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Sir. Henry Lawrence is Dead
July 4When Sir Henry Lawrence got hit by a piece of shell (fired from the 8 inch howitzer which was taken by the nationalists in the Battle of Chinhut), it nearly took off his left leg, just below the thigh and left him mortally wounded.
The time was 9 a m. on July 2nd.
The shell had burst in a rather exposed room on the first storey of the north-east angle of the Residency (See photograph). On the previous day too (July 1) another shell had fallen into the same apartment and Sir Henry had been advised to abandon the room. But he refused. Ultimately, he was taken to Doctor Joseph Fayrer’s (the Residency surgeon) house, where he succumbed to his wounds on the morning of July 4,1857.
However, just before his death, he appointed Major J S Banks his successor as the Chief Civil authority and Brigadier John Inglis to command the troops of the garrison. No military honours marked his cremation. For the British, times were too stern for such demonstration of respect.
I am glad he did get some medical help. Wonder if Sepoys would have offered to let a surgeon go in to help him?
Sepoys might have let a surgeon go to the residency but I doubt if Lawrence would ever ask for help in these situation
Sir Joseph Fayrer was the in -house Surgeon of the Residency and was posted there long before the rebellion had started.It was to Dr Fayrer’s house (in the Residency premises ) that Sir Henry was shifted consequent upon his injury on the morning of June 2.. Thiw was for two reasons (a) He would get constant attention of the Surgeon and (b) Sir Fayrer’s house was not so much exposed to the “rebel’s” snipers as other areas.However, the injury being very severe, Sir Henry passed away on the morning of July 4.There was no question of any outside surgeon helping him For more details read Sir Joseph Fayrer’s Recollections of My Life (William Blackwood, Edinburgh 1900)
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