H. E. A. Cotton
Encyclopedia
Sir Harry Evan Auguste Cotton CIE (better known as H. E. A. Cotton, or Evan Cotton) (24 May 1868 – 7 March 1939) was a barrister
, administrator, journalist, historian and writer. His Calcutta Old and New, first published in 1909, remains unsurpassed to this day.
, who had the rare distinction of presiding over the 1904 session of the Indian National Congress
, he was born at Midnapore
, where his father was then posted. He had his early schooling at Mount Liban School, Pau and then at Sherborne School
.
He held an open scholarship at Jesus College, Oxford
, where he obtained a second class in Classics Honour Mods, followed by second class degrees
in history and jurisprudence. He was a keen debater and was elected secretary and then treasurer of the Oxford Union
. He was called to the bar by Lincoln’s Inn.
from 1893 to 1908. He served as a member of Calcutta Municipal Corporation.
He covered the Delhi Durbar
of 1903 as a correspondent of the Manchester Guardian
. He subsequently served as the Kolkata correspondent of the Daily News.
He returned to England in 1906 and enlisted his name in the service of the Liberal Party
in various capacities. In 1910 he was elected as a Progressive Councillor to the London County Council
representing Finsbury East
, a seat which he held until 1919. He became a Liberal Member of Parliament for a short period, winning Finsbury East
at a by-election in 1918. At the general election later that year, he contested the new Finsbury
seat for the Liberals but was defeated.
He undertook the editorship of India, the weekly organ of the British Committee of the Indian National Congress.
He served as President of the Bengal Legislative Council from 1922 to 1925.
He was an active member of the Indian Historical Records Commission and was chairman from 1923 to 1925.
and served on an advisory committee at the India Office in connection with the 1919 Act. He was pivot of a small group that supported reforms. However, the changing political environment dampened his spirits. He later became a severe critic of the constitutional changes that led to the Round Table Conference
.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, administrator, journalist, historian and writer. His Calcutta Old and New, first published in 1909, remains unsurpassed to this day.
Formative years
The son of Sir Henry CottonHenry John Stedman Cotton
Sir Henry John Stedman Cotton, KCSI had a long career in the Indian Civil Service, during which he was sympathetic to Indian nationalism...
, who had the rare distinction of presiding over the 1904 session of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, he was born at Midnapore
Midnapore
Midnapore is the district headquarters of Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal. It is situated on the banks of the Kangsabati River . This area had taken a pioneering role in India's freedom struggle...
, where his father was then posted. He had his early schooling at Mount Liban School, Pau and then at Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
.
He held an open scholarship at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, where he obtained a second class in Classics Honour Mods, followed by second class degrees
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
in history and jurisprudence. He was a keen debater and was elected secretary and then treasurer of the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
. He was called to the bar by Lincoln’s Inn.
Professional life
Cotton practised at Calcutta High CourtCalcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It was established as the High Court of Judicature at Fort William on 1 July 1862 under the High Courts Act, 1861. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The High Court...
from 1893 to 1908. He served as a member of Calcutta Municipal Corporation.
He covered the Delhi Durbar
Delhi Durbar
The Delhi Durbar , meaning "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911, at the height of the British Empire. The 1911...
of 1903 as a correspondent of the Manchester Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. He subsequently served as the Kolkata correspondent of the Daily News.
He returned to England in 1906 and enlisted his name in the service of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
in various capacities. In 1910 he was elected as a Progressive Councillor to the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
representing Finsbury East
Finsbury East (UK Parliament constituency)
Finsbury East was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Finsbury district of North London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :...
, a seat which he held until 1919. He became a Liberal Member of Parliament for a short period, winning Finsbury East
Finsbury East (UK Parliament constituency)
Finsbury East was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Finsbury district of North London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :...
at a by-election in 1918. At the general election later that year, he contested the new Finsbury
Finsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
The parliamentary borough of Finsbury was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1885, and from 1918 to 1950. The constituency created in 1832 included part of the county of Middlesex north of the City of London and was named after the Finsbury...
seat for the Liberals but was defeated.
He undertook the editorship of India, the weekly organ of the British Committee of the Indian National Congress.
He served as President of the Bengal Legislative Council from 1922 to 1925.
He was an active member of the Indian Historical Records Commission and was chairman from 1923 to 1925.
Estimate of the person
In all his activities, his primary concern was for India, a country served by four generations in the family. He provided strong support to the Montagu-Chelmsford ReformsMontagu-Chelmsford Reforms
The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms were reforms introduced by the British Government in India to introduce self-governing institutions gradually to India. The reforms take their name from Edwin Samuel Montagu, the Secretary of State for India during the latter parts of World War I and Lord Chelmsford,...
and served on an advisory committee at the India Office in connection with the 1919 Act. He was pivot of a small group that supported reforms. However, the changing political environment dampened his spirits. He later became a severe critic of the constitutional changes that led to the Round Table Conference
Round Table Conferences (India)
This article is about the Anglo-Indian Round Table Conferences. For the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference, see Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference. For other uses of Round Table, see Round Table ....
.