Susan Kerr

Last Name:

Kerr

First Name:

Susan

Grave Plot No.:

214

Spatial:

Date of birth:

1822

year of death:

1849

date of death:

20 Oct 1849

Age at death:

27 yrs

Gender:

Female

Relationships:

Wife of James Kerr, Principal of Hooghly College

Full Epitaph:

Sacred to the memory of Mrs. Susan Kerr, wife of J. Kerr, Esq. Chinsurah. She died after lingering sickness of 2 years on the 20th Oct. 1849 aged 27 years Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve day and night…

Residence:

Chinsurah

Tomb architecture:

Chest tomb

Detailed information:

She was the wife of James Kerr.

James Kerr was the principal of Hooghly College and the author of A Review of Public Instruction in the Bengal Presidency, from 1835 to 1851(http://tinyurl.com/o3653yn) and also probably the father of the zoologist Sir John Graham Kerr (see ODNB http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/34301). James Kerr was also the principal of the Hindu College (now Presidency University) and reportedly had altercations with Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar. According to a popular story, he had his feet up on his table when talking to Vidyasagar who did the same thing to him and claimed that he had learnt his manners from Kerr.

His view of caste is also criticised by Govind Sadashiv Ghurye in his book Caste and Race in India (see p. 285) as encouraging the use of caste as a tool for the 'divide and rule' policy of British India.

References:

Ghurye, Govind Sadashiv. Caste and Race in India. Popular Prakashan, 1969.
Kerr, James. A Review of Public Instruction in the Bengal Presidency, from 1835 to 1851, 1852.

Any reason for importance:

Wife of James Kerr, Principal of Hindu College

Buried by:

J.C. Herdsman, missionary of the Church of Scotland

Weblink 1:

http://tinyurl.com/o3653yn

Photo name/s: