Evan Nepean
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| Sir Evan Nepean | |
| Born | 9 July 1751 St. Stephens, Cornwall, UK |
|---|---|
| Died | 2 October 1822 Dorset, UK |
| Occupation | politician |
| Spouse | Margaret Skinner |
| Children | one daughter, two sons |
| Parents | Nicholas Nepean |
Sir Evan Nepean, 1st Baronet PC (9 July 1751 or 1753, St Stephens near Saltash, Cornwall – 2 October 1822) was a British politician and colonial administrator.
Contents |
[edit] Early Career
Nepan entered the Royal Navy on December 28, 1773, serving on HMS Boyne as a clerk to Capt. Hartwell. He was promoted to purser in 1775. During the American Revolutionary War he served as secretary to Admiral Molyneux Shuldham, in Boston in 1776 and again at Plymouth (1777-78). From 1780-1782 he was Purser on HMS Foudroyant for Captain John Jervis (later Lord St. Vincent).
On March 3, 1782 (aged only 29) he was appointed Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department. He served effectively there until December 1791, when he became Under-Secretary of State for War in 1794, secretary to the Board of Admiralty 1795-1804, Chief Secretary for Ireland 1804-1805, Commissioner of the Admiralty, and then governor of Bombay 1812-1819.
He was Member of Parliament for Queenborough from 1796 till 1802, then moving to Bridport where he remained until 1812. He was made a baronet in 1802 and was admitted to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 1804.
[edit] Personal Life
Evan Nepean was the second of three sons of "Nicholas Nepean, Gent." His father was Cornish and his mother was from South Wales. The name "Nepean" is thought to come from the village of Nanpean, (“the head of the valley”), in Cornwall.
Nepean married Margaret Skinner, the only daughter of Capt. William Skinner, on June 6, 1782 at the Garrison Church at Greenwich. They had one daughter and two sons.
[edit] Legacy
The city of Nepean, Ontario, Canada, the Nepean River in New South Wales, Australia, the Nepean Highway from Melbourne to Portsea (and nearby Point Nepean) in the south east of Victoria, Australia and two roads in Mumbai, India, Nepean Road and Nepean Sea Road, were all named after him.
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard Hopkins John Sargent |
Member of Parliament for Queenborough with John Sargent 1796–1801 |
Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain |
Member of Parliament for Queenborough with John Sargent 1801–1802 |
Succeeded by John Prinsep George Peter Moore |
| Preceded by Charles Sturt George Barclay |
Member of Parliament for Bridport with George Barclay 1802–1807 Sir Samuel Hood 1807–1812 1802–1812 |
Succeeded by William Best Sir Horace St Paul |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by None |
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department 1782 |
Succeeded by Thomas Orde |
| Preceded by John Bell |
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department 1782–1794 |
Succeeded by John King |
| Preceded by None |
Under-Secretary of State for War 1794–1795 |
Succeeded by William Huskisson |
| Preceded by Philip Stephens |
First Secretary to the Admiralty 1795–1804 |
Succeeded by William Marsden |
| Preceded by William Wickham |
Chief Secretary for Ireland 1804–1805 |
Succeeded by Nicholas Vansittart |
| Preceded by Jonathan Duncan |
Governor of Bombay 1812–1819 |
Succeeded by Mountstuart Elphinstone |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by New creation |
Baronet (of Bothenhampton) 1802–1822 |
Succeeded by Molyneux Hyde Nepean |

