British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia

An estimated two million Europeans, mainly British, soldiers, civilians and their families, are buried in the Indian subcontinent. Without the support of individuals, many old graveyards – witness to centuries of European residence in the area - would disappear. BACSA - the British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia – is the only established organisation responsible for looking after the many hundreds of former European cemeteries, isolated graves and monuments in the area from the Red Sea to the China Coast – wherever the East India Company set foot. Objectives *Record the locations of cemeteries and monuments, and the inscriptions on headstones in South Asia; *Support local people interested in the restoration and conservation of European graveyards. Over 100 projects have benefited from BACSA funding; *Publish cemetery and church records containing names, inscriptions and biographical notes on individual tombs and gravestones; *Record monumental inscriptions in the British Isles which relate to the British connection with South Asia; *Publish our house journal, Chowkidar, twice a year, containing a wide range of news, queries about ancestors, and other topics of interest; and reviews of books about South Asia; *Hold two meetings a year in London when members hear reports on cemeteries, the progress of restoration work and talks by invited speakers; *Arrange visits to places in Britain with South Asian connections; *Sell exclusively to members second-hand books on Oriental subjects donated to BACSA; *Help track down graves of relatives and others of interest. See also: Dr Rosie Llewellyn-Jones (Expert)