at where the heroines went by examining the lives and subjectivity of several of the widows. It engages with their choices to remarry or remain widows, where and with whom to live, and their continuing ties to India and/or the imperial missions. In doing so, it not only demonstrates the diversity of widows’ experiences but through them how the mutiny and the empire became woven into the narrative of British families and communities. iii Acknowledgements The supporting cast for this project is large and I owe an enormous debt of gratitude for the judicious direction, the support and encouragement, and the timely funding. First and foremost, I owe a great deal to my advisor, Douglas Peers, who encouraged me to pursue this research focus and allowed me time and space to explore its discursive facets. His patience with my pace was exceeded only by his erudite guidance which allowed me to stay the course without being swamped by detail. His questions and suggestions kept me grounded, motivated and curious. It is to his credit that I continue to be a willing hostage to a topic which has captivated me for almost a decade. In addition I am indebted to Warren Elofson, David Marshall, David Oakleaf, Bettina Bradbury and Miriam Grant who, in addition to their generous comments, provided insightful and valuable suggestions regarding this work. Brenda Oslawsky has been indispensable in guiding me through the paperwork which I love to hate, and I am particularly indebted to the University of Calgary library staff that operate the distance education services and who filled my seemingly endless requests for books with efficiency and good humour. Financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Departments of Graduate Studies and History at the University of Calgary, the Dr. Frank Eyck Memorial Graduate Scholarship in European History, and the David Hinshaw Memorial Scholarship has been vital during my research and writing. Of fellow students who have provided empathy and motivation, I am particularly cognizant of the friendship of Barbara Barnes, Danielle Kinsey, Ed Kaplan, Troy Wason, iv Patricia Gordon, and Helena Nunes Duartes. This process would not be complete without the commiseration of fellow-travelers. And finally, my heart-felt thanks to the stalwart company of family and friends who have accompanied me on this journey, offering love and encouragement while conceding space for my work. Among the multitude: Erin, Brianna, Meghan, Aubrey, Carol, Tom, Viv, Anita, Karina, Ryan and my in-laws: for your unceasing support. Darrel, Janet, Dixie, Barry, Byron and Darlene: for your boundless generosity. Brenda and Dennis, Clara and Gordon, Helen and Brian, Steve and Tracy, Nancy and Patsy: for the best and one-of-a-kind sibling support. And finally to Deena, Matthew, Heidi, Jodi, Karsten, Jennifer, and Menko: you are my loudest cheering section, my unfailing support and my raison d’être. v Dedication To: My Auntie Helen who can look back over 90 years fully lived and My grandsons Anderson and Tobias who are just getting started vi Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. ii! Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... iv! Dedication ......................................................................................................................... vi! Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ vii! Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1! Chapter 2: Negotiating Victorian Prescriptions for Death (and Mourning) in Imperial Spaces ............................................................................................................... 18! Chapter 3: The Imperial Widow: Mourning in Imperial Spaces ............................... 85! Chapter 4: Response of the Nation: the anxiety and the duty .................................. 144! Chapter 5: Going Home: Where are the Heroines? .................................................. 190! Chapter 6: Conclusion .................................................................................................. 257! Primary Sources ............................................................................................................ 268! Secondary Sources ........................................................................................................ 276! vii 1 Chapter 1: Introduction War creates widows and it is at this intersection that military history and social history collide. However, despite their ubiquity, war widows have been largely neglected by both groups of historians. Similarly, the imperial widows begat by imperial conflict have also remained unstudied by imperial historians. The British women who were widowed by the Mutiny in India in 1857 and 1858 provide a unique opportunity to begin to address this lacuna through the examination of the attitudes and expectations which surrounded and defined these British widows both in India and Britain. We can also explore these women’s responses to the circumscriptions and prescriptions in domestic and imperial spaces. In comparison to contemporary campaigns such as the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny had