Cecil Beadon facts for kids
Sir Cecil Beadon (born in 1816, died on July 18, 1880) was an important British administrator in British India. He served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Bengal Presidency from 1862 to 1866. His time in this role ended after a special investigation criticized how he handled the terrible Orissa famine of 1866.
Early Life and Career
Cecil Beadon was the youngest son of Richard Beadon. His grandfather was also named Richard Beadon and was a bishop. Cecil went to famous schools like Eton College and Shrewsbury School.
When he was 18, he got a job in the Bengal civil service in India. This job was offered by his uncle, Lord Heytesbury. Cecil arrived in India in 1836. He worked in different local offices. By 1843, he became an under-secretary for the government of Bengal.
From then on, he quickly moved up the ranks. He worked in tax collection and then helped with the postal system. He became a secretary for the Bengal government and then for the Indian government. He also served on the council of the Governor-General from 1860 to 1862. Finally, he became the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal in 1862. Three different Governors-General supported him during his career. During most of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Beadon was the home secretary.
Challenges in Bengal
While he was in Bengal, some of Beadon's decisions caused problems. Measures he put in place for the Assam tea trade led to a decline in business. Also, a mission to Bhutan led by Ashley Eden went wrong, which then caused the Bhutan war.
A major challenge during his time was the Orissa famine of 1866. Beadon was not in Calcutta at the time due to health reasons. The Governor-General, Sir John Lawrence, did not go against Beadon's ideas about the famine. An investigation later looked into how the famine was handled. The report was critical of Beadon. After this, he left India and went back to England. He passed away on July 18, 1880, when he was 64 years old.
The Orissa Famine
The Orissa famine of 1866 was a very difficult time. Many people died from hunger. During this period, Sir Cecil Beadon did not take many steps to help those suffering. He believed that such events were "visitations of providence" (meaning, acts of God) and that the government could not do much to stop or ease them. He also thought that if he tried to help too much, he would be like a "thief" because he believed in natural economic laws.
This viewpoint was held even though India was sending over 200 million pounds of rice to Britain during the famine.
Family Life
Cecil Beadon was married twice. In 1837, he married Harriet Sneyd. They had ten children together. After Harriet passed away in 1855, he married Agnes Stendale in 1860. With Agnes, he had ten more children.
See also
- List of governors of Bengal Presidency
