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DICTIONARY OF INDIAN BIOGRAPHY

over those possessions": led a mission to the Burmese Court at Amarapura, 1855: Lt-Colonel, 1859: joined the Bengal Staff Corps, 1861: the first Chief Commissioner of British Burma, 1862–7: C.B., 1863: went on two other missions: in 1862 and 1866, to Mandalay, then in Upper Burma: K.C.S.I., 1867: Lt-General, 1877: Governor of the Mauritius, 1874–8: G.C.M.G., 1878: wrote his History of Burma, 1883, a work on Burmese coins, and papers for the Asiatic and Royal Geographical Societies: died Dec. 14. 1885,

PHAYRE, SIR ROBERT (1820–1897)

Born Jan. 22, 1820: son of Richard Phayre, and brother of Sir Arthur P. Phayre (q.v.): educated at Shrewsbury: entered the E. I. Co.'s service, 1839, in Bombay: in the first Afghan war: in Beluchistan: in the Sind campaign, 1843: at Miani: in the Persian war, 1857: Q.M.G. of the Bombay Army, in the mutiny, 1857–68: Major, Bombay Staff Corps, 1861: Q.M.G. in Abyssinia: C.B.: A.D.C. to Queen Victoria: commanded the Sind frontier force, 1868–72: Resident at Baroda, 1873: charged the Gaekwar with maladministration: Phayre's life attempted by poison, Nov. 9, 1874: the Gaekwar was tried and deposed, 1875: Phayre returned to military employ: commanded the Reserve Division in the Afghan war, 1879–80: K.C.B., 1881: commanded a Division of the Bombay Army, 1881–6: retired, 1886: General, 1889: G.C.B., 1894: died Jan. 28, 1897.

PHEAR, SIR JOHN BUDD (1825–1905)

Born Feb. 9, 1825: son of Rev. J. Phear: educated privately and at Pem-broke College, Cambridge: 6th Wrangler, 1847: Fellow and Lecturer, Clare College, Cambridge: Senior Moderator, 1856: called to the bar at the Inner Temple, 1854: wrote law books: Puisne Judge of the High Court, Calcutta, 1864–76 Chief Justice of Ceylon, 1877–9: knighted unsuccessful candidate for Parliament author of The Aryan Village in India and Ceylon, International Trade, etc.: D.L. and J. P.: died April 7, 1905.

PIDDINGTON, HENRY (1797–1858)

Son of James Piddington: born 1797: was a Commander in the mercantile marine: left the sea about 1830, and became Curator of the Museum of Econo-mic Geology, and Assistant Secretary of the Asiatic Society, at Calcutta: wrote papers on meteorology and the storms in the Indian seas, and collected a quantity of information on storms: wrote The Sailor's Horn-book for the Law of Storms, 1848: suggested the term "cyclone" for rotatory storms: was President of the Marine Court of Enquiry at Calcutta, and Coroner: died at Calcutta, April 7, 1858.

PIERSON, WILLIAM HENRY (1839–1881)

Son of Charles Pierson: born Nov. 23, 1839: educated at Southampton, Cheltenham, Addiscombe: gained great distinction: to India in the Engineers, 1860: saw service in Sikhim, 1861: was in the Indo-European telegraph, 1863–73: designed and constructed the residence of the British Legation at Teheran: Secretary to the Indian Defence Committee, 1877, for the defences of Indian Ports: Military Secretary in Aug. 1880 to the Marquis of Ripon, when Viceroy and Governor-General: Major, 1881: commanded the R.E. in the Mahsud-Waziri expedition: died at Bannu, June 2, 1881: he had a reputation for versatile talents as an artist, engineer and architect.

PIGOT, GEORGE, BARON (1719–1777)

I.C.S.: Governor: born March 4, 1719: son of Richard Pigot: went to Madras in the E. I. Co.'s Civil Service, 1737: was factor, junior merchant, senior merchant: in Council, and rose to be Governor of Madras, Jan. 14, 1755, to Nov. 14, 1763: defended Madras against the French, 1758–9: resigned, and returned to England, 1765: made a Baronet in 1764: M.P. for Wallingford and Bridgnorth: made an Irish Peer, 1766: LL.D., Cambridge, 1769: again became Governor and C. in C, Madras, Dec. 11, 1775: and set himself to repress malpractices: reinstated the Raja of Tanjore, in April, 1776: disputes arose between Pigot and his council regarding the claims of Paul Benfield on the Tanjore revenues, and the restoration of the Raja: Pigot suspended two Members of Council, and ordered the arrest of the Commandant, Sir Robert Fletcher: the Council retaliated,