past horizons32 Under the auspices of the newly- formed Kolkata Scottish Heritage Trust ( KSHT), in November 2008 a joint team from Scotland and India undertook the first stage of the project to save the cemetery – a preliminary field investigation to assess the extent, condition and history of the site and its monuments, work that will underpin the development of a detailed strategy for their restoration. The six- acre cemetery was cleared of undergrowth over a period of two weeks. The site was strangled with vines, the occasional clump of banana palm and general jungle, amongst which a number of mature frangipani, banyans and other longer- established tropical trees were retained for the canopy they provide. The site investigation involved a team of 10, with members from Simpson and Brown, The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland ( RCAHMS), Continuity, and The Highland Council. The team undertook an intensive, week- long site assessment and recording exercise. In order to ensure that the monuments in the cemetery were recorded systematically and consistently, a standardised recording methodology was established prior to the field recording exercise. Drawing upon current practices in cemetery recording, this involved the creation of standardised monument recording sheets, developed specifically for this project from a wide range of sources. For each monument a variety of information was recorded, including materials, condition assessments and a transcript of the november 2008 field investigation Kenny enjoying a welcome cup of sweet tea Steve Wallace of the RCAHMS undertaking formal photography of the cemetery architecture

past horizons 33 inscription. A corresponding database was also created in order to store and allow interrogation of all the information collected from the field survey of the monuments. With such a limited time in the field a 20% sample of the cemetery was recorded in detail, with further targeted examination in other areas. The cemetery was established in the 1820s and from then until c1940 was the principal burying place for generations of Calcutta- based Scots, Bengali members of the St Andrew's congregation, Welsh and other Non- Conformists. Prior historical research involved the examination and transcription of existing records for the site including the Register of Internments, which records the names of the many hundreds of Scots who died far from home and are buried there. Well over 90% of the names are recognisably Scots – names like Anderson, McGregor, Campbell and Ross. Most of the others are Bengali, like Banerjea and Mukerjee. An early 20th century cemetery plan also survives, and from this it is apparent that the cemetery has over 1600 burial plots. In most areas these were laid out in regimented rows. However, notable irregularity in their positioning to the NW suggested this might have been the early nucleus of the cemetery. evolution of the cemetery continued ? ? Recording and photographing the condition of the graves under the watchful eye of the local inhabitants