On a hillock on Fatehabad Road, Agra, is a castle that dominates the last growing complex of five star hotels. The castle, which is said to be haunted, is nearly 200 years old. It is in ruins now and several of the palatial rooms stand defiantly open to the skies. Complete with turrets and terraces, stable and outhouses, it retains its majesty. From the ramparts you can see the cantonment kothis .
The wealthy tourist in his limousine is naturally struck by the grandeur of the site and stops to look around, cautiously wending his way up, apprehensive of his trespassing on the domain of old ghosts who might be lurking in the turns and corners, until he stands facing the elegant, circular pavilion, beautifully done in ornate stone.
It shelters no king's statue, but looking closely one finds laid in it, a white marble panel inscripted with the words: “Sacred to the memory of Major John Jacob, late of Scindiah Army, son of the late Colonel Jacob Petruse of Gwalior, killed at Agra by the rebels on the 6th July, 1857, aged 43 years. This monument is respectfully erected by his disconsolate widow and daughter. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in men.”
Major Jacob, who was an Armenian, is believed to have been killed by his own retainers. His only daughter married Debaneau, a Frenchman, who was related to General Ventura of Ranjit Singh's Army. Their son, James Debaneau, with his wife and children lived at Sardhana (Meerut) with their grandmother, Major Jacob's widow in not the best circumstances.
Major Jacob had two sons, Major David and Major John. The former, who led a ‘carefree’ life, surrounded by musicians and dancing girls and his stables of horses and tame tigers, died at Gwalior in 1848, aged 35 years. He had two daughters: Matrujan (who married Major S. Reghelini of Begam Samru's army) and Chattrujan (who married Sjafraz, warden of Agra). They both lived at Chhili-int, and died at Agra.
Matrujan Reghelini, had a son, John Michael Reghelini, who was Munserim of the Judges' court at Agra.
His house Rose Villa, near Wazirpura, is still there, in the possession of its present owner, his wife and children having sold it and left Agra soon after his death.
The writer is a veteran chronicler of Delhi
