Alexander Garden

Last Name:

Garden

First Name:

Alexander

Grave Plot No.:

264

Spatial:

Titles:

M.D.

Date of birth:

1795

year of death:

1845

date of death:

25 Apr 1845

Ethnicity / Origin:

Scottish

Age at death:

50 yrs

Gender:

Male

Relationships:

Married Mary Ann Douglas. 3 sons, 2 daughters. His parents were Alexander Garden. (Born 1752. Died 1804.), a Farmer at Bandley who married Grizeal McCombie, daughter of Alex McCombie farmer at Lyntruck Lochel-Cushnie (born 1733, died 1811). His brother Lt. Colonel William Garden was Deputy Quartermaster-General in the Bengal Army and was later awarded the Star of the Dooranee Empire, Second Class. William Garden also became the ADC to Queen Victoria. A half-length portrait of Colonel Garden by the Indian painter Jivan Ram can be found in the British Library. Alexander Garden's son, Archibald McDonald Garden, was also a doctor.

Full Epitaph:

Sacred/ to the memory of / Alexander Garden esq. M.D./ Presidency Surgeon/ Who died 24th April 1945/ in the 51st year of his life/Llwellyn & Co. SCTS

Occupation:

Presidency Surgeon

Place of birth / origin:

Alford, Aberdeenshire

Place of death:

Calcutta

Detailed information:

Accroding to Crawford (1914, 68), Alexander Garden was born in September 1794, completed his M.A in 1813, M.D in 1835. He was an MRCS, an assistant surgeon in 1815 and surgeon in 1826. The original list of 1844 shows him as an FRCS. Garden served in the 3rd Maratha War or the Pindari War. His son Archibald McDonald Garden was also an M.D (see Crawford p.148). He left his estate to his wife and his brother, William, was the executor of his will.

The achievements of Alexander Garden's brother, William, are of considerable interest. He participated in the Afghan campaign and the installation of Dost Muhammad on the Afghan throne for which he was awarded the Doorani Star, Second Class. William Garden was admitted to the B.N.I. in 1812 and was a captain by 1828, having taken part in the Nepal War of 1814-15 and the Third Maratha War of 1817-18. He was also something of a surveyor having drawn highly commended maps of Malwa after this last campaign.10 Garden was attached to the suite of Lord Combermere (Commander-in-Chief 1825-30), when the British successfully intervened in Bharatpur in 1825-6 to restore the infant Maharaja Balwant Singh to the throne, after he was imprisoned by his usurping cousin Durjan Sal. This war brought a large number of army officers into upper India and into Jivan Ram’s ambit. Garden was next attached to the suite of Lord Amherst (Governor-General 1823-28) in his tour of the Upper Provinces in 1826-27. Amherst visited Akbar II in 1827 and it must have been on this occasion that Jivan Ram painted Garden’s portrait in Delhi. Garden retired as Quartermaster-General of the Bengal Army with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in 1850 (Losty). Garden's portrait by Jivam Ram can be found in the British Library. A public domain digital print is attached below. (See http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/asian-and-african/2014/01/a-new-port... for an article published by the British Librayr on Jivan Ram's portrait of William Garden).

His other brother, Hugh Garden, ran a military accoutrements shop in Picadilly.

A tablet commemorating Dr Alexander Garden can be found in St. Andrews Kirk: Sacred to the Memory of Alexander Garden, Esq. M.D. -- Presidency Surgeon/ Who after a course of professional exertion marked by great kindness, assiduity and skill departed/ this life the fifty-first year of his age./ Born at Aberdeen, october 4th 1794; Died at Calcutta April 24th 1845. His friends have raised this Tablet in testimony of affection and respect./'Be ye therefore ready also: For the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not.' Luke xii. 40

Any reason for importance:

brother of William Garden (see portrait by Jivan Ram and biography).

Tomb built by:

Llewelyn & Co., Scts

Buried by:

James Charles, Sr. minister of St. Andrews Church

Photo name/s: