William Walter Mendes

Last Name: 
Mendes
First Name: 
William Walter
Grave Plot No.: 
726
Spatial: 
Date of birth: 
1832
year of death: 
1841
date of death: 
15 Nov 1841
Age at death: 
9 yrs 3m 7d
Gender: 
Male
Relationships: 
The son of Reverend Lewis Mendes, the longest serving Deacon of the Lalbazar Baptist church (18.11.1838 - 29.07.1868) and Louisa Mendes.
Full Epitaph: 
"Affection’s last tribute to Louisa, The beloved wife of L. Mendes, She fell asleep in Jesus JanY 4th 1841, aged 27 years “I opened not my mouth because thou didst it.” Also of their son William Walter A pious & promising youth who died NovR 15th 1841, Aged 9 years 3 Mos. and 7 days “It is the Lord let Him do what seemeth Him good” -Dowling Sct."
Residence: 
Lal Bazar
Cause of death: 
Cholera
Detailed information: 

Lewis Mendes was the longest serving Deacon of the Lalbazar Baptist Church. Lewis was born in 1807 in a Roman catholic household and was eventually baptisd on 30th December 1832. Louisa and he were therefore from two different sets of beliefs before Louisa was finally converted on 29th November 1835. Post Louisa's death, Lewis married Charlotte, the daughter of Reverend William Thomas. However after her death, he never married again. Lewis was one of the most important figures behind the functioning of the church and his association with the chapel was strong. Before his death he has wished that his body after death should be brought to the chapel for a short service before burial. Although he breathed his last at Burdwan, his wish was duely complied. However apart from his religious activities, Lewis also had other interests. He had started the first cheap daily newspaper of Calcutta, called 'The Citizen,' from 2nd February 1851 with John Newmarch and Capt. Francis Palmer as editors and continued the same till 30th June 1857, when the mutiny forced it to a stop. Soon after, from 1st january 1864, he became the proprietor of the 'Bengal hurkaru and the India gazette' (amalgamated form) before finally selling it to S.E.J. Clarke in October that year. Few years later, in 1867, he started another weekly newspaper called the 'Indian Examiner.' Lewis had also laid the foundation of an auctioneering business earlier on in his life and looked after it untill his death. Lewis' son was also the first native to receive the L.L.D. degree from the Queen of England. (The Story of the Lall Bazar Baptist Church, Calcutta - Edward Steane Wenger). Lewis would eventually be buried in William Thomas' grave, which is also in the Scottish cemetery.

Biblical References: 
1 Samuel 3:18 - It is the Lord let Him do what seemeth Him good
This record has been created by:: 

Sudipto Mitra