Mrs Margaret Herschel Skene, 1854 (c)

Miniature painting, watercolour on paper, artist unknown.

Mrs Skene and her husband, Captain Alexander Skene, 68th Bengal Native Infantry, were killed on 8 June 1857 during the Indian Mutiny (1857-1859) at Jhansi Fort. Captain Skene was British superintendent at Jhansi and at the first sign of unrest had ordered all Christians in the city to take refuge in the fort. They remained under siege until 8 June when the rebels offered to spare their lives if they surrendered the fort. Skene agreed, believing that the Rani of Jhansi had guaranteed their safety, but the 56 Christians were all hacked to death with swords. The Rani's personal responsibility for the massacre is still hotly debated.