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Bengal, Its Chiefs, Agents

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Bengal, Its Chiefs, Agents E L TS CHIEFS A GE! TS ! D B ! GA , I , , A V ER! ORS GO . The list of Governors of Bengal , which has hitherto been referred to as authoritative , is that issued from the Government of India Central Printing Office ; but , having occasion recently to verify the names of the earliest I Governors on that list , was surprised to find that the persons whose names were given first and second never had been Governors at all , and , further, that there had been Governors of Bengal long before the date ( 1 733) assumed in that list . The first to whom the title of Governor was applied was Mr . William Hedges , who was 1 68 1 ff i appointed , in , Agent and Governor for the a a rs of the East India Company in the Bay of Benga ff rd . G o His successor, Mr William k y , President and Governor of Fort St . George , was appointed to act 1 683 d temporarily in Bengal in December , un er the . “ ” r ‘ l he Go title of President and Governor . title of vernor was then dropped , Bengal being subordinated G l to Fort St . eorge, and Mr . John Beard was sty ed ” Agent and Chief in the Bay of Bengal , as were also his successors down to Sir Charles Eyre , who , in De cember 1 69 9 , was appointed President and Governor of t ” m For William in Bengal , and Bengal was , at the sa e time , constituted a Presidency , and has ever since had a Governor, Governor General , or Lieutenant Governor to preside over its Councils . A correct and complete n m list of Governors of Be gal should , therefore , com ence ' . l m . a G fi rd with Mr Wi liam Hedges and Mr Willi y o , af ter whom there would be a gap until Sir Charles Eyre . Thence they should be continued in rot ation in accordance w ith the annexed list down t o Warren 1 732 1 . I . 8 8 1 4 . A 2 who l t Hastings , was the ast to bear the designa ion of e l Gov rnor of Benga . The incorrectness of the Government of India list may be explained by the circumstance that all the Records at C alcutta before 1 752 were destroyed when Fort l w as a t a - u d - a 1 756 Wil iam c p ured by Sur j Daul in , and l th r f r e i w ere . e e o e r l able materia s , , wanting from which to d compile a list of early Governors . But, it may be aske , who were the Messrs . Freek e and Cruttenden who are stated in the Government lis t to have bee n Governors of ? Bengal in 1 733 and 1 738 In endeavouring to reply to this question , I have been unable to trace any one in the F 1 733 re eke . service in of the name of It will be seen , l . l F ad ka however, from my ist that there was a Mr Samue 1 7 1 8 1 723 who was Governor from January to January , P and there was a Mr . Thomas eake , a factor at Dacca , in F k . ea e 1 735 . This latter Mr became Chief at Dacca in 1 745 r , and was transfer ed to the Council at Bengal 1 49 ill t in July 7 , but he was taken immediately af er his transfer , and appears never to have taken his seat h 1 5 at the Council . He died on the 7 t October 7 0 . 1 738 . In , so far from Mr Cruttenden being Governor, the Honourable John Stackhouse held that position , and one Edward Holden Cruttenden (the only one of the name I have been able to trace) was nearly at the bottom of the list of writers at Bengal . He however, an d subsequently rose to be a Member of Council , was 1 8th appointed to that rank on the April 1 748 . He came by degrees to be second in Council , Roger Drake being then President and Governor ; but, in a de s at ch 3 1 st 1 755 p of the January , the Court wrote n t to Be gal , that , Having reason to be dissa isfied t . w with the conduc of Mr Ed ard Holden Cruttenden , we hereby direct that upon the receipt of this he be d ’ ” immediately ismissed from the Company s service . He w as accordingly dismissed on the 28t h August 1 755 u (Bengal Consultations) , and conseq ently he never became Governor of Bengal . 3 a an d I have , in the annexed st tement memorandum , l traced the Chiefs , Agents , and Governors of Benga from the earliest date , and have given quotations from d the old Recor s to prove the accuracy of my list . A! VERS F C D , Registrar and Superintendent of Records . 1 2th June 1 888 . l h Benga , its C iefs , Agents, and Governors . ! ame . Mr ri h of th e f ac . am ma 1 4 . 1 5 1 c 1 650. J es B dg n C ief Dec 6 0 4 De . t ories of Bal asor i and H l li . r r w t at h i . G s Ga t on 65 . M eo g Agen ug l 27 Feb . 1 7 r n ha Trevi sa D i t t . M . Jo at n o D i t t Ch i the fac F b 1 661 . o ef of 6 e . t or ies i n t he of Bengal . W am ak Di tto Mr . illi Bl e n Sh em B ri dg es D i t t o n P w D it t Mr. He ry o ell o Wa t C a D i t t D Au . 1 677 . Mr . l er l vell o ied g Jul 1 682 at t hi a Vi n nt Di t t t . 1 D Mr. M s ce o 7 Sep 677 eposed y ~ Wi i am A n t and G u 1 Au . 1 681 . ov 1 681 682 g Mr ll Hedges ge over 24 ! . J ly nor for t he aff airs of t he E ast I ndi a Com pany i n t he Bay of Bengal ( after w ards S i r Wi l liam Hedges Mr Wi am G fford P i n t and t n t o t . Re r re de 1 683 An . 1 684 lli y s 21 Dec . g u ed For n t r O t c . ver or of Fort S . Geo g e St . George, came 1 684. u p t o ac t 1 1! B n a e g l . h ar nt an d h l 685 . i d t i Au . 1 . 1 683 Oct . 1 684 D e 28 Mr Jo n Be d Age C ief 21 Dec. g i n t h e B ay of B n a e g l . r ob ham ok D t t l . J th Jan M C o i o April 1 686 Died o . - — . Fi ranci s E i D i t t 1 92 3. an . 1 an 1 69 2 9 3. 6 9 Mr ll s o 3 J 693 J . 1 69 4. ha E r at r D tt an 1 69 8 t E n an Mr C rles y e (l e i o 25 J . Lef for gl d - i Cha ) . 1 l et Feb . 1 698 99 . S r rles 1 69 . h n ar n . t and h b 1 698 Mr Jo Be d Ag e C ief l Fe . 1 699 r h ar E r P r i nt an d G0 D e ft 7 th Jan S C e y e e de 1 699 26 Ma 1 700. i l s s 20 ec . y L on n t 1 700— 1 ac ver or of For , on Wi i am m un t i ll , co of ll B n a n e g l ( Lo healt h. d on East i n dia C m a o p ny ) . S i r E ward Li t tleton P e i d ent D e sed b rd er d r s i aa . 1 eos J ul y 1 699 p o y o 671 or t he 0 the Cou r t 1 0th q f 1 699 . B a y B eng a l : a n . 1 707 . ! o yn zs t nd b er o r other P resid en t Co n s ul f o r t he f o r the sepa ra te E ng l as h n a afi azrs of th e h on ( E ng l i sh E ng l zs h E a s t E a st Iu dza Com I nd i a Comp an y p an w as ap p om t ed . i Mr r Pr Si e n t and Go an 00 Mr . B a i at . John Bea d 7 J . 1 7 e rd d ed n t 01 D d ras 7t h u ver or of For 1 7 . J ly Wi i am 1 gg5 ll , in Be ( Older Lo n ori East In ia C m an d o p y .
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