Amelia Horne facts for kids

Amelia Horne (1839-1921) was a British writer. She is known for her stories about surviving the Indian Rebellion of 1857. She wrote about her experiences during the Siege of Cawnpore. During a sad event called the Satichaura Ghat massacre, she was taken captive. This unexpected event meant she was not present for another terrible event known as the Bibighar massacre.

Amelia Horne's Early Life and Survival

Amelia Horne was born in Calcutta, India, in 1839. Her father was Frederick Horne, a British ship captain, and her mother was Emma Horne. Later, her mother married John Hampden Cook, who became Amelia's stepfather.

Surviving the Rebellion

Amelia, her mother, and her stepfather were in Cawnpore (now Kanpur) during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. This was a major uprising against British rule in India.

During the Satichaura Ghat massacre, a terrible event where many people were harmed, Amelia was taken captive by a soldier. Because she was held captive, she was not at the Bibighar site, which meant she avoided the Bibighar massacre.

Eventually, the soldier who held her captive allowed her to return to her family in Calcutta. She later married William Bennett, who worked for the railway. He passed away in 1877.

In 1872, Amelia gave important testimony in a court in Lucknow. She spoke up for Maulvi Liaquat Ali, saying that he had helped save her during the Satichaura Ghat massacre. Other women, like Ulrica Wheeler and Eliza Fanthome, also had similar experiences of being taken captive during the rebellion.

Amelia Horne's Writings

Amelia Horne wrote two books about her experiences during the Indian Rebellion. Her first book was published in 1858 under the name Mrs. Amy Haines. Her second book, published in 1913, appeared in a magazine called The Nineteenth Century and After. This later book was published under her married name, Amelia Bennett.