North Park Street Cemetery, Calcutta (Kolkata)

~ The Lone Surviving Tomb ~

Robertson Monument, North Park Street Cemetery, Calcutta (Kolkata)

Tucked away in the South – Eastern corner of the the Assembly of God Church Tower (AG Tower) complex is a strange circular structure. Supported by six Ionic pillar and crowned with a dome. It is often used for drying clothes and even as a storage space.

The structure known as the Roberson Monument is the lone surviving grave of the demolished North Park Street Cemetery.

The Mallick Bazar entrance of the Mother Teresa Sarani (formally Park Street and even formally Burial Ground Street) once housed cemeteries on its both side.

Today the cemetery only on the southern side exists and is called the South Park Street Cemetery, but the cemeteries on the north side have been demolished decades ago to give room to the expanding city.

The North Park Street Cemetery gave room to the AG Towers while the Apeejay School was built over the French Cemetery.

Opened in 1797 the huge North Park Street Cemetery once housed the graves of several well known British citizens of Calcutta, including Richmond Thackeray, the farther of novelist William Makepeace Thackeray.

The North park Street Cemetery also housed the grave of James Achilles Kirkpatrick, who was made immortal by William Dalrymple, in his best selling book White Mughals. Although his grave didn’t survive the test of time but his memorial plaque can still be seen in St. Johns Church.

Plaques, Robertson Monument,North Park Street Cemetery, Calcutta (Kolkata)

Today the almost camouflaged Robertson Monument happens to be the only remaining witness of the huge North Park Street Cemetery. It is a family grave of the Robertson Family, who have been in Calcutta for three generations and several of its male members have served the Calcutta Police in high ranks.

According to some sources it was the “Police Connection” that saved the grave from being demolished, but its locational advantage (located at one corner) definitely played a role.

Today the grave contains two plaques, although there are place for three, on the walls and one on the floor. One contains the name of Edwin Roberson, Superintendent of Calcutta Police.

Sadly the only remains of the former North Park Street Cemetery lies is utter neglect and thousand of pedestrians walk past it every day without knowing its existence.

References:

1. Robertson Monument, North Park Street Cemetery, Calcutta (Kolkata)
2. List of graves at Robertson Monument
3. Jay Walkers Guide to Calcutta, Soumitra Das