The Scottish Cemetery in Kolkata

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On 17 October 2017, we were joined by Tom Addyman, a partner of Simpson and Brown architects since 1998.  Tom heads up the Archaeology Division of the firm and, over the years,  has been involved in a number of excavations at home and abroad, including the Scottish cemetery in Kolkata where he was member of a team assembled under the auspices of the Kolkata Scottish Heritage Trust.

17 October Scottish CemeteryThe Scottish cemetery, which was established in 1820, is associated with the nearby St Andrews Church. Its graves and memorials provide an historical snap shot of the  many Scots living and working in Kolkata during the 19th and 20th centuries. Many graves were constructed and designed by Scottish sculptors.  By 2008, however, when the team began conservation work, the cemetery  had become  extremely overgrown.

Tom presented a fascinating overview of  his archaeological involvement and the formidable practical challenges which he and other members of the team faced.

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About Alastair Learmont

Alastair Learmont is a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh. Alastair graduated in Classics from the University of Bristol in 1986 and was called to the Scottish Bar in 1993. For many years he worked as a criminal prosecutor. He returned to academic life in 2012 graduating MSc (with Distinction) in 18th Century Cultures at the University of Edinburgh in 2014. He has recently completed an MSc (Research) in Economic and Social History. He has considerable experience as an adult educator with the City of Edinburgh Council, the National Galleries of Scotland, the University of Edinburgh and the Outlook Project. He is also an experienced walking guide regularly leading walks of cultural interest in Edinburgh and the Borders. He has spoken and written on John Buchan. Recent adult education work includes Scotland and Slavery for the University of Edinburgh's department of Life Long Learning. He currently holds an ESRC research studentship at the University of Edinburgh and a McFarlane scholarship at the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies where he is jointly responsible for co-ordinating the lunchtime Graduate Workshop. In 2016 he tutored Economic History at pre-honours level. He is currently undertaking doctoral research into the Scottish West Indian Planter Class at the time of the British Abolition of the Slave Trade.

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