librarian Vttarpara Joykti^hmi Public Llbraif Govt. of Wat Bctjaa) JOB CHARNOCK The Founder of Calcutta (In Facts <6 Fiction) An Anthology Compiled bjt P. THANKAPPAN NAIR Distributors CALCUTTA OLD BOOK STALL 9, Shyama Charan De Street CALCUTTA-700073 7 First Published in 1977 Text Printed by Mohammed Ayub Ansari at Shahnaz Printing & Stationery Works, 2/H/16 Radha Gobindo Saha Lane, Calcutta-70001 Cover and Illustrations printed at Engineering Times Printing Press, 35 Chittaranjan Avenue Calcutta 700012 Published by E. H. Tippoo for Engineering Times Publications Private Ltd. Wachel Molla Mansion, 8 Lenin Sarani, C alcuita-700072 Price : Rs. 30 00 ' CONTENTS Preface PART I -JOB CHARNOCK - IN FACTS I. A Portrait of Job Charnock .... 1 P . Thankappan Nair 2. Job Charnock ... 60 Philip Woodruff 3 . Job Charnock 68 G. W. Forrest 4. Job Charnock Founds Calcutta .... 90 Arnold Wright 5. Portrait of Job Charnock .... 107 From Calcutta Review 1 6. Charnock and Chutianutti ... 113 J. C. Marshman 7. Charnock’s Character ... 115 W. K. Firminger 8, Governor Job Charnock .... 122 From Bengal Obituary 9. Charnock in D.N.B. ... 125 ... 131 10. Job Charnock’s Hindu Wife : A Rescued Sati Hari Charan Biswas 11. Some Historical Myths ... ... 137 Wilma! Corfield 12. W. K. Firminger’s Note on Mr. Biswas’s preceding article ... 141 13. Job Charnock’s Visit to ,Fort St. George & Baptism of his Children — • • • 143 Frank Penny Vi ( ) H Job Charnock - His Parentage and Will 151 Sir R. C. Temple 15 Job Charnock, the Founder of Calcutta, and the Armenian Controversy .... ... 164 H. W . B. Moreno 19. The Mausoleum of Job Charnock ... ... 174 Rev . H. B . Hyde 17. The Petrology of Job Charnock’s Tombstone .... 182 Thomas H Holland PART—II JOB CHARNOCK - IN FICTION 18. Charnock’s Prophetic Soliloquy ... ... 189 Dak (Wilmot Corfield) 19. Job Charnock of the Mid-day Halt ... 190 Dak 20. The City’s Birthday ... ... ... 196 Dak 21. Job Charnock ... ... ... 199 H. T. Frinsep 22. Job Charnock’s Wife ... .... 211 Original : Dr. Pratap Chandra Chunder Translation : Bijoli Bhusan Bhaduri 23. Lila and Charnock 281 Original : Subodh Ghosh Translation : B B Bhaduri Subject Index — 287 Errata — 289 JOB CHARNOCK 7 the A portrait of Job Charnock published in Encyclopaedia Bntannica, 15th edition. See page 41 for the authenticity of the picture Preface Job Charnock, the founder of Calcutta, has not received the attention of historians he deserves. There are more myths about the father of Calcutta than facts which we know of. Neither a history of the life and times of Job Charnock, nor an authentic biographical sketch of the Father of Calcutta is avail- able. In the absence of any treatise on Job Charnock, the only way to pay homage to the Founding Father of Calcutta is to collect all important writings on him and his times and publish them in an anthology. The present anthology is the first attempt to present the life and times of Job Charnock as seen by others. Important writings based on historical facts on Job Charnock are presented in Part I. His life and times as seen by fiction-writers are presented in Part II. The compiler of the anthology does not subscribe to the views of these fiction- writers. The gist of the compiler’s own research on Job Charnock and his times is presented in his essay, ‘Portrait of Job Charnock*. The compiler is indebted to the India Office and Records for the supply of a photostat copy of Sir R.C. Temple’s study, ‘Job Charnock — His Parentage and Will’. The authorities of the India Office and Records have been very helpful, besides supplying other documents, in getting the compiler in touch with various other archives like the Guildhall Library, Lancas- hire Archives etc. in the United Kingdom. The compiler is indebted to Blackwoods & Sons Ltd., Edinburgh, for supplying him a photostat copy of Sir G.W. Forrest’s article on Job ( xii ) Charnock which appeared in the Blackwood's Magazine in June 1902. Some of the books and journals from which the essays included in this anthology have been supplied by Shri Mohammed Yakub, proprietor of the Calcutta Old Book Stall. Shri Indranath MajumJar of Subarnarekha, 72 Mahatma Gandhi Roa j, Calcutta, also supplied some journals. There are repetitions galore in the anthology and the compi- ler could not help avoid them as the essays have been taken from different journals and books. ‘A Portrait of Job Charnock’ written by the compiler has been rendered into Bengali and is being published in the Bengali Journal, Ekshan. Prof. Nirmalya Acharya, the Editor of the Journal, deserves congratulations on the encouragement given to the compiler for writing the essay. Prof. Nishit Ranjan Ray, Curator and Secretary of the Victorial Memorial also deserves author’s thanks for placing all available material, in his Museum, at the disposal of the compiler. The compiler is indebted to Dr. Pratap Chandra Chunder, Education Minister of India, who granted permission to make free use of his Bengali novel. Job Charnocker Bibi. He not only threw his personal library open to the compiler for doing research on Job Charnock, but also offered valuable suggestions. The credit for translating the relevant portions from Dr. Chunder’s novel as well as Shri Subodh Ghosh’s short story goes to Shri Bijoli Bhusan Bhaduri of Engineering Times News Weekly. The compiler is indebted to Shri Subodh Ghosh for giving him permission to include the short story, ‘Lila and Charnock’, from his collection of Kimbadantir Deshe. Shri Bhaduri, offered valuable criticisms and placed at the compiler’s disposal, translations of the most important writings on Job ( WH ) Charnock that He scattered in Bengali literature. Unfortunately, no contemporary account on Job Charnock in Bengali could be traced. The photographs included in this anthology have been supp- lied by Shri p. N. Srivastava, industrial photographer, Calcutta. The compiler is indebted to his uncles, Shri C. R. Bhaskaran Nair and Shri K. Madhavan Nair, for their help. The credit for kindling his interest on Job Charnock goes to Shri U. Raman. Shri Mohammed Ayub Ansari is 'responsible for printing the anthology. Shri E. H. Tippoo, Managing Director of Engineering Times Publications Private Ltd., has been kind enough to publish this anthology for which he deserves the compiler’s thanks. 82/C Kansaripara Road CALCUTTA-700025 P. T. Nair July I, 1977 I Part— JOB CHARNOCK - IN FACTS A PORTRAIT OF JOB CHARNOCK By P. Thankappan Nair It is customary with anyone who takes up his pen to write anything about Calcutta to begin with Charnock. We have noticed people ‘ writing about ‘ land-use ’ m Charnock's time theatre ’ in Charnock' s time , etc . etc. with little knowledge about the founder of Calcutta and his days. Even a standard reference work like the ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITAN- NICA ( I4tli and 15th editions' ) does not devote more than a para or two on Job Charnock. The DICTIONA RY OF NATIONAL BIOORAPH Y does not sav anything about Charnock' s parentage, early life and other biographical details . Many a legend and myth has gathered around Charnock . It have become difficult to distinguish the truth about An attempt is therefore to give here an Charnock , , made account of Charnock based on documents that have survived. Charnocks were a Lancashire family. 2 They were said to have assumed the local name of their dwelling place in Leyland Hundred in that county, and to have given them the distin- g ushmg epithets of Charnock Richard, Heath Charnock and Charnock Gogard. These are all mentioned in the 13th century and the villages of Charnock Richard and Charnock Heath are suit so called. A branch of the Charnock family settled in London and another in Hullcott, Bedfordshire, both in the 16th century, and Richard Charnock, father of the founder of Calcutta, was a London citizen and was the owner of the property in Bedfordshire. He was a scion of the Charnock family of Lancashire. Richard Charnock, whose will 3 has come down to us, was a yeoman and solicitor. He bequeathed a legacy to Thomas “ Bateman in his will thus : It6vn. I give unto Mr. Thom?s Bateman Merchant sometymes servant to Mr. Michael! N arke- land the summe of six pounds of lawfull money of England 2 JOB CHARNOCK and unto James Hall Woolen draper in Candleweeke streete aforesaid the like summe of Six pounds of like money”. The will continues i “THE REST and residue of all and singuler my goods Chatteils ready moneyes Plate Leases debts and other things whatsoever to me belonging and not before in these presents given and bequeathed I give and bequeath unto my said Two Sonnes Stephen Charnock and Job Charnock to be equally devided between them which said Stephen Charnock and Job Charnock my sonnes I DOE MAKE ordaine and appoint the full executors of this my present Testament and Last will.” Richard Charnock’s will also specifically mentions that his son was abroad by stating, “That if my said sonne Job Charnock shall happen to depart this life before his returne to England...”. The will of Richard Charnock clearly establishes his rela- tionship with Job Charnock. Additional proof has come from Job Charnock’s letter to Henry Aldworth, written from Patna on October 12, 1663. Aldworth was then preparing to depart for England from Hooghly. Charnock and his superior at Patna Factoty, Ion Ken, expressed their hope to come down ‘suddenly’, but probably not in time to see Aldworth before he left. Aldworth was asked to take home letters to Charnock’s faiher, and Bateman. Charnock writes : “I know not whether I shall bee ready to goe home willing, the next I shall.