John Zephaniah Holwell

Events

1

Episodes

3

Years

1756

Every event in Historedia whose sources name John Zephaniah Holwell, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

1. Black Hole of Calcutta

   1756

   Role: British prisoner and East India Company employee

   1. 120 June 1756 · Fort William, CalcuttaFall of Fort William

      Bengali forces captured Fort William on 20 June 1756 after sepoy desertions weakened British defenses.

   2. 220 June 1756 · Black Hole dungeon, Fort WilliamConfinement in the Black Hole

      146 British prisoners were confined in a 14 by 18-foot dungeon in Fort William on the night of 20 June 1756.

   3. 320 June 1756 · Black Hole dungeon, Fort WilliamPrisoner Deaths

      John Zephaniah Holwell reported that 123 of 146 prisoners died from suffocation and heat exhaustion in the cramped dungeon.

Sources

1. Black Hole of Calcutta Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-17