Edward Barnes (British Army officer)
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Sir Edward Barnes, GCB (1776 – 19 March 1838) was a British soldier who became governor of Ceylon.
Barnes joined the 47th Regiment of Foot in 1792, and quickly rose to field rank. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1807, and colonel in 1810. Two years later, he served on Wellington's staff in the Peninsular War. His services in this capacity gained him further promotion; as a major-general, he led a brigade in the Battle of Vitoria and the Pyrenean battles. He was awarded the cross and three clasps for his Peninsula service. Barnes served in the campaign of 1815 as adjutant-general, and was wounded at Waterloo. Already a K.C.B., he received the Austrian Order of Maria Theresa, and the Russian Order of St Anne.
In 1819, his connection with Ceylon began. Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Barnes 1776-1838 became Acting Governor of Ceylon on 1st February 1820 to 2nd February 1822, succeeding Robert Brownrigg 1759-1833, Governor of Ceylon 1812-1820, He was Governor of Ceylon from 18th January 1824 to 13th October 1831, succeeded by Robert Wilmot-Horton 1784-1841, Governor 13th October to 23rd October 1831. He directed the construction of the great military road between Colombo and Kandy, and of many other lines of communication, made the first census of the population, and introduced coffee cultivation based on the West Indian system (1824). In 1831, he received the G.C.B.. From 1832 to 1833, he was commander in-chief in India, with the local rank of general.
On his return home, he stood for Parliament as Conservative candidate for Sudbury at a by-election in 1834. The votes between the two candidates were tied, and the returning officer gave Barnes his casting vote and declared him elected; however, his opponent petitioned against the outcome, denying that the returning officer had the right to a casting vote, and the issue had not been resolved before Parliament was dissolved. At the 1835 general election, Barnes was narrowly defeated, but he finally became MP for Sudbury at the third attempt in 1837[1]; however, he died in the following year.
Sir Edward Barnes' portrait was painted, for Ceylon, by John Wood, and a memorial statue was erected in Colombo.
[edit] References
- ^ F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert Brownrigg |
Governor of Ceylon, acting 1820–1822 |
Succeeded by Edward Paget |
| Preceded by James Campbell, acting |
Governor of Ceylon 1824–1831 |
Succeeded by John Wilson, acting |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Sir John Benn Walsh, Bt Michael Angelo Taylor |
Member of Parliament for Sudbury with Sir John Benn Walsh, Bt 1834–1835 |
Succeeded by John Bagshaw Benjamin Smith |
| Preceded by John Bagshaw Benjamin Smith |
Member of Parliament for Sudbury with Sir James John Hamilton, Bt 1837 Joseph Bailey 1837–1838 1837–1838 |
Succeeded by Joseph Bailey Sir John Benn Walsh, Bt |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by The Earl of Dalhousie |
Commander-in-Chief, India 1832–1833 |
Succeeded by The Lord William Bentinck |
