John Ware Edgar

Sir John Ware Edgar KCIE CSI (16 September 1839 - 4 June 1902[1]) was a British colonial administrator in British India.

Early life and education

Edgar was born in 1839, the son of John Peard Edgar, Kensington and Jane Gibbings, daughter of B. Gibbings.[1] John Edgar graduated at 20 in 1860 from a private school after taking an exam for the Indian Civil Service and amassing 1,617 points.[2]

Early career

He joined the Bengal Civil Service in 1862 and served as an assistant magistrate and collector in Bengal and as deputy-commissioner in Assam until 1871.[3]

Anglo-Lushai relations

Lushai Expedition (1869)

Main article: Lushai Expedition (1869)

After Sukpilal aided Kanai Singh in a raid, Edgar advocated for a punitive expedition against Sukpilal while Manipur would attempt to capture Kanai Singh.[4][5] Edgar convinced the government who were hesitant to participate in the cold season and incur such expenses.[4] Edgar headed the eastern column of the three columns with William Frost Nuthall and Baker leading the others. Edgar would lead his column with great difficulty to Bazarghat on 12 March 1869. He met with the upas of Vonpilal whose mother was ready to make amends for the British after being mistaken to responsible for a raid done by Poiboi. As the season came to an end Edgar turned his column back to Cachar.[6] The column under Baker arrived at Sukpilal's encampment near the settlement of his sister of Banaitangi who defeated a few skirmishers.[7] However due to Nuthall's sickness and difficult terrain and weather issues, the column was not reinforced and turned back.[8][9] The failure of the expedition of 1869 would lead to Edgar's tour in 1870-71.

Lushai Tour

In 1872 he was appointed political officer with the Lushai Expedition, for which he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Star of India (CSI) in the 1873 Birthday Honours.[10]

Later years

Following further district work he became Commissioner of Chittagong in late 1885. Two years later he was appointed Financial and Chief Secretary to the Government of Bengal, serving as such until 1892. For some months before his retirement that year, he also occupied a seat as an additional member of the Viceroy's Executive Council.[3]. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) in the 1889 Birthday Honours list.[11][12]

In later years he devoted his time to historical studies.[13] He particularly studied in the history of Northern Buddhism and modern Latin Christiantiy.[3]

He died at his residence, the villa Guicciardini in Florence, on 4 June 1902.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b EDGAR, Sir John Ware’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014
  2. ^ Morning Post 1860.
  3. ^ a b c d Paris Correspondent 1902.
  4. ^ a b Chatterjee 1985, p. 56.
  5. ^ Woodthorpe 1873, p. 25.
  6. ^ Chatterjee 1985, p. 57.
  7. ^ Mackenzie 1884, p. 302.
  8. ^ Woodthorpe 1873, p. 27.
  9. ^ Chatterjee 1985, p. 59.
  10. ^ "No. 23979". The London Gazette. 24 May 1873. p. 2584.
  11. ^ "No. 25939". The London Gazette. 24 May 1888. pp. 2873–2874.
  12. ^ Nottingham Evening Post 1889.
  13. ^ "Edgar, Sir John Ware". Who's Who: 417. 1902.

Sources

Books

  • Chatterjee, Suhas (1985). British rule in Mizoram. New Delhi: Mittal Publications.

News

  • Morning Post (22 August 1860). "Civil Service of India". Morning Post. No. 27045. London: Morning Post.
  • Nottingham Evening Post (25 May 1889). "The Queen's Birthday". Nottingham Evening Post. No. 3370. Nottingham: Nottingham Evening Post. p. 3.
  • Paris Correspondent (12 June 1902). "Obituary". The Times. No. 36792. London: The Times. p. 12.
Government offices
Preceded by
 Commissioner of Chittagong
1885–1887 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
 Chief Secretary to the Government of Bengal
1887–1891 		Succeeded by