Lady Login and the Koh-i-Noor diamond (2012)

Post date: Nov 12, 2012 10:5:19 PM

The Daily Telegraph reported on 10th September 2012 that the descendants of the last Maharaja of the Sikhs were launching a court action to force the Indian government to intensify its efforts to reclaim the Koh-i-Noor diamond. The last Maharaja of the Sikhs was Duleep Singh. Sir John Login became the guardian of Duleep Singh in 1849 when Duleep was 11 years old. Login's widow, Lady Lena Campbell Login, came to Wateringbury to live in the Thatched House (then known as Gracedieu) on Tonbridge Road,and whilst in Wateringbury she wrote a book (580 pages) entitled Sir John Login and Duleep Singh.

The preface to the book ends

LENA LOGIN

GRACEDIEU, WATERINGBURY , KENT,

July 4th , 1889

but the book does not cover her time in Wateringbury at all and she subjugates her own role to that of her husband for whom she had an obvious continuing high regard ("a truer man, one imbued with sense of duty,and more fearless in the performance of it, never served the East India Company"). She was, however, herself personally closely involved in bringing up Duleep Singh, personally knew, along with her husband, Queen Victoria and involved in the formal presentation of the Koh-i-noor by Duleep to the Queen.

The story of the Koh-i-Noor is that after the Second Sikh War of 1849 the Punjab was annexed by the East India Company and Duleep Singh (born 4th September 1838) was deposed from the throne and Dr Login was made his guardian with "entire authority over His Highness's household during his boyhood". All state property went to the East India Company with the exception of the Koh-i-Noor diamond which was made over to Queen Victoria. In 1850 Duleep announced his intention to become a Christian which caused great surprise and concern, but he was eventually allowed to cut his Sikh long tress of hair and then be baptised (1853). He wanted to go to England but permission was delayed until 1854. Shortly after his arrival in England with Dr. and Mrs. Login he was given an audience by the Queen, followed by many other royal visits both at Windsor and Osborne with Dr. Login getting a knighthood during one visit. Lady Login was asked by the Queen if Duleep ever spoke of the Koh-i-Noor; when asked Duleep said he would like to have the diamond in his hands again so he could himself present it to the Queen, which he did in Lady Login's presence (1854).

He visited Scotland with the Logins and hired a house, Castle Menzies in Perthshire, for shooting where he spent a lot of time as he had a keen taste for shooting.In December 1856 until May 1857 the Logins took Duleep to France and Italy to extend his education. The Indian mutiny took place later in 1857 where Duleep was observed to have no sympathy with the mutineers but retained his natural indolence; he was recognised as being of age in December 1857 with Login's salary ceasing soon afterwards, just shortly before the rule of the East India Company was transferred to the government as a consequence of the mutiny.

Duleep expressed great appreciation of the way he had been treated by the Logins and in 1858 the Queen asked the Logins to take charge of the the young Princess of Coorg, god-daughter of the queen. Duleep wanted Login to have his power of attorney to represent him in negotiations with the Indian Office about the settlement he was entitled to under the Treaty ending the Second Sikh War, but the Indian Office refused to recognise Login and negotiations went very slowly causing increasing resentment on Duleep's part.

Sir John Login died on the 18th October 1863 and Duleep was a chief mourner (along with Login's sons) at his funeral and burial at Felixstowe.

From the book the few personal details we can elicit about Lady Login herself are as follows:

• she was the youngest daughter of John Campbell of Kinloch, Perthshire (Login was from the Orkneys).

• she married Login in 1842 at Lucknow having accompanied her sister (married to Major Hope Dick) there on the death of her parents at the suggestion of her brother who was also serving in India. Dr. Login was residency-surgeon at Lucknow.

• children soon followed the marriage, but she returned to England probably as a result of poor health in 1848 going back to India again in late 1850 until 1854.

When she moved to Wateringbury I do not know but she was here in 1887 at the centre of local society, acting as a patron of the Working Men's Club and arranging the entertainers at its opening; also in the same year she was on the general committee organising the celebrations of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. In 1900 she initially made a donation of £10 to the Church rooms (predecessor of the Village hall) but then withdrew her donation as she was leaving the village. Her daughters were equally active in village society with Miss Edith Login being credited with being the inspiration behind the establishment of the Wateringbury Rifle Club in 1901.

Census and other records on Find My Past indicate she was born in 1820 in Perth. In 1871 (after he husband's death in 1863) she was living at Vernon Villa in Felixstowe; by 1881 had moved to St. Vincents in Addington where she lived with her 2 daughters, niece, 4 female and 1 male servant; in 1891 she is at Gracedieu (The Thatched House) in Wateringbury with her 2 daughters (Louisa aged 44 who had been born in Lucknow; Edith aged 35 who had been born in Castle Menzies, Scotland) and 4 female servants. In 1901 she is at Hanover Square in London with Edith and 2 servants but her death in the 2nd quarter of 1904 is registered at Malling.

Her husband's probate records he left "effects under £12,000" after his death on 18 October 1863 at Felixstowe.