Colin Macaulay facts for kids
Colin Macaulay (born April 13, 1760 – died February 20, 1836) was a Scottish soldier and a very important person in the fight to end slavery. He was also very interested in the Bible and helped with its translation.
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Early Life and Learning
Colin Macaulay was one of many children. His father, John Macaulay, was a minister in the Church of Scotland. One of his brothers, Zachary Macaulay, was also a big leader in the movement to stop slavery. Zachary even became the Governor of Sierra Leone, a place where freed slaves from America settled.
We don't know much about Colin's early childhood. But we do know he became very smart. He learned many old and new languages, history, and literature. He also wrote very well. He might have gone to school in Inverary and Cardross.
Serving in India
Colin Macaulay joined the East India Company Army when he was almost 17 years old, in 1777. The East India Company was a powerful British trading company that also had its own army in India. Colin served in India for over 30 years.
Early Battles
Colin was involved in some important wars in India, especially against leaders like Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.
During the Second Mysore War, he was captured and held prisoner for about three and a half years (1780-1784). Even while he was a prisoner, he was promoted to Lieutenant! He also became an aide to Major-General William Medows, a top commander.
Colin also played a big part in the Fourth Mysore War, which ended with the Siege of Seringapatam (1799). This victory helped Britain become very powerful in southern India. Colin helped make sure the army had enough supplies. He also found a safe path for one of the forces. For his help, he received a special medal.
During this time, he also worked with Colonel Arthur Wellesley, who later became the famous Duke of Wellington. They became good friends and wrote letters to each other for many years.
Working as a Resident
From 1800 to 1810, Colin Macaulay worked as the British East India Company's "Resident" in Travancore and Cochin. This meant he was like an ambassador and advisor for the British Governor-General. His job was to make sure taxes were paid to the Company.
It was a time of much trouble, but he was a good leader. At one point, some local leaders tried to kill him by attacking his house. He managed to escape safely to a ship in the harbor.
Coming Home
Colin Macaulay went home to the UK three times for short visits. But in 1810, he had to leave India for good because he was very sick. His brother Zachary said he arrived home "very thin and weak." He got better but continued to have health problems.
Even though he was back in the UK, he kept getting promotions in the East India Company Army. He became a Colonel in 1812, a Major General in 1814, and a Lieutenant General in 1830.
His Work with the Bible
Colin Macaulay was very interested in the Bible, both in India and back home. He supported the British and Foreign Bible Society. This group wanted to help translate the Bible into many different languages.
Finding Ancient Plates
While he was in Travancore, he found some very old copper plates called the Quilon Syrian copper plates. These plates might be from the 9th century. They have old writings that describe special rights given to the Syriac Church. Colin gave these plates back to the Syriac Church. He also had copies made, and one set is now in the Cambridge University Library.
Translating the Bible
He worked with a man named Claudius Buchanan to translate the Bible into Malayalam for the first time. Colin also helped Buchanan choose the title for his popular book, Christian Researches in Asia.
A Special Ancient Book
In 1820, Colin visited an island in Greece called Zante. There, he met Prince Comuto, who had a famous library. The library had a very old and important book called the Codex Zacynthius. Prince Comuto gave this book to Colin as a gift. When Colin returned to England, he gave it to the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Today, the Codex Zacynthius is known as a very important ancient manuscript. It was sold to the Cambridge University Library in 2014 for a lot of money.
Life Back in England
For the first ten years after returning to England, Colin Macaulay lived at 17 Downing Street in London. This house was loaned to him by his brother-in-law, Thomas Babington.
Colin often felt cold, so he spent winters in warmer places like France, Italy, and other parts of Europe. He also stayed at health resorts in England. He never bought his own home in England, joking that his traveling carriage was his only permanent address!
Working for Change
Colin Macaulay took part in public life, but his health problems sometimes limited him. He wanted to be a Member of Parliament (MP), but he found it hard to stay up late for meetings.
He tried to become an MP twice. In 1812, he decided not to run because another candidate had more support. Fourteen years later, he was well enough to serve as an MP for Saltash from 1826 to 1830. But he was still often "feeble" and didn't attend Parliament much. He didn't make any speeches, but he did vote on issues, especially against slavery.
Fighting to End Slavery
Besides his Bible work, Colin Macaulay's main goal was to help end slavery. He worked with famous abolitionists like William Wilberforce and his brother Zachary.
In 1822, he went with the Duke of Wellington to a big meeting called the Congress of Verona. Britain wanted to end the slave trade completely. Colin went as an unofficial helper for Wilberforce and Zachary. He was good at French and Italian, and he was friends with Wellington. He tried to convince Wellington to get France to stop its slave trade. France had officially ended it in 1818, but it was still happening. Sadly, their efforts didn't work because France wasn't interested.
Family Life
Colin Macaulay never got married. Even though he had a disagreement with his brother-in-law Thomas Babington, his other relatives loved him very much. His nephew, Sir George Otto Trevelyan, said that Colin was very kind. He gave young family members books and took them on fun trips. They thought of him as the "man of the world" in their family.
Colin Macaulay died on February 20, 1836, in Clifton, near Bristol. He was buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church.
