William Barwell (1709–1769) was an administrator of the English East India Company.[1]

William Barwell
Born1709
Died1769
OccupationColonial administrator
Known forPresident of Bengal

Life

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He was the son of William Barwell of Enfield, Middlesex, a London merchant. He was appointed a writer with the East India Company in 1721 and posted to Bengal. Promoted in 1743 to the chiefship of Patna,[citation needed] he then served as President of Bengal from 1748 to 1749, in post for 14 months.[2][3] He was dismissed in 1750 after being found guilty of misdemeanours at Patna, and returned to England.[4]

In 1751, Barwell bought the Abbey House at Chertsey, in Surrey.[1] He was elected as a director of the East India Company between 1753 and 1766, excepting 1757, 1760, and 1765.[4][5] He was appointed High Sheriff of Surrey for 1768.

Barwell died in 1769 and was buried at Chertsey church.[6]

Family

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Barwell married three times; firstly to Elizabeth Eyre, secondly to Mary Anne Atkinson and thirdly to Elizabeth Pierce. His second son by his third wife was Richard Barwell, born in Calcutta, who became a rich nabob and member of parliament.[2] The Abbey House was left to his son Roger, and stayed in the family to 1809.[1] His daughter Mary Barwell (born 1733) was a financier.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Pforzheimer, Carl H. (1961). Shelley and His Circle, 1773–1822. Harvard University Press. p. 93. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b Dictionary of Indian Biography. Ardent Media. 1971. p. 29.
  3. ^ Barrett, Tim R. (2004). Calcutta: strange memoirs, foreign perceptions. Deep Prakashan. p. 87. ISBN 9788185800356.
  4. ^ a b Parker, James Gordon (1977). The Directors of the East India Company, 1754-1790 (PDF) (PhD). University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  5. ^ C. H. and D. Philips (October 1941). "Alphabetical List of Directors of the East India Company from 1758 to 1858". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (4): 327. JSTOR 25221797.
  6. ^ Bengal, Past & Present: Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society. Calcutta Historical Society. 1924. p. 43.
  7. ^ Froide, Amy M. (6 October 2016). Silent Partners: Women as Public Investors during Britain's Financial Revolution, 1690-1750. OUP Oxford. p. 134. ISBN 9780191080852. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
Political offices
Preceded by President of Bengal
18 April 1748 – 17 June 1749
Succeeded by