One of his sons, Antony, lives in Canada and the other, Sir Tom Shebbeare, is well known today as the former Chief Executive of the Prince’s Trust and present Director of the Prince’s Charities.
Edward Oswald Shebbeare, ‘Ned,’ the youngest son, joined the Indian Forest Service in 1906 and in 1938, having retired as Chief Conservator of Forests in Bengal, he took a job as Chief Game Warden in Malaya, where he set up the King George V National Park near Kuala Lumpur. At the outbreak of war he was sent to Singapore to train troops in jungle warfare, was captured by the Japanese and spent three and a half years as a PoW. He was a member of the 1924 and 1933 Everest Expeditions, being second in command of the latter, and was a well-known writer on Indian topics. His delightful book about an elephant that he had known for thirty-five years, Soondar Mooni, is still very popular.
Charles Hooper Shebbeare also had five daughters, all strong characters, none of whom married. Ursula Katherine (‘Kitty’) was for many years a missionary in China, while Margaret ran her own nursing home and started a club for nurses in Cavendish Square. Hilda was connected with nursing also and Monica worked in a bank, which was rather unusual at the time. Two of them, Mary and Margaret, lived later in Scarborough with their brother, Laurence Robert Inge (‘Bill’), who had been badly injured in the First World War. These two ‘Scarborough Aunts’ were very strict, in a nice way, and had very clear house rules that young members of the family rather appreciated, as they said that ‘they knew where they stood’ when they went to stay.
Henry Francis (‘Harry’) Shebbeare went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, and practised as a barrister in his father’s chambers. He married a cousin, Lily Lucy Roberta Wolfe, by whom he had four children. Lucy was unmarried and Celia, who was a nursing sister in the First World War, married a classical scholar and writer, Denis Turner; Henry Vivian was an architect and a talented artist in oils and watercolours, who exhibited in London from 1920 to 1960; Francis Wolfe fought in the First World War and in 1917 wrote a letter to Celia which ends: ‘I am at the moment living in a very nice farmhouse, and the country is looking its best. I shall be going up the line again shortly, and its getting a bit hot up there now.’ He was shot in both legs and wounded severely at La Vacquerie where he was serving with the Machine Gun Corps, and invalided home. He continued the Family Book started by Henry Francis and married a glamorous actress called Maritza (‘Betty’), daughter of Sir Harry and Lady Lowndes.
Reginald John (‘Jack’) Shebbeare worked for forty-three years at Somerset House, where he became a Principal Clerk, and had four children. Two of the sons, Ernest Reginald and Wilfred George, became priests. The former was one of the Brighton clergymen who left the Church of England in 1910 and converted to Roman Catholicism. He was priest at Woodbridge in Suffolk and rebuilt the church there to his own design. The latter became Dom Alphege Shebbeare OSB, and was a noted musician who taught at Downside. Claude Eustace Shebbeare, following the family tradition, became a barrister in his uncle’s chambers; he was keenly interested in genealogy and heraldry and was the father of Mary Lamb, who has been so kind in supplying information about the family.
Sources
Family Bibles, correspondence, wills, deeds, parish registers, family books and memoirs, notes for a talk to the Okehampton History Society by the late Major J.D. Shebbeare, and information supplied by Robert Inge Shebbeare and Mary Lamb.
John Govett LVO, a descendant of Margaretta Louisa Shebbeare, has kindly provided a selective Shebbeare family tree. Apologies to the members of the many ancillary lines whose names, for lack of space, do not appear, but space has been left below the Family Tree for further handwritten additions.
Line from Shebbeares at Bideford and Okehampton
BIBLIOGRAPHY
An Officer Who Served There, History of the Siege of Delhi, Adam and Charles Black, Edinburgh, 1861.
David, Saul, The Indian Mutiny, 1857, Viking, London, 2002. An excellent, well-researched and interesting book, on which I have much relied in making the brief introductions to the chapters.
Daly, General Sir Henry Dermot, Memoirs of Sir Henry Dermot, 1905.
Entract, J.P., ‘Riddell’s Record of the 60th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry: With a Sequel on the 3rd Europeans’. In Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, War Office, 1964.
Harris, Major General J.T., ‘China Jim’ Being Incidents and Adventures in the Life of an Indian Mutiny Veteran, Heinemann, London, 1912.
Hibbert, Christopher, The Great Mutiny; India 1857, London, 1980.
Hodson, G.H., Twelve Years of a Soldier’s Life in India: Being Extracts from the Letters of the Late Major W.S.R. Hodson, London, 1859.
Jackson, Major Donovan, India’s Army, Sampson Low, Marston and Co. Ltd., London, 1940.
Khan, Sir Syed Ahmad, The Causes of Indian Revolt (1857), Lahore, 1873.
Knollys, Captain, The Victoria Cross in India, London, 1876.
Lumsden, P.S. and Elmsmie, G.R., Lumsden of the Guides, London, 1899.
McCrumm, Lieutenant General Sir George, History of the Guides, 1846—1922, Gale and Polden Ltd, Aldershot, 1938.
Mason, Philip, A Matter of Honour: An Account of the Indian Army. Its Officers and Men, Jonathan Cape, London, 1974.
Norman, Major H.W., A Narrative of the Campaign of the Delhi Army, W.H. Dalton, London, 1858.
——, Field Marshal Sir Henry Wylie, Memoirs of Field Marshal Sir Henry Wylie Norman, London, 1908.
Pearson, Hesketh, The Hero of Delhi, Penguin, London, 1939.
Reid, General Sir Charles, GCB, Extracts from letters and notes written down during the Siege of Delhi in 1857,
Henry S. King, London.
Rotton, John E.W., The Chaplain’s Narrative of the Siege of Delhi, London, 1858 and Blackett, London, 1866.
Russell, William Howard, My Indian Mutiny Diary, edited by Michael Edwardes, Cassell and Co. Ltd., London, 1957.
Seaton, Major General Sir Thomas, KCB, From Cadet to Colonel. The Record of a Life of Active Service, Hurst and Blackett, London, 1866.
Shebbeare, Family Papers. Letters home from Major Robert Haydon Shebbeare. Memo book, 1855—6 (when Adjutant of 60th NI). Diary, 1860. Correspondence concerning the effects and affairs of the late Lt Alexander Murray, attached to the Guides, killed at Kissengunge. Miscellaneous administrative records of the 15th Punjab Regiment. Letters of condolence to Charles John Shebbeare. Correspondence concerning the financial affairs of Major Robert Shebbeare after his death. Letters to Robert Shebbeare from Messrs Reid, Seaton, Muter and Daly. Orders from Hindoo Rao’s Picquet.
Toomey, T.E., Heroes of the Victoria Cross, George Newnes Ltd, London, 1895.
Walker, Colonel T.N., Through the Mutiny. Reminiscences of 30 Years Active Service and Sport in India (1854—66), Gibbings and Co., London, 1907.
Wilson, Major General Archdale, Correspondence, National Army Museum.
INDEX
Names referred to in the text
Anson, General the Hon, George
Arbuthnot, 4th Cavalry
Baker, Lieutenant George (notes)
Barnard, Sir Henry
Beato, Felice
Benee, Madho
Best, Henry
Birch, George
Birch, Mrs
Bond, Lieutenant E.E.B., Guide Corps
Bowles, 60th Rifles
Bracken, Mr W., Calcutta
Bruce, Colonel
Burslem, Lieutenant Nathaniel
Butler, Guide Corps
Campbell, Sir Colin, Lord Clyde
Campbell, Sir Edward
Canning, Lord
Chamberlain, Brigadier Neville
Chatar Singh
Chester, Colonel C.
Coghill, Lieutenant Kendal, 2nd EBF
Coke, Major
Cotton, General
Crofton, Brigadier
Daly, Major H.D., Guide Corps (notes)
Davidson
De Brett, H.
Doyne
Droug
ht, Major Richard, 60th BNI(notes)
Dunleary, Sergeant, Guide Corps
Edwardes, Sir Herbert
Elgin, Lord
Elton, Lt, J.F., 15th Punjab
Evans, J.A.
Eveleigh, Colonel
Fane
Farquhar, Lieutenant Colonel
Gough, Lieutenant Hugh, 3rd Cavalry
Grant, Major General Sir James Hope
Greathed, Colonel E.
Greville, Guide Corps
Grindall, Commissariat
Gros, Baron
Haig, Mrs
Harris, Lieutenant J.T., 15th Punjab(notes)
Hawes, Lieutenant, Guide Corps
Hay
Hay, Lord John
Heathcote, 60th Rifles
Hill, 60th Rifles
Hodge, Captain RN, CO Bentinck
Hodson, Major W.S.R. (notes)
Hudson, Lieutenant RN, CO of Leven
Hughes, Mr
Innes, Lieutenant
Jacob, Guide Corps
Jones, 9th Lancers
Jones, Brigadier
Keates, Surgeon Major, 60th BNI
Kennedy
Keppel, Lieutenant W.G., 15th Punjab
Koodratoola, Subadar
Lawrence, Captain Richard
Lawrence, Sir Henry
Lin, Chinese Commissioner
Lock, Mr, Collector Rohtuck
Longfield, Brigadier
Lumsden
MacDowell
Maturin, Matchurin
Maynard, Major, HM 88th
McBarnett, Captain
McLean, Lieutenant C., 1st Cavalry
McNiel
Metcalfe, Lieutenant H.D., 15th Punjab
Meyer, Surgeon, Bentinck
Mitchell, General
Montgomery, Robert
Mundy, Mrs
Murray, Lieutenant A.W., 42nd BNI, attached to Guide Corps
Muter, Captain D.D.
Napier, General Sir Robert
Nicholson, Brigadier John (notes)
Norman, Major Henry (notes)
Oude, King of
Palmer, Colonel, 60th Rifles
Peskett, Mrs
Phelps, Revd.
Pollock, Major General George (notes)
Pratt, Lieutenant K.M., 15th Punjab
Randall, Lieutenant W., 15th Punjab,
Reid, Major Charles (notes)
Renzey, A.C.C. de, Surgeon, Simla
Riddell, Colonel J.P.(notes)
Riddell, Mrs
Rose, Major General Sir Hugh
Salkeld, Lieutenant Philip
Sanctuary, Mrs
Seaton, Colonel Thomas, CO 60th BNI(notes) (notes)
Shere Singh
Showers, Brigadier
Sing, Dyal, Robert Shebbeare’s batman
Smith, Lieutenant B.H., 15th Punjab
Smith, Lieutenant Colonel, 60th BNI(notes)
Smyth, Colonel, 8th Cavalry
Sotheby, Lieutenant F.E., 15th Punjab
Sutton, Brigadier
Taylor
Walker, Lieutenant T.N., 60th BNI(notes)
Walker, Colonel
Ward, Lieutenant E.B., 15th Punjab
Wellington, Duke of
Wilmot
Wilson, Brigadier Archdale (notes) (notes)
Wilson, J.R.
Yule, Lieutenant Colonel
Military Units
Bengal Native Infantry:
5th; 11th; 15th; 19th; 20th; 28th; 34th; 55th; 60th(note) (note), and generally throughout Chapters One and Two.
3rd Cavalry
4th Irregular Cavalry
9th Lancers
Hodson’s Horse
European Horse Artillery
60th Rifles
Guide Corps
Gurkha battalions
Punjab Infantry:
4th; 10th; 15th, throughout Chapter Five
62nd Queen’s Regiment
75th Foot
88th Foot
Hurrianah Light Infantry
Coke’s Rifles
1st European Bengal Fusiliers
2nd European Bengal Fusiliers
Hindoo Rao’s house from the observatory.
Hindoo Rao’s house.
Bridge of boats over the River Jumna.
The Metcalfe Stables Picket.
Map of Delhi.
Sketch map of enemy positions (with Hindu Rao’s house at the bottom).
Officers of the 15th Punjab Regiment. Robert Shebbeare is seated, 2nd from right, middle row.
Native officers and men of the 15th Punjab Regiment, 1860.
The war in China ( from the Illustrated London News). Officers of the 15th Punjab relax in their tent at Pehtang, 1860.
Charles John
Louisa Matilda
Charles Hooper
Henry Francis
Margaretta Louisa
Helen Charlotte
Reginald John
Alice Mary
Indian Mutiny and Beyond Page 18
