in Lower Bengal, Commissioner of various Divisions and Member of the Board of Revenue: retired, 1893: an Oriental scholar: wrote in the J.A.S.B: and in the Indian Antiquary: also Outlines of Indian Philology, 1867: edited Sir H. Elliot's Supplemental Glossary of Indian Terms, 1869: his chief work was A Comparative Grammar of the Aryan Languages, 1872–9: and a Bengali Grammar, 1891: wrote in the Imperial, and Asiatic Quarterly Reviews: died May 42, 1902.
BEATSON, GEORGE STEWARD ( ? –1874)
M.D. Glasgow, 1836: entered the Army Medical Department, 1838; served in Ceylon, 1839–51: in the Burmese war of 1852: the Crimea, Ionian Islands, Madras: Surgeon-General in India and P.M.O. of European troops, 1863–8, and again, 1871–4: was in charge of Netley Hospital 1868–71: Honorary Physician to the Queen: C.B. 1869: died at Simla, June 7, 1874.
BEATSON, STUART BROWNLOW (1854–)
Born July 11, 1854: son of Capt. W. S. Beatson, of the H.E.I.C.S: educated at Wellington: joined the Indian Army, 1873: served on N.W. Frontier, 1878, in Afghanistan, 1878–80: Egypt, 1882: N.W. Frontier, 1897–98: South Africa, 1901: Inspr-General of Imperial Service Troops: Colonel and C.B.
BEATSON, WILLIAM FERGUSON (1804–1872)
General: son of Captain Robert Beatson, R.E: entered the Bengal Army in 1820: served, while on furlough, with the British Legion in Spain, 1835–6: at the capture of Jigni in Bundelkund, 1840: Chirgong, 1841: in the Sind compaign, 1844: served under Sir C. Napier, 1845, in the Bugti hills: commanded the Nizam's cavalry: took Rymow from the Rohillas in 1848: organised the Bashi-bazouks in the Crimean campaign, 1854–5: in the mutiny, raised two regiments of cavalry, named, "Beatson's Horse": commanded the Allahabad Division, 1866, and the Umbala Division, 1869: died Feb. 4, 1872.
BECHER, SIR ARTHUR MITFORD (1816–1887)
General: son of Colonel G. Becher: educated at Addiscombe: was in the Afghan war, 1839: at Ghazni: in the Satlaj campaign, 1845–6: at Mudki, Firozshahr, Sobraon: Brevet - Major: A.D.C. to the Governor-General: in the Panjab campaign, 1848–9: at the siege and capture of Multan, and at Gujarat: Q.M.G. in India, 1852–63: severely wounded at the siege of Delhi, 1857: C.B., 1858: Bengal Staff Corps: commanded the Sirhind Division, 1865–9: Maj-General, 1861: died Oct, 5. 1887.
BECHER, JOHN REID (1819–1884)
General: son of Colonel John Becher, of the Bengal Cavalry: born 1819: educated at Bruce Castle, Tunbridge Wells, and Addiscombe: went to India in the Bengal Engineers in 1839: from Firozpur with Wild's Brigade, to relieve Ali Masjid in Jan. 1842, and on with General Pollock's advance to Kabul: in Satlaj campaign, at Sobraon, Feb. 10, 1846, severely wounded: engaged in Rajputana boundary settlements, 1847, and on land inquiries in the Panjab: Deputy Secretary to the Panjab Board of Administration: Deputy Commissioner of Hazara, 1853–9: C.B: in Sydney Cotton's expedition of 1858 against the Sitana fanatics: Commissioner of the Derajat, 1862: and of Peshawar, 1864: retired in 1866: died July 9, 1884: one of the distinguished group of officers employed in the Panjab under the Lawrences in the early days after its annexation in 1849: "of all prominent Panjab officials there was certainly none more loved and respected than Becher."
BECHER, RICHARD ( ? –1782)
Related to Anne Becher, mother of W. M. Thackeray the novelist: went out to Calcutta as a writer in the E. I. Co.'s service, 1743: in 1756 was Fourth in the Bengal Council and Chief of Dacca: when Calcutta was taken by Suraj-ud-daula, Becher with his family escaped from the city, with others: returning, 1757, when Calcutta was retaken by the English. In 1761 Becher was dismissed from the Company's service for having signed Clive's independent letter of remonstrance to the Directors two years before. Six years later, 1767, when Clive was Governor of Bengal, Becher was re-appointed to the Bengal Council, and in 1769 was made Resident at Murshidabad, with local
