George Turnbull (1809-1889): Autobiography: Chapter 8

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Chapter 08. 1855. (pages 150-154). East Indian Railway. Line opened to Raneegunge. Return to UK. Marriage. Return to India.

1855. January.— Arrangements were now made for opening the line to Raneegunge, and being a considerable length of line, it Avas resolved to have something in the shape of a public demonstration about it. So it was called,

February. Opened to Raneegunge. All this came off on Saturday the 3rd February, with great success. General, Lord Dalhousie, was present. The Bishop of Calcutta, Wilson, read prayers.

The breakfast took place at Burdwan, in a large tent erected for the purpose, the usual number of toasts were given, and speeches made, some good, some indifferent; and at 8.30 p.m. the return journey to Howrah was accomplished without any accident or difficulty whatsoever. Altogether it was considered to be a great success.

Following up the festivities, a grand Ball was given by the Railway Company in Calcutta. The Governor General was there also, and all the Civil and Military staff then at the Presidency were invited. Lord Dalhousie Avent off the next day to the Neilgherry Hills. His health seemed to be failing him even then.

My cousin, Edward Sandeman, came to Calcutta from Melbourne about this time, and by-and-bye I got him some employment, but with misgivings that he would not be able to keep it very long.

March. All this month was spent travelling along the line and settling about bridges, &c. ; Monghyr Tunnel especially, and the stations. A long discussion, something like a contest with Colonel Baker, about the hill, south of Rajmahal, he was desirous of having a tunnel, and I was for an open cutting. I got my own way at last, and an open cutting was made, saving considerable expense.

April. Leave for England. My application for leave of absence was accepted, and the works being all in a fairly good state of progress, I left Calcutta in the P. & O. Steamer “ Bentinck,” on the 23rd April. Robert Bruce Boswell, my very dear friend and cousin, was on board, and also his son John, the latter for Madras.

The steamer arrived in Madras Roads on the 28th. Next day being Sunday, R. B. Boswell read prayers and preached ; afterwards some of us Avent ashore in a Musoola boat and visited the railway works. The Avails of the railway station were built, but nothing else done. The ship sailed again at 8 p.m.

Arrived at Point de Galle 2nd May, and met Richard Thomas there, who had come in the “ Norma” from Hong Kong. He was unwell, and went home with us in “ The Bentinck.” Among the passengers were the Bishop of Colombo, a Roman Catholic bishop, two Roman Catholic priests, a Spanish general, an American naval captain ; so we had some national variety.

May. Arrived at Aden on the 12th. Sailed again on Sunday the 13th, and were in the Red Sea on the 14th. Arrived at Suez on the 19th, and crossed the Desert in seventeen hours — 80 miles, arriving at Cairo on the 21st. Embarked without delay in the Nile steamer at Boulac, sailed down about 80 miles, and then by train arriving at Alexandria on the same day at 11 p.m. Embarked in the “ Indus,” Captain Soy, on the 22nd. At Malta on the 25th. Arrived at Gibraltar on the 25th, after a fine smooth passage across the Bay of Biscay; arrived at Southampton on the 4th June. Here I heard of the sudden death of my cousin and brother-in-law, Hector Sandeman, of Tulloch.

June. A few days were now occupied in calling on my friends. At George Lindsay’s, in Lawrence Pountney Lane, met my brother William, and John Lindsay.

Then to see Mr. Noad, Secretary of the East Indian Railway, and Mr. Rendel, and had a long conference on business affairs. Then a round of visiting, not of much interest now. There were Dr. Ramsbotham, Heriot Turnbull (sister-in-law), Mr. Pope, of Manchester Square, Richard Thomas, Misses Henderson, Mrs. Henderson, Ann Donaldson.

On the 12th attended meeting of the Board of Directors of the East Indian Railway, Mr. Baxendale in the chair. Sir James Melville asked many questions.

On the 13th at Sir William Cubitt’s; went out to Clapham, and returned with Lady Cubitt. Fanny Thomas came up and joined her brother at the Cubitts. On the isth a dinner party at Sir W. Cubitt’s, at Clapham: Sir W. Cubitt and Lady Cubitt, my brother, W. S. Turnbull, and Heriot, his wife; Joseph Cubitt and his wife; Fanny and Richard Thomas.

On the 16th William, Heriot and I went to Edinburgh, and to Union Street, where we were received by my dear sisters, Sibella, Jane and Margaret.

On the 25th to Huntingtower. At Tulloch were my sister Catharine, Mrs. Alexander Boswell, Sibella Boswell, Mary Anne Boswell, Mary and Kate Sandeman, John, Hector, and Alexander S.

On looking again at my diary, I do not find Archibald’s name, so perhaps he was at Cambridge or at Manchester.

July. Very busy this month corresponding with Mr. J. M. Rendel, about Soane bridge designs and other matters connected with the East Indian Railway; and also with W, Pole, who was then Rendel’s right hand man.

This month I asked Fanny Thomas to be my wife, and she having answered. Yes ! I was made very happy all of a sudden, as I had many doubts whether she would accept me. On the 19th I went up to London and called on Rendel, Pole, Noad; Sir W. and Joseph Cubitt being out of town. I called on Mrs. Joseph, who was cordial in good wishes. Attended various meetings of the East Indian Railway Board of Directors this month.

August. On the 6th Richard Thomas and I went to Dover, where Fanny was staying with the Woodgates, and spent a delightful week there, going over to Shorncliffe, and other places. The only drawback was the melancholy condition of Richard, who we all thought was suflfering froin pulmonary consumption. He was occasionally better, but no permanent improvement was perceptible. I went for a short trip to Paris, returning on the 14th.

As Fanny Thomas was half-sister of my former wife, Jane Pope, there was some legal difficulty about our marriage taking place in England, and so to avoid trouble, we resolved to go over to Switzerland and be married there, where such marriages are not unusual, and where there is no doubt of legality or irregularity about them.

September. My old friends, Joseph Cubitt and Mrs. Cubitt, my future wife’s cousins, very kindly volunteered to go over with us to Paris, and thence to Neuchatel and witness the ceremony ; and so it came to pass that, after various dinner parties at the Cubitts, Rendels and Popes and Lindsays, we took farewell of our friends, and we four, namely, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Cubitt, Fanny Thomas and I, left London on the 13th September for Paris, where we took up our quarters at the Windsor Hotel. There was a sorrowful parting between Fanny and her brother Richard. The last who bade us farewell in London were Miss Clarke, and dear old Miss Martin, who took affectionate leave of Fanny, who was dear to her as the daughter of her early friend, Mrs. Thomas ; she is still living (and as kind as ever) with her elder sister, Mrs. Tawney.

Joseph, Ellen, Fanny and I spent a week in Paris very agreeably joyously on my part, I may say ; and to Dijon by railway, and by branch road to Dole, thence next day by hired carriage to Pontarlier, and next day to Neuchatel.

Fanny and I were married on the 26th, at 11.30 a.m. The civil contract was performed in the Hotel de Ville ; the church ceremony was performed in the old Cathedral Church of Neuchatel, at 8.30 a.m., 27th, next day. We then said good-bye to Joe and Ellen Cubitt, who went to Lausanne, and we wended our way by voiture and post horses to Berne.

We visited Lucerne, and saw the celebrated lion of Thorwaldzen, and by steamer to Fluellon, intending to cross the Alps by the St. Gothard route. This we effected, but I need give no account of the journey, it has been so often described, and is well known.

October. Arrived at Milan 2nd October.

At Venice on the 5th. For same reason I shall omit all account of Venice.

We went by steamer to Trieste in eight hours. To Hotel de la Ville. On the loth, sailed in the Austrian Lloyd’s, steamer, “ Calcutta,” the 16th, after a very fine passage.

train, 8 a.m.; reached the Nile at Caffre-clais at 11.30; reached Cairo by the river at 5.30 a.m. on the 19th, and took Fanny to see the Turkish and Egyptian bazaars. It was rather hot, and Fanny had a headache afterwards. Passengers were : General Ovans and Mrs. Ovans, and their two sons ; Mr. Doyle, Captain Maclagan and Mrs. Maclagan, Captain Harding, Mr. Kinder and others.

On the 20th we crossed the Desert, and arrived at Suez in 17.5 hours.

On the 23rd we sailed from Suez in the “ Bentinck.” Arrived at Aden on the 30th. “Bentinck,” 1,800 tons register; Bouchier, captain; Brown, ist officer; Angove, 2nd officer; Barlow, 3rd officer; Carter, 4th officer ; Bayne, purser.

November. Arrived in Calcutta 10th November, I having been away nearly seven months, or since 23rd April.

First business was to see R. M. Stephenson and Col. Baker, and then we put up at Mountain’s Hotel. Some engineers called who were in Calcutta: Vigors, Denham, Glynn, Latimer, Mudge, Taylor. The office was still at Seebpore, and I had very heavy work for some time, in arrears of correspondence, and going through accounts and measurements of works.

December. Thomas Leahy arrived in the “ White Eagle ” from Port Philip, Australia, on the Sth.

I took a large house, No. 33, Chowringhee Road ; the lower part for an office, the upper part for a dwelling-house. On the loth all things were moved into the new house, including all plans and papers. Messrs. Gore and Greene in office. There were fifty-two men in the office, including all, at that date.

On the loth went with Fanny to the first Assembly Ball in the Town Hall.

On the 17th, up the line to Raneegunge and examined the works, accompanied by Mr. Rorke, White, Stokes, Cocklindon, Adley.

On 22nd we moved from Mountain’s Hotel to our new house, 33, Chowringhee Road, and began housekeeping there.

Took Fanny and Miss Victor to the Governor-General’s ball, and back to Mountain’s Hotel at 3 a.m.

Bon Maliy Nawn the chief provider of the furniture and fittings.

So ended the year.

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