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Letters to Sir John Macpherson1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2009

Abstract

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Type
The Private Correspondence of Lord Macartney (1781–1785)
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1950

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References

page 1 note 2 The agreement of 2 April 1781 between Bengal and the Nawab of the Carnatic.

page 1 note 3 Sir William Medows (1738–1813). Fought at Brandywine (1776) ; Cape of Good Hope (1781) ; Governor and Commander-in-Chief Bombay (1788–1790) and of Madras (1790–1792). Served in the Third Mysore War (1790–1792). Left India in 1792.

page 2 note 1 Battle of Sholinghur.

page 2 note 2 Paul Benfield. Appointed Civil Architect and Assistant Engineer for Madras in 1764. Dismissed 1770. Reinstated but suspended for disobedience in 1772. Promment in arrest of Lord Pigot. Most important of the Nawab of the Carnatic's creditors. Resigned and returned to England in 1778. After an enquiry was allowed to return to Madras where he remained until 1788. Denounced by Burke in Speech on Nabob of Arcot's Debts. In England he established the mercantile firm of Boyd, Benfield and Co. Lost his immense fortune in speculation. Died in poverty at Paris in 1810.

page 2 note 3 Sir Charles Oakeley (1751–1826). Arrived in Madras in 1767. Resigned 1788. Governor of Madras (1792–1794). See Oakeley, H., Services of Sir Charles Oakeley in India (1829)Google Scholar.

page 2 note 4 George Proctor. Mayor of Madraspatam in 1779.

page 2 note 5 Ernst William Fallofield. Entered the service in 1767. Chief of Council at Cuddalore when it capitulated in 1782. Member of the Madras Council and President of the Board of Trade in 1794. Commanded Black Town Militia in 1798. Died at Pondicherry in 1816.

page 2 note 6 Hall Plumer. Civil servant 1769. Succeeded Benfield as contractor for fortifications. Owner of the famous Pantheon or Madras Assembly Rooms.

page 3 note 1 Employed by Hastings in succession to Colonel Leslie as commander of the Bengal expeditionary force which marched across India to aid Bombay against the Marathas in 1779–1780.

page 3 note 2 Paul Benfield, who was member of parliament for Cricklade in 1780.

page 4 note 1 Sir George Leonard Staunton (1737–1801). Accompanied Macartney to Madras as secretary. Sent to Calcutta to confer with Hastings on the differences which had arisen between the two presidencies. Dispatched on a mission to Bussy and Suffren at Cuddalore to induce them to suspend hostilities. Employed in the arrest of General Stuart. One of the three commissioners who negotiated the Treaty of Mangalore. See Memoir of the Life and Family of Sir George Leonard Staunton(1882).

page 4 note 2 Amildars, agents, or collectors of revenue.

page 5 note 1 The requests of the Nawab and the replies of the Bengal 'Government were embodied in the agreement of 2 April 1781. See Add. MSS. 22,415, fos. 338–344.

page 5 note 2 Amir-ul-umara, second son of Muhammad Ali Walajah, Nawab of the Carnatic.

page 5 note 3 Richard Joseph Sulivan (1752–1806) was brother of Benjamin Sulivan and John Sulivan. Joined the service as Writer in 1768. Created baronet in 1804.

page 6 note 1 Hugh Boyd (1746–1794). Secretary to Macartney. Conducted mission to king of Kandy. Captured by the French. After his release returned to Madras. In 1792 conducted a paper called the Madras Courier and in 1793 projected the Indian Observer. Started a weekly paper, the Hircarrah. Essayist and one of the many candidates for Junius. See The Miscellaneous Works of Hugh Boyd (ed. L. D. Campbell. 3 vols., 1800).

page 6 note 2 Wife of James Henry Casamaijor who became a Writer in 1762. He was Member of Council in 1789. In 1806, after a long absence in England, he returned to Madras where he became Chief Judge of the Court of Sadr and Faujdari Adalat. Died 1815.

page 7 note 1 Major Davy, at one time Hastings' Persian secretary. In 1782 he accompanied Major Palmer, Hastings' confidential secretary, to Oudh for the purpose of interviewing Asaf-ud-daulah, who was not carrying out the terms of the Treaty of Chunar (1781).

page 8 note 1 Edward Wheler (1733–1784). Member of the Bengal Council from 1777 until his death.

page 9 note 1 John Sulivan (1749–1839), brother of Benjamin and Richard Joseph Sulivan. Entered the service in 1765. Appointed Resident at Tanjore by Macartney. Said to have amassed a large fortune (Palk MSS. p. 354). Returned to England, where he was Under-Secretary for War, 1801–1805. Married Henrietta Anne Barbara, daughter of George Hobart, third earl of Buckinghamshire.

page 9 note 2 James Grant. Authority on Indian revenues. Wrote the ‘ Analysis of the Finances of Bengal’, which was published as an appendix to the Fifth Report of 1812.

page 9 note 3 John Hollond, brother of Edward John Hollond. Entered the service in 1760. Appointed Resident at Hyderabad by Rumbold. Suspended by Rumbold but reinstated by the Directors. On Macartney's resignation was appointed Governor but declined on grounds of ill-health. Provisional governor on the resignation of Sir Archibald Campbell in 1789. Suspended for corruption in 1790.

page 9 note 4 Muhammad Ali, one of the best officers in Hyder Ali's army.

page 10 note 1 Nana Farnavis (Phadnayis), 1741–1800. Famous Brahman minister of the Maratha Peshwa. Strove to bolster up the power of the Peshwa. against Mahadaji Sindhia. Resolutely opposed efforts of the Company to form a subsidiary alliance with the Marathas.

page 12 note 1 Foot-runners, couriers.

page 13 note 1 See Sundaram's, L. valuable account of the ‘ Revenue Administration of the Northern Sarkars ’, Journal of the Andhra Research Society, xv (1946), 1118Google Scholar.

page 14 note 1 The Company's jagir roughly corresponded to the Chingleput District.

page 14 note 2 General Stringer Lawrence (1697–1775),

page 15 note 1 The investigation ended in failure. See Love's, H. D.Vestiges of Old Madras (1913), iii. 223225Google Scholar.

page 15 note 2 Sir Thomas Rumbold (1736–1791). Entered the service in 1752. Transferred to the Army and wounded at Plassey. Member of the Bengal Council, 1766–1769. After a period in England as member of parliament and director of the East India Company, he was Governor of Madras, 1778–1780. Dismissed by Court of Directors. Acquitted after a parliamentary enquiry. A typical nabob who acquired an enormous fortune.

page 15 note 3 Interpreters or servants. Literally, man of two languages.

page 15 note 4 This refers to the arrest and imprisonment of Lord Pigot, Governor of Madras, 1775–1776.

page 17 note 1 The post of southern India corresponding to the dak (dawk) of northern India.

page 17 note 2 Small ships.

page 18 note 1 Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Owen, aide-de-camp to Coote.

page 18 note 2 Coote's Persian interpreter.

page 18 note 3 Captain Alms, R.N. Arrived with reinforcements for Hughes in 1782.

page 19 note 1 Nizam of Hyderabad.

page 19 note 2 Soucar (Hindi, Sahukar), banker,

page 19 note 3 Colonel James Crawford of the 73rd.

page 19 note 4 Samuel Johnson.

page 21 note 1 James Hawkins: bishop from 1780 to 1787

page 22 note 1 Count de Byland. See also Add. MSS. 22,418, fo. 100.

page 24 note 1 William Shenstone minor poet, 1714–1763.

page 24 note 2 Anthony Sadleir. Entered the service in 1760. Quarrelsome and unpopular. Suspended by Macartney's predecessors but reinstated by the Directors. One of the three commissioners appointed to negotiate the Treaty of Mangalore. Fought a duel with Macartney in 1784. Died at Masulipatam in 1793.

page 25 note 1 Lord John Macleod, called John Mackenzie, reached Madras in 1780 as Commander of the 73rd Regiment of Foot. President of the Court-martial on General Stuart.

page 27 note 1 Gentoo, Gentile or heathen. Applied by the Portuguese to Hindus in contradistinction to the Moors or Muhammadans.

page 27 note 2 Coffres, Kafirs, infidels, unbelievers in Islam. Also negro slaves.

page 28 note 1 Itisham Jang. In the service of the Nizam of Hyderabad. See Dasgupta, pp. 183–186.

page 31 note 1 La Bellone, See Journal de Bord du Bailli de Suffren (Paris, 1888), p. 102Google Scholar,

page 33 note 1 Fazil Beg Khan, bakhshi of the Nizam of Hyderabad.

page 33 note 2 Chelingo, boat used for the transport of rice.

page 35 note 1 A hill in Peddanaikpetta, a suburb of Madras. It was proposed to level this hill as it commanded the fort.

page 42 note 1 John Camillus Hone, a miniature-painter who arrived in India in 1780. Son of Nathaniel Hone (1718–1784), the portrait-painter.

page 45 note 1 John Whitehill, provisional governor of Madras, 1777–1778, and in 1780. Suspended by Hastings and dismissed from the service.

page 45 note 2 John Brathwaite. Defeated and taken prisoner by Tipu in 1782. Released in 1784.

page 45 note 3 Messengers, couriers, spies.

page 48 note 1 Vara Permal, Macartney's dubash.

page 48 note 2 Laurence Sulivan (1713–1786). Entered the Bombay Service as a factor in 1741. Returned to England because of ill-health in 1753. Two years later elected Director. From this time to his death he repeatedly served as either Chairman or Deputy-Chairman.

page 48 note 3 Samuel Pechell, friend of Hastings and Laurence Sulivan. Had considerable influence with John Robinson, North's secretary.

page 51 note 1 Edward Cotsford. Ensign Engineer in 1759. Transferred to the civil service in 1770.

page 51 note 2 The Nawab of the Carnatic's diwan.

page 52 note 1 Nawab Asaf-ud-daulah, ruler of Qudh, 1775–1797.

page 54 note 1 Gargantua, i, cap. 33.

page 57 note 1 Title conferred on Muhammad Ali, Nawab of the Carnatic, by the Mughal emperor in 1765.

page 57 note 2 Charles Binny arrived in India in 1769. Secretary to the Nawab of the Carnatic.

page 57 note 3 Arthur Cuthbert arrived in India in 1754. Became Agent Victualler for the Squadron in 1771.

page 57 note 4 Admiral Sir John Lindsay landed at Madras in 1770 as Commander-in-Chief and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of the Nawab of the Carnatic. As a result of protests by the Directors he was recalled, but was succeeded by Sir Robert Harland who was invested with similar powers.

page 61 note 1 Francis Lind, Sheriff of Madras in 1782.

page 62 note 1 William Hornby, Governor of Bombay, 1771–1784.

page 63 note 1 John Robinson, secretary to Lord North and trusted counsellor of George III. See Parliamentary Papers of John Robinson (ed. W. T. Laprade, 1922).

page 63 note 2 Alexander Wedderburn (1732–1805), Chief Justice of Common Pleas. Created Baron Loughborough in 1780.

page 63 note 3 Peons, foot-soldiers, attendants, orderlies, messengers.

page 64 note 1 Muttukrishna Mudali, Lord Pigot's dubash.

page 65 note 1 Lord Charles FitzRoy, born 1737 ; created Lord Southampton, 1780.

page 65 note 2 George Viscount Townshend (1724–1807). Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland 1767–1772. Created Marquis of Townshend in 1787.

page 68 note 1 James Macpherson ; usually called Fingall Macpherson. From 1783 he held the office of agent to the Nawab of the Carnatic in conjunction with Sir Nathaniel Wraxall. See Saunders, B., Life and Letters of James Macpherson (1894)Google Scholar.