Archibald Ythan Cheyne

     

Archibald Ythan Cheyne was found on a list of military personnel dated 29 November 1907 in India. His first indexed entry in Graden, Debra, comp.. Indian Army Quarterly List for 1 January 1912 reads:
Surname: Cheyne
Given Name: A.Y.
FIRST COMM: 29 Nov. 90
DATE RANK: 29 Nov. 07
RANK: Major-Squadron Commanders
COMPANY: 15th. Lancers [Cureton's Multanis]
REMARKS: p.t.
Page #: 274
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Archibald Ythan Cheyne was found on a passenger list, dated 1 March 1908, at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was listed only as Major Cheyne, 37, single, a British Subject and a soldier. He was a saloon class passenger, aboard the Empress of Japan, out of Hong Kong, 13 February and his final destination was to be London.³

Archibald Ythan Cheyne was found on a list of military personnel in India. His second entry in Graden, Debra, comp.. Indian Army Quarterly List for 1 January 1912 reads:
Surname: Cheyne
Given Name: Archibald Ythen
Birth Date: 18 June 72
FIRST COMM: 29 Nov 90
DATE RANK: 29 Nov 07
RANK: Major
COMPANY: British Officers of the Indian Army
REMARKS: 15 Lancers
Page #: 110-112
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Major A. Y. Cheyne was among a very large group of persons who was awarded the 1911 Delhi Durbar Metal.

The Durbar of 1911 was held in Delhi, in December to commemorate the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary as Emperor and Empress of India. Practically every ruling prince, nobleman, landed gentry and other persons of note in India attended to pay obeisance to their sovereigns. The Sovereigns appeared in their Coronation robes, the King-Emperor wearing the Imperial Crown of India with eight arches, containing six thousand one hundred and seventy exquisitely cut diamonds, and covered with sapphires, emeralds and rubies, with a velvet and miniver cap all weighing 34.05 ounces (965 g). They then appeared at a darshan (a sight) at the jharoka (balcony window) of Red Fort, to receive half a million or more of the common people who had come to greet them.^4,5

In 1912, Major Archibald Ythan Cheyne, 15th Bengal Lancers, Risalpur, North-West Frontier Province, India, wrote an interesting article for the Buchan Club entitled "Some Heraldic Records of Buchan". It was later described in The Aberdeen Journal. The attached is an image of it.⁶

After the first World War the 20th Lancers was formed with an amalgamation of the 14th Murray's Jat Lancers and the 15th Lancers (Cureton's Multanis). The official date being 21 September 1920.⁵

Lt. Col. A. Y. Cheyne, now attached to the 20th Lancers was recommended for the General Service Metal with "South Persia" Clasp for his service while in the 15th Lancers. He was listed as "retired on pension".⁷

Archibald Ythan Cheyne was the author of and in 1931 published the famous The Cheyne Family in Scotland.⁸

Archibald Ythan Cheyne died 26 July 1935 at Bognor Nursing Home in Bognor Regis, Sussex, England.^9,10

His estate was probated on 16 September 1935 at London, England.¹¹