A History of the Mahrattas v2.c43.22

v2.c43.22

¹ [Hessing was not an Englishman, but a Dutchman, born in 1740 in Utrecht. This is shown by the inscription on his tomb at Agra, which also records that he died Commandant of Agra in his sixty-third year, July 21, 1803, just before Lake’s successful siege of the place. He is described as ‘a good, benevolent man, and a brave soldier.’ Moreover, his son, George Hessing (see page 286 and footnote infra) was not the child of ‘a native mother.’ John Hessing’s wife was formerly Mademoiselle Anne Derridon, sister of Major Louis Derridon of Sindia’s service and of Madame Perron. She may perhaps have been of mixed descent, but was not a pure native of India. (Compton, European Military Adventurers of Hindustan, pp. 364-5; and article in Calcutta Review, January 1912.)]