James Cosmo Melvill

Sir James Cosmo Melvill
KCB FRS
James Cosmo Melvill by Eton Upton Ellis, c.1853.
Born(1792-06-08)8 June 1792
Guernsey, United Kingdom
Died23 July 1861(1861-07-23) (aged 69)
Tandridge Court, Godstone, Surrey
OccupationAdministrator
SpouseHester Jean Frances
Children9, including:
William Henry Melvill
ParentPhilip Melvill (father)
RelativesHenry Melvill (brother)
Philip Melvill (brother)
Sir Peter Melvill (brother)
James Cosmo Melvill (grandson)

Sir James Cosmo Melvill KCB FRS (8 June 1792 – 23 July 1861) was a British administrator who served as the last secretary of the East India Company.

Life

Born at Guernsey, he was the third but eldest surviving son of Philip Melvill (1762–1811), later lieutenant-governor of Pendennis Castle in Cornwall, by his wife, Elizabeth Carey (died 1844), youngest daughter of Peter Dobrée of Beauregarde, Guernsey. Henry Melvill, Philip Melvill and Sir Peter Melvill were his younger brothers. He entered the home service of the East India Company in February 1808.

Melvill rose rapidly to the top permanent position at East India House. In 1824 he was appointed auditor of Indian accounts. While in this position he gave evidence in 1830 before a parliamentary committee, defending the company's conduct of its China trade from an attack by William Huskisson; and again in 1832 before another committee on Indian affairs in regard to the accounts of the company. In 1834 he became financial secretary, and in 1836 chief secretary, a post which he held until the termination of the company's existence as a governing body in 1858.

He once lived at Cannon Hall, Hampstead.

After his retirement from the service of the company, Melvill was appointed government director of Indian railways. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society on 14 January 1841, and was created a KCB on 5 September 1853.

Melvill died at Tandridge Court, near Godstone in Surrey, on 23 July 1861.

Family

In March 1815, Melvill married Hester Jane Frances (died 10 April 1864), youngest daughter of William Marmaduke Sellon of Harlesden in Middlesex. They had nine children and at least 28 grandchildren:

References and sources

Sir James Cosmo Melvill by John James Napier
References
  1. ↑ The American Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events. D. Appleton & Company. 1870. p. 552. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "Sir James Cosmo Melvill". Illustrated London News. 3 August 1861. p. 22. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Lee, Sidney, ed. (1901). "Melvill, James Cosmo" . Dictionary of National Biography (1st supplement). Vol. 3. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  4. ↑ Historic England. "CANNON HALL (1244093)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  5. 1 2 Prior, Katherine. "Melvill, Sir James Cosmo". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/18541. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  6. ↑ Cave, Edward (1844). The Gentleman's Magazine. p. 310. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  7. ↑ Mill, John Stuart (15 December 1963). The Earlier Letters of John Stuart Mill 1812–1848. University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division. p. 922. ISBN 9781442638686. Retrieved 3 November 2017. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  8. ↑ Joubert de la Ferté, Eliza. The Melvill Family, a Roll of Honour of the Descendants of Captain Philip Melvill, Lieut-Governor of Pendennis Castle. Scholar Select. pp. 30–34.
  9. ↑ "Melvill, Philip (MLVL836P)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  10. ↑ Joubert de la Ferté, Eliza. The Melvill Family, a Roll of Honour of the Descendants of Captain Philip Melvill, Lieut-Governor of Pendennis Castle. Scholar Select. pp. 12–16.
  11. ↑ Gentleman's Magazine, Or Monthly Intelligencer. Edward Cave. 1854. p. 186.
  12. ↑ "Westmore, Henry Holme (WSTR839HH)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  13. ↑ Joubert de la Ferté, Eliza. The Melvill Family, a Roll of Honour of the Descendants of Captain Philip Melvill, Lieut-Governor of Pendennis Castle. Scholar Select. pp. 18–23.
  14. ↑ Joubert de la Ferté, E J (1920). "The Melvill Family Roll of Honour" (PDF).
  15. ↑ Joubert de la Ferté, E J (1920). "The Melvill Family Roll of Honour" (PDF).
  16. ↑ Allen's Indian Mail, and Register of Intelligence for British and Foreign India, China, and All Parts of the East. 1848. p. 217.
  17. ↑ Joubert de la Ferté, Eliza. The Melvill Family, a Roll of Honour of the Descendants of Captain Philip Melvill, Lieut-Governor of Pendennis Castle. Scholar Select. pp. 36–38.
  18. ↑ "Melvill, William Henry (MLVL845WH)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  19. ↑ s:Men-at-the-Bar/Melvill, William Henry
  20. ↑ Joubert de la Ferté, Eliza. The Melvill Family, a Roll of Honour of the Descendants of Captain Philip Melvill, Lieut-Governor of Pendennis Castle. Scholar Select. pp. 26–28.
  21. ↑ Joubert de la Ferté, E J (1920). "The Melvill Family Roll of Honour" (PDF).
  22. ↑ Joubert de la Ferté, Eliza. The Melvill Family, a Roll of Honour of the Descendants of Captain Philip Melvill, Lieut-Governor of Pendennis Castle. Scholar Select. pp. 40–41.
  23. ↑ The Plantagenet Roll of the Blood Royal, Essex Volume. Genealogical Pub. Co. 1994.
Sources

Wikisource This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1901). "Melvill, James Cosmo". Dictionary of National Biography (1st supplement). Vol. 3. London: Smith, Elder & Co.