Sir John Macpherson, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Sir John Macpherson Bt MP
Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William Acting
In office 8 February 1785 – 11 September 1786
Monarch	George III
Preceded by	Warren Hastings
Succeeded by	The Earl Cornwallis
Personal details
Born	1745 (1745) Sleat, Isle of Skye
Died	12 January 1821 (1821-01-13) Brompton Grove
Nationality	British
Alma mater	University of Aberdeen University of Edinburgh

Sir John Macpherson, 1st Baronet (born in 1745 – died 12 January 1821), was an important British leader in India. He was the acting Governor-General of Bengal from 1785 to 1786. This means he was in charge of the British areas in Bengal for a short time.

Early Life and Education

John Macpherson was born in 1745 in a place called Sleat on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. His father, also named John Macpherson, was a minister there.

John went to college at King's College, Aberdeen and later at the University of Edinburgh. These were important universities in Scotland.

First Trip to India

In 1767, John Macpherson sailed to India. He worked for the East India Company. This company was very powerful and traded a lot in India.

He met Mohammed Ali, who was the ruler (called the Nawab) of a region called the Carnatic. The Nawab had borrowed a lot of money and was having problems. He asked Macpherson to go to Britain and talk to the government there on his behalf.

Macpherson went back to Britain in 1768. He met with the Prime Minister. This led to a special envoy being sent to India to help the Nawab.

Second Trip to India

Macpherson returned to India in 1770. He worked in administration for six years in Madras. He also continued to help the Nawab with his money problems.

In 1776, the governor of Madras found a letter from Macpherson to the Nawab. The letter showed that Macpherson had been involved in secret talks against the East India Company. Because of this, he was fired from his job.

He went back to Britain in 1777. He carried more messages from the Nawab to the British government.

Member of Parliament (MP)

Macpherson stayed in England for four years. From 1779 to 1782, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for a place called Cricklade. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the government.

He was later given his job back by the East India Company. In 1781, he was appointed to the Supreme Council of Bengal. This was a very important group that helped govern India.

Becoming Governor-General

In February 1785, John Macpherson became the acting Governor-General of Bengal. This happened when the previous Governor-General, Warren Hastings, resigned.

When Macpherson took over, the finances of the British in India were in a bad state. This was because of a long war.

Fixing the Money Problems

Macpherson worked hard to fix the money problems. He used the money they had to pay the soldiers first, because they were close to rebelling. For other payments, he gave out special bonds that would earn interest.

He also cut down on how much the government spent. He made sure money was collected carefully. In just one year, he had saved enough money to pay off all the new debts. He said he reduced spending by a huge amount, about £1,250,000 (which would be like £375 million today!).

However, it's important to remember that there was no war during his time as Governor-General. Also, some people said he didn't do enough to stop corruption among the company's officials.

Dealing with Indian Rulers

Soon after Macpherson became Governor-General, a powerful Indian leader named Maharaja Mahdoji Sindia demanded a large sum of money from the British. Macpherson refused and threatened war if the demand was repeated. He also sent an envoy to another important Indian state to keep an eye on Sindia.

In 1786, another war started between the Mahrattas and Tipu, the ruler of Mysore. Macpherson offered to help the Mahrattas with soldiers to defend their lands. This offer was later taken back by the next Governor-General.

Founding Penang

Macpherson also played a part in the British gaining control of Penang, an island that is now part of Malaysia. He appointed Francis Light to be its administrator in June 1786.

Return to Britain and Later Life

Macpherson was given a special title, a baronet, in June 1786. However, he was replaced as Governor-General by Lord Cornwallis in September, which he was not happy about. He then returned to Britain.

He tried to get more money or another important job from the government, but he was refused. Eventually, he received a large sum of money as compensation.

In 1788, Macpherson was again elected as an MP for Cricklade. However, there were problems with his election, and he lost his seat.

He traveled to Europe, visiting places like Florence and Vienna. He was known for being charming and smart, and he was respected by many people.

He became an MP again for Horsham in 1796 and stayed in that role until 1802.

Death

Sir John Macpherson passed away on 12 January 1821, in Brompton Grove. He never married, and so his special title of baronet ended with him.