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St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore

Subhadip Mukherjee
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore

Wherever the British went they took trade along and also their religion with them. That is the very reason why you have some of the finest churches in Calcutta (Kolkata). It was not restricted to only Calcutta but across all the major cities where the British had their presence.

While Calcutta boats of massive churches and cathedrals like St. Johns Church, St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. James, etc. in Barrackpore also had built few churches for the English soldiers and their families. It was referred to as the Garrison Church since its location was right next to the army barracks. It was dedicated to St. Bartholomew and is more commonly now known as St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral.

Now if you compare it with St. Paul’s Cathedral in Kolkata it is no match in size and grandeur but it is significant considering the divisions that the churches of India are divided into.

To make it easy for you to understand let us roughly divide the churches in India into four main categories, Roman Catholic, Protestants, Orthodox, New Age Churches, etc.

Now in India multiple protestant churches (denominations) have amalgamated into a single church body known as the Church of North India (CNI) and Church of South India (CSI). And these groups comprise of smaller Diocese comprising of a big geographical area. In Kolkata, you have the Calcutta Diocese under CNI and for Barrackpore and a large part of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad and Nadia it’s under the Barrackpore Diocese.

St. Bartholomew’s happens to be the headquarters of the Barrackpore Diocese and one of the largest churches under it thus it is considered as St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral.

St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore

This is an Anglican Church that was consecrated by the Bishop in 1847.

It’s a small church when you are calling it a cathedral, it’s a single-story flat-roof church. The church consists of the main altar at the center and a smaller chapel inside to the right of the altar. On the left of the altar are seating arrangements for the choir or the congregation seniors. Seating arrangements are in two rows on benches spread across the church floor.

South Entrance of St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore – Main Entrance
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore – Main Door
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore – View from Door Towards Altar
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore – Altar, Pulpit, and Lectern
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore – Main Altar
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore – View from Altar towards Door
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore – Inside View
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore – Choir Section
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore – Pulpit
St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral Barrackpore – Side Chapel with Altar

There are many marbles as well as brass tablets and plaques around the inside wall. Most of these are dated during the British Raj.

Plaques at St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral

Plaque in memory of Ronald Winston Bryan (First Bishop of Barrackpore)
Henry Vincent Bayley (Calcutta Hight Court Judge)
Lieutenant E. W. E. Milman
Lieutenant R. M. Gage, Sergeant Thomas Edward Scotchett, Driver Edward Tylee, Gunner William Woods, Driver William Johnson, Gunner William Augur, Trumpeter Reginald Edie, Gunner John McCann, Gunner John Gairns, and Amy
Helen Mary
Elizabeth Graham
Sergeant J. Greenbury
Captain W. S. Arnold
Captain George Nugent (KIA – Gundamuck – Afghanistan)
Frederick Sherwood Taylor (Consulting Engineer for Railways)
Lieutenant Robert Moss Franklin – Died at Arrakan (Myanmar)
T. H. S. Macleod & Cadet W. Stiles
Ensign F. D. Tulloch
Captain Samuel Long (Died at Meerut)
Major Arthur William Fitzroy Somerset, Major William Robert Herries & Lieutenant John Monro
Captain N. Leslie, Captain A. G. Douglas Pennant, Captain M. R. K. Hodgson, Lieutenant C. A. Grantham, Captain E. F. Berry, Lieutenant Colonel L. M. Stow, Lieutenant Colonel D. Wood (Died at Great War WWI)
Captain C. F. V. S. Venner
Lieutenant George Salvador Mackenzie
Coat of Arms of Barrackpore Diocese
L. Birley
Major General Edward Tierney
Captain W. H. Jeremie, Lieutenant A. O. Farquharson, Lieutenant Newman & Ensign Dunster
Major Ralph Smith & Margaret Eden
Selina
43rd Field Battery
Gunner J. Holloway, Sargent Farrier J. Hutcheon, Bomber B Ginn, Gunner T. Norris, Driver W. Durrant, Gunner A. Rawle, Gunner A. Mason, & Gunner G. Richardson
Major Frederick Lock Adam
Charlotte Leicester
Frederick St.Aubyn King
Gunner John Kendal, Driver John Mc.Cluskey, Gunner Charles Beattie, Gunner John Dillion, Gunner John Binks, Ethel Maud, Sergeant Frederick Ward, Sergeant Joseph Holves, Gunner Michael Mahon, Gunner John Matthews, Bombardier James Challis, Gunner Thomas Parnell, Gunner Edward Littlewood, Lucy & Charles

Location of St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral

How to visit St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral

Two church services are held every Sunday when you can easily visit and attend the mass. The timings are 8 AM and 4.30 PM during the summer months and 8.30 AM and 4 PM during the winter months. If you wish to visit some other day in the week then you need to take permission from the church authorities located within the church compound.

Due to pandemic mass entry of visitors is restricted.

Other Blogs on Barrackpore

Flagstaff House
Barrackpore Park Latbagan
Tomb of Lady Canning
Places To Visit Around Barrackpore
Barrackpore Cemetery Commonwealth War Graves

Reference

The Story Of Government House by N. V. H. Symons
Times of India

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