Proclamation of Queen Victoria as Empress of India 1877

George Sutton Titheradge (1848 - 1916)
Famous Victorian Actor 

Proclamation of Queen Victoria as Empress of India 1877

Early in our family research we learnt that it was George Sutton Titheradge who proclaimed Queen Victoria as Empress of India. He was born in Portsmouth and lived from 1848 to 1916. He became a famous Victorian actor in England and Australia.

The information came from an article published in The Australian Dictionary of Biography. It said:
“In 1876 George joined the Chippendale Classical Comedy Company and late that year he played Hamlet at the Corinthian Theatre, Calcutta. He was the herald at Lord Lytton's durbar in Delhi and on 1 January 1877 announced Queen Victoria as Empress of India”

Delhi Durbar

The Delhi Durbar was a mass assembly organised by the British at Coronation Park, Delhi, India. It took place on 1 January 1877 to proclaim Queen Victoria as Empress of India. The Durbar was an official event attended by Lord Lytton, who was Viceroy of India, royalty from all the provinces of India and the senior British dignitaries; nearly 70,000 people attended. It was an extravaganza of pomp and ceremony.

A report at the time in the Illustrated London News gave the following description
“The Viceroy, who was accompanied by Lady Lytton and his daughters, ascended the dais and took his seat on the Imperial throne. The heraldic trumpeters sounded a flourish, and the Chief Herald, read the Imperial Proclamation in English; a translation in the Urdu language was read by the Foreign Secretary to the General Government of India. A salute of one hundred and one guns was fired by the artillery, and a feu de joie by the infantry. The Viceroy then delivered his speech, explaining the motives and consequences of this great political act. The National Anthem was played by all the military bands.”

Paintings of occasion by Prinsep can be seen at this link

 Conflicting stories

Nowhere was George Sutton Titheradge mentioned in the newspaper or other historical accounts of the event and I began to doubt the accuracy of my information. I found numerous images of the durbar, one showed the herald but he did not look like George. Later I found another picture with the label “The Imperial Assembly at Delhi: The Chief Herald (Major Barnes) Reading the Proclamation”. You can see it at this link . So if Major Barnes was the Chief Herald how did George fit in with this story?

In some old Australian newspapers from 1903 I found others questioning whether George, really had had the honour of proclaiming Queen Victoria Empress of India at the Delhi Durbar. The story quoted Mr Robert Howlett who said “In October 1876 I was stationed at Lucknow as trumpeter in the 13th Hussars, and I received instructions to proceed to Umballa for the purpose of being attached to the 11th Hussars, as I had been selected to act as one of the heralds at the Durbar at Delhi. Every other cavalry regiment in Bengal was also required to send a trumpeter.  At Umballa, we rehearsed the flourish of trumpets. In December we went to Delhi, and were attached to the staff of the Viceroy (Lord Lytton), who was present at the proclamation of the Empress at Delhi on January 1. The proclamation was read by Major Barnes, of the Native Cavalry, who was a clever linguist. He read the proclamation in English, Persian and Hindustani.”

Something was wrong with our original story about George. It was one of those puzzling queries I kept coming back to and it is only recently that I have sorted out the mystery.

Proclamation at Calcutta

The clue came in an English newspaper reference that said the formal proclamation took place on New Year’s Day 1877 at Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and Delhi.

An article in an Australian newspaper gave the answer,George read the proclamation not at the big Durbar in Delhi but at another proclamation in Calcutta:

The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA) 8 January 1903. 

“Mr. F. H. Pollock, lessee and manager of the Theatre Royal, Adelaide, said: "Titheradge and I went out from England together for the season at the Corinthian Theatre, Calcutta, just before the durbar in 1877. He was leading man, and I was managing. Titheradge was a fine elocutionist, and he was chosen by Lord Lytton, who was then Viceroy of India, to read the proclamation. The appointment caused a lot of jealousy. Titheradge after wards received a parchment roll from the authorities at home. It was signed by Queen Victoria, and expressed her Majesty's thanks for his services at the durbar. Titheradge read the proclamation from a platform erected on the Midan (an open space), in the presence of-a-vast crowd. Every person in our theatrical company had a ticket for a seat close to the platform. This was at Calcutta not Delhi.”

A picture of the occasion can be found at this link .

George Suttton Titheradge’s Personal view

George Sutton Titheradge
(1848 - 1916)

Some newspaper interviews with George later in his life confirmed that he read the proclamation at Calcutta.

Evening News (Sydney NSW)  12 June 1897

“While I was in India I had a very curious experience. I was engaged by the Indian Government as the Herald to read the proclamation of Her Majesty as Empress of India at Calcutta. It was the first time I had ever spoken in the open air. I have often won bets since about the number of people I have addressed at once, as the largest theatre only hold from 3000 to 4000 people. I always win. I should say there were at least 200,000 people present including troops.”

Sunday Times (Sydney NSW) 29 June 1913

 “It is with, a feeling of pride, that I recall the fact that it was my voice which pronounced the words proclaiming Queen Victoria to be the Empress of India. Hanging on the wall of my study, is a framed testimonial, presented to me by the Government of India, in honour of the occasion, and whenever my eye falls on it pleasant memories of my roving past float before me. It is the one link that binds me to a land where I spent many happy years.”

The testimonial referred to above read "Under command of his Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General this certificate is presented in the name of her most gracious Majesty Victoria, Empress of India, to George Sutton Titheradge Esq, in recognition of his distinguished service as herald at the Durbar held for the Proclamation of the Imperial title at Calcutta, on January 1, 1877."