Gregorius Herklots came to India in 1789 and was appointed a member of the Dutch service in Chinsurah. Mainly famous as the fiscaal of Chinsurah, Herklots was also the interim governor from 1784 -5. After the British takeover, he continued in his position of fiscal under the new government. Herklots married a young widow, C.C. Herklots, and their marriage lasted 55 years. They had 16 children out of whom only 4 survived. At the time of death Herklots had thirty seven grand-children, thirty nine great grand-children and one great-great grand-child, in all a patriarchal family of 81 descendants. He became the Sudder Ameen of Hooghly in 1832 alongwith Radhagovind Soom. The highest office he attained in it was that of the magistrate. Herklots is mentioned in connection to the translation of the Dutch land deeds (pattas) into Bengali and in connection to ice-making in Chinsurah. In July 1817, he is recorded as receiving five hundred rupees for services as an accountant under the British governor Gordon Forbes. He also appeared as a witness in the trial of Pertaub Chand, the claimant to the throne of Burdwan. He is also mentioned in connection with the reprinting of the Malay Bible by the British and Foreign Bible Society. Herklots was the father of Mr G.A. Herklots who was the translator of the Qanun-i-Islam by Jaffer Shurrif (Shurreef, Jaffur, and William Crooke. Islam in India. Atlantic Publishers & Dist, 1999)


Anish Mitra
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