Darjeeling - Sir Stanley Jackson

Home movie hinting at the opulence of life for some British officials in India

This amateur film gives us a fair idea of the opulent life enjoyed by members of the British government in India. It shows the arrival of Sir Stanley Jackson, former Governor of Bengal, and Lady Jackson to Government House in Darjeeling, the 'summer seat of the Bengal government'. Shots of the church, town hall and a building with 'God Save the King' emblazoned upon on it show just how anglicised some parts of India had become. Look out, too, for Darjeeling's famous 'toy train'.

William Meiklejohn was an enthusiastic amateur filmmaker, recording his work and travels in India. He joined the Indian Forest Service in 1910, and spent most of his working life with the IFS in the North-West Frontier Province, United Provinces, Bengal and Assam.