Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/464

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
448
DICTIONARY OF INDIAN BIOGRAPHY

branch of the administration : was Accountant-General, in the Central Pro-vinces, and Bengal, 1873–80 : Comptroller-General, 1881 : Member of the Finance Committee, 1886 : Secretary to Government in the Department of Finance and Commerce : Chief Commissioner of Assam in 1889 for a few months : resigned and went to New Zealand : Finance Member of the Supreme Council, 1893–9 : K.C.S.I., 1895 : Member of the Council of India, 1899 : died May 9, 1903.

WESTMACOTT, SIR RICHARD (1841–)

Son of Rev. Horatio Westmacott : educated at Rossall : entered the Bombay Army, 1859, and became Maj-General, 1899 : served in the Indian mutiny, 1857–8 : Afghan war, 1879–80 : Soudan expedition, 1885 : commanded advance column, Chin-Lushai expedition, 1889–90 : D.S.O. : commanded 28th Bombay Pioneers, 1887–94 : A.A.G., Poona, 1894–5 : Colonel on the staff, 1895–6 : commanded Nagpur District, 1896–9 : commanded 1st Brigade Mohmand Field Force, 1897 : and 4th Brigade, Tirah expedition, 1897–8 : K.C.B. : commanding 1st Class District, Mhow, 1900–3.

WESTON, CHARLES (1731–1809)

Son of the Recorder of the Mayor's Court : born in Calcutta, 1731 : apprenticed to J. Z. Holwell (q.v.), but applied himself to book-keeping : in the local mihtia at Calcutta, 1756 : fortunately absent on duty at the time of the Black Hole : received pecuniary help from Holwell when the latter left India : made a fortune by agency business : retired in 1782 : very benevolent and charitable : helped Holwell in his old age : had many pensioners and dependants : left a lakh of rupees to the poor : died Dec. 25, 1809.

WESTROPP, SIR MICHAEL ROBERTS (1817–1890)

Born 1817 : son of Captain Henry B. Westropp, 7th Dragoon Guards : educated at Trinity College, Dublin : called to the Irish bar, 1840 : to the Bombay bar, 1854 : Advocate General at Bombay. 1856–7, and 1861–2 : Remembrancer of Legal Affairs, 1860–3 : Puisne Judge of the High Court, Bombay, 1863–70 : knighted as Chief Justice, 1870–82 : retired, 1882 : died Jan .4, 1890.

WETHERALL, SIR EDWARD ROBERT ( ? –1869)

Son of Sir George Augustus Wetherall : educated at the Naval and Military Academy, Edinburgh, and at Sandhurst : joined the 1st Royals, 1834 : served in Canada, 1837–9, in the Crimea as A.Q.M.G. : C.B. : D.Q.M.G. in China, 1857 : Chief of the Staff of the Central India Field Force to Sir Hugh Rose (Lord Strathnairn) (q.v.) in the mutiny : in his engagements up to Kalpi : commanded a Brigade in Oudh, 1858 : A.D.C. to Queen Victoria and Colonel, 1855 : Chief of the Staff in N. America : K.C.S.I., 1867 : Under Secretary in Ireland, 1868 : Maj-General, 1869 : died May 11, 1869.

WHEELER, SIR HUGH MASSY (1789–1857)

Son of Capt. Hugh Wheeler, E.I.C.S. : born June 30, 1789 : educated at Richmond and Bath : joined the 24th Bengal N.I., 1804 : at Delhi, 1804 : in the Afghan war, 1838–9 : commanded the 48th N.I. at Ghazni and Kabul, 1839 : C.B. : escorted Dost Muhammad to India, 1840 : in the Satlaj campaign, commanded a Brigade at Mudki and Aliwal : and in the Panjab campaign commanded the Jalandhar Field Force and the Panjab Division : K.C.B. : Maj-Gen. in the mutiny, in command of the Cawnpur Division : entrenched his force there, and sent help to Lucknow : his weak entrenchments were besieged by the mutineers, and heroically defended from 6th to 26th June, 1857, when he smrendered to the Nana Sahib (q.v.), on terms : as he and the other survivors were embarking on the 27th in boats on the river for Allahabad, they were treacherously attacked, by the Nana's orders, and most of them massacred at the Sati Chaora Ghat : some women and children being murdered later.

WHEELER, JAMES TALBOYS (1824–1897)

Son of James Luff Wheeler : born Dec. 22, 1824 : began as a publisher and book-seller : War Office extra clerk : went to Madras to edit the Madras Spectator, 1858 : became a Professor in the Madras Presidency College : employed to examine the old Madras records and wrote Madras in the Olden Times, 1639–1748, 1860–2 : Assistant Secretary to the Government of