June

1824-1893

Captain in the Khalsa Army

Colonel Jean Louis Alexis decided to quit France hoping to escape from his enemies and hastily embarked on a voyage to India accompanied by his son Henry Joseph. Arriving in Calcutta he invested in an indigo plantation before seeking new opportunities and arrived in Punjab in 1839. Here he entered the services of the Lahore Durbar during the reign of Maharaja Kharak Singh with the rank of Colonel of the Cuirassiers of the Sikh army. His son Henry Joseph, served as captain in his father’s regiment on a salary of 700 rupees per month. They do not appear to have been active in any military engagements during their brief tenure in the Punjab. After the assassination of Maharaja Sher Singh, Colonel Jean Louis Alexis suffered from chronic dysentery and travelled to Ferozepore for treatment but when no cure was found he died in 1843. After the death of his father, Henry Joseph was promoted by General Ventura in commanding the ‘Sher Regiment of Dragoons’ in Ventura’s own brigade but abandoned Lahore in 1844. Later he served the Burmese King Mindon, raising three armies of cavalry, infantry and artillery for the Burmese government. Joining the civil service of British Burma at Rangoon he rose to Superintendent of the Land, Revenue and Agricultural Departments. When he retired he acted as the French Vice Consul in Rangoon and died peacefully in his armchair having suffered from aneurysm of the heart aged 68.