Lieut Col Wridenhall Roberts Pogson died 1843 at Benares

Atul Hundoo

The resting place of Lieut Col W.R. Pogson died 1843
Photos by my young friend and colleague Atul Hundoo
Twenty nine years ago I chanced upon this grave, encircled
  by small shops or gumtis, with just the dome visible from
the slightly raised level-crossing nearby. Since my arrival in
 Varanasi in October 1984, while working for The Pioneer,
 I had visited most places that attract tourists and
the devout, the temples, ghats, Sarnath and
the Benaras Hindu University. I also visited two Christian
cemeteries, one in the Cantonment and the other on
the Sarnath side of the Varuna river, to find the grave of
my great grandmother, Amelia Martha Shepherd,
nee Hand, died circa 1903 which was there and intact!
The cemetery was divided by the main road in unequal
 parts. The older, larger 18th century section,  had
a tall obelisk to the memory of  four Britishers who
 had been killed by Wazer Ali in 1799. This was quite a
surprise because it was something I had learnt
 in history in class VII  and forgotten!
Back to the present: Atul Hindoo who had been visiting
Varanasi frequently was off on another trip, this time to
take pictures for a coffee table book. After explaining
to him the location with the help of a Google map he
located the grave. While the Pogson memorial is in
relatively good condition, no thanks to the
Archaeological Survey of India, one can see it is
being used for other purposes.

The inscription, painted over by a self-appointed
 Keeper, reads:
Sacred
TO THE MEMORY OF
LIEUTENANT COLONEL
WRIDENHALL ROBERTS POGSON
OF THE XLII REGIMENT
NATIVE INFANTRY 
BORN XX JULY 1789
DIED AT BENARES 
ON THE 6TH(?) OF AUGUST 1843
AGED
56 YEARS ONE MONTH AND SIX(?) DAYS
THE MEMORIAL IS ERECTED 
BY THE OFFICERS OF THE FORTY SEVETH
AND HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY
(LAST LINE ILLEGIBLE)
The spelling of his
given first name differs from other records
FIBIS records show that as a major commanding
the 47th NI in 1838, Pogson's
youngest daughter, Susan Lucretia, died aged
1 year 11 months and was buried at 
Church Cemetery, Agra Cantonment
Source: Typed by Brig H Bullock 17-12-1948

Superstitions are often created with an ulterior
 motive. 

This pic shows that Pogson who died 171 yrs ago 
likes tea and cigarettes. There are is also the
grave of Capt Wales at Musabagh, Lucknow
and a grave in Agra were cigarettes and
booze are offered.  

Above the rly tracks (running from L to R)
 is  the cantonment. Memorial in circle.