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From: "Annabelle Sutton" <>
Subject: [India-L] Cadets Education.
Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 17:10:01 +0100


"Hodsons List of Officers of the Bengal Army.1758-1834."

Without taking in to consideration the elementary , or non
professional,education of a Cadet,(So far as has been ascertained,only some
5% of the whole received their education at the Universities or larger
public Schools.) the
chief places of military education through which , during the first third of
the eighteenth century, a Cadet passed before receiving his Commission were
as follows :

Addiscombe. The establishment of a Military Seminary at Addiscombe , near
Croydon , was authorised by a resolution of the Court of Directors dated 7
Apr.1809, but some Cadets had already been in residence from 21 Jan. of that
year.It was originally intended for the education of Engineer and Artillery
Cadets only,but in 1816 the admission of Infantry Cadets also was
sanctioned.The following brief extracts from the earliest regulations for
admissions to the seminary give some idea of the standards of education
expected from entrants."No Cadets to be admitted under fourteen,or above
eighteen years of age." He must be well grounded in arithmetic,including
vulgar fractions,write a good hand,and must have acquired a competent
knowledge of the English and Latin grammars." A few years later he was
expected to be "able to read and construe Caesar's Commentaries,and be
expert in vulgar and decimal fractions," on joining at Addiscombe.
When the Seminary was thrown open to Calvary and Infantry Cadets,it was laid
down , that ,"Cadets nominated for either of the above Corps must be 15
(afterwards raised to 16.) years of age,and under 22,unless they have held a
commission in His Majesty's service for one year,or in the militia or
fencibles for the same period,they are then eligible if not more than 25
years of age ; ..." The first public examination was held on 22
Dec.1809,when two Cadets for the Bengal Artillery and one for the Bengal
Engineers passed out.509 of the officers whose lives are here recorded
received their military education at Addiscombe.The last examination was
held on 7 June 1861,and two months later,the Government of India having
passed to the Crown ,the College and grounds were sold by public auction by
order of the Secretary of State for India.

Barasat Cadet College.This institution was inaugurated at Barasat,some
sixteen miles from Calcutta,towards the end of 1802.It was intended for the
instruction of the cavalry and infantry Cadets of the Bengal Army in
professional subjects in Hindustani.It was closed during the Mahratta
war,was re-opened in 1806,and was finally closed on 1 Sept. 1811, it's
methods having proved not altogether successful.Figures for the period
1802-3 are not available;but during the second phase of it's existence some
620 Cadets received instruction at the College.The length of stay at
Barasat varied according to the proficiency and industry of the Cadet from a
few months only to two years or even longer.

College of Fort William.Founded by the Marquis Wellesley,the Governor
General
in 1800 for the instruction of young Civil Servants of E.I.C., the College
of
Fort William was opened in Calcutta in Nov.1800 , and was abolished on 24
Jan.1854.Our only concern with it here ,beyond the fact that at different
times various officers held the appointment of examiner or professor of
oriental languages,is due to the fact, that after the closing of Barasat
C.C., junior officers were occasionally permitted to avail themselves of the
facilities it afforded for the study of languages of the country.

R.M.A.Woolwich.Although it appears that twelve Cadets intended for the
E.I.C.S.were sent to Woolwich (probably as "Extra Cadets ," not resident at
the Academy ) on 1 Jan.1797.yet it was not until 1798 that it was determined
that the R.M.A. should in future provide officers for the Company as well as
for the King's service.These regulations were to be carried into effect
from 1 July 1798 , and during this first year six Bengal Cadets entered the
R.M.A. Between this date and 1809 , in which latter year the Cadets destined
for India were withdrawn on the opening of the Seminary at Addiscombe,
nearly one hundred Bengal Cadets were educated at the Academy,the last
having been nominated on 16 Mar. 1808.
The Court of Directors paid at the rate of £100 p.a for each of their Cadets
at Woolwich ,in addition to a sum of £3,000 for providing the extra
accommodation required.Although some Cadets managed to pass out after 18
months' residence , in some cases as much as three years elapsed before the
Cadet was able to obtain his certificate , the average stay being 2 to 2 and
a half years.

R.M.A. Marlow. Founded by the Duke of York,the Royal Military College was
first opened , In May 1802,in a house rented for the purpose at Great Marlow
, Bucks.It was removed in 1812 to its present site at Sandhurst.Five Cadets
for the E.I.C.S. were admitted to the college in 1802 , 16 in the following
year.During the period 1802-9,in which period the E.I.Co. started its own
Seminary at Addiscombe , a total of 88 Cadets for India passed through
Marlow , of whom 30 were appointed to Bengal.

Happy hunting,
Annabelle.


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