BALRAMPUR ESTATE. A group portrait of officials, late 1880s

An interesting group of officials of Balrampur Estate, a feudatory state of Oudh, ruled by a hereditary Raja. The 11½ x 8½ ins photograph is pasted to old card and there are several small closed edge tears with some old repair to the verso. A few of the British officials are indentified on the card as H R Shields, W Innes, and Major Anson. The last named helps in dating the photograph as he is Major George Wemyss Anson, late 92nd Foot, Gordon Highlanders. He was commisioned in 1867 and seems to have spent much of his career in civil employ and staff appointments. In 1871 he was private secretary and ADC to the Lieutenant Governor of the North Western Provinces and in 1886 he was appointed as Agent to the Balrampur Estate, becoming also the magistrate in the following year. He occupies the central position, wearing a bowler hat. The standing figure in the centre wearing an elaborate uniform and an ill fitting cavalry helmet is fascinating but needs researching, as does the white bearded man with medals including an Indian Order of Merit and an Indian Mutiny Medal.

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