During the colonial days St. John’s Church, Kolkata was an important place of worship for the Europeans designed by Lieutenant James Agg, a Bengal Engineer, representing English and Greek architecture characterized by tall columns that support the church complex, impressive portico and eye-catching paintings by Johann Zoffany, floor with a rare hue of blue-gray marble stones, brought from the medieval ruins of Gour, and were shipped down the Hooghly River to the site. It was built using a combination of brick and stone on the model of St.Martin-in-the fields of London.
Thanks to the the Maharaja Nabo Kishen Bahadur, the founder of the Shovabazar Raj Family who donated the land for building the the church. The foundation stone was laid by Warren Hastings, the Governor General of India on 6 April 1784.
 |
| St. John`s Church, Kolkata, The Victorian Web |
 |
| Interior of St. John's Church, Kolkataen.wikipedia.org |
Located at the NW corner of the Governor House (Raj Bhavan) St. John’s Church was built in 1787 and is the third oldest church in Calcutta (Kolkata), the others are the Armenian and the Old Mission Churches. This Anglican Cathedral of Calcutta functioned till 1847 when it was transferred to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The cost of construction then was Rs.30,000.00.
 |
| interior, St. John`s Church, Kolkata, Deep's Travelogue |
James Achilles Kirkpatrick (1764-1805):
Resident of Hyderabad), popularly known as the White Mughal died in Calcutta on 15th October 1805 at the age of 41 and was buried at the North Park Street Cemetery. But there is neither his grave nor the cemetery existing today. James Kirkpatrick' father and his brother erected the Plaque of James Kirkpatrick, on the southern wall of Church still exists. But the epitaph is odd and inappropriate.
James Pattle (1775 - 1845):
There is a memorial of James Pattle who is great-great-grandfather of William Dalrymple, noted novel writer, on the south walls of St. John's Church. James Prattle was known as the greatest liar in India. A man supposed to be so wicked that the Devil had a strong hold on him and wouldn’t let him leave India after he died.
Johann Zoffany (3 March 1733-11 November 1810):
 |
| Last Supper by German Johann Zoffanyst.John's, Kolkata. iCapture |
He was a German neo-classical painter who drew the Last Supper as drawn by renowned Leonardo Da Vinci and presented it here on the walls of the church with Indian elements. It is not a replica of the original one and the painting shows a sword, Indian spittoon and a beasties bag - a goat skin bag used for storing water. They
The old graves and the monuments of St John’s Church include Job Charnock’s Mausoleum, a Monument dedicated to those killed in the Black Hole of Calcutta, Second Rohilla War Memorial and the graves of Lady Canning, Lord Braboune and the judges of Supreme Court of India at that time, which is now the Calcutta High Court.
Job Charnock (c.1630–1692/1693):
Job Charnock’s Mausoleum, located at the back northwest corner of St John's Church grounds is in memory of Charnock (an administrator with East India company), who is believed to be the founder of Calcutta City. The octagonal cenotaph, erected by his his son in law Charles Ayer, includes the grave of Job Charnock. He died in 1693, just three years after his third visit to what would become Calcutta. The grave gives his date of demise as January 1692. There is a small gated cemetery part-paved with 18th century grave stones. The Mausoleum was built of pinkish stones brought all the way from Pallavaram near Chennai,formerly Madras, Tamil Nadu.
Black Hole Memorial (20 June 1756):
 |
| une 1756-Blackhole of Calcutta. alchetron.com |
 |
| Blackhole memorial, St.John's church, Kolkata. apis.google.com |
The Monument was erected by Holwell, British general includes a tablet carrying the name of the British who were imprisoned by the Nawob of Bengal during the siege of Ft.William in a small room, measuring 14 feet by 8 feet without ventilation and consequently out of 146, only 23 survived and the rest were purportedly died due to suffocation, heat and stroke. The number of casualty and the very nature of this incident are still a subject of debate. the British made a mountain out of a mole hill to get sympathy from the public in England.
Rohilla Memorial:
It is the name of the Pashtun tribe of the Pakistan and Afghanistan border settled in the Oudah region and they were in the employee of the Nawob. Being sturdy and obdurate, over a period of time, they became a menace to the Nawob of Oudah Shuja - ud - Daula. Conflicts broke out between the Nawob's forces and the tribes. The British backed the Nawob in the 1774 battle. At last, the ruler suppressed the warring tribes. A memorial was erected on the premises of St. John's church, Calcutta in memory of those British who lost their lives in the war.
Lady Canning, daughter of the British ambassador, Charles Stuart (later Baron Stuart de Rothesay) married Charles Canning in 1836 in England. Lady Canning arrived in India in 1856 to be with her husband. In1861,she contracted Malaria and died in her husband's arms. Her mortal remains are near St. John's church. Lady Canning elaborately decorated memorial lies on the Northern corridor
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's_Church,_Kolkata
