Richard Hieram Sankey
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General Sir Richard Hieram Sankey KCB (22 March 1829 – 11 November 1908) was an officer in the Royal (Madras) Engineers in the East India Company
's army in British India, later transferring to the British Army
after the Indian Mutiny and the assumption of Crown rule in India.See also The Sankey Tank
in Bangalore
which he constructed to meet the water demands of that city is named after him. The high court building in Bangalore, Attara Kacheri, was designed and built by him.
, Ireland
on 22 March 1829. He was the fourth son of Eleanor and Matthew Sankey. Eleanor was herself from a family of military men, her father being Colenol Henry O'Hara, J.P of O'Hara Broom, County Antrim
. Matthew Sankey was a barrister
at Bawnmore, Co. Cork and Modeshil, Co. Tipperary. Richard Sankey did his schooling at Rev. Flynn's School on Harcourt Street in Dublin and entered the East India Company
's military seminary at Addiscombe
in 1845.
in the Madras Sappers in November 1846, he was then trained in military engineering with the Royal Engineers
at Chatham from 1 January 1847 (holding temporary rank as an ensign
in the British Army). He then arrived in India in November 1848. After two years of service at Mercatur, he officiated in 1850 as Superintending Engineer at Nagpur
. During this time he made a small collection of fossils of Glossopteris
from the Nagpur district and wrote a paper on the geology of the region in 1854. The collection was moved from the Museum of Practical Geology to the British Museum in 1880. In 1856, he was promoted as the Superintendent of the East Coast Canal at Madras. In May 1857, he was promoted as the Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department under Col. William Erskine Baker
in Calcutta. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857
, he was commissioned as the Captain of the Calcutta Cavalry Volunteers, but was soon despatched to Allahabad
where he led the construction of several embankments and bridges across the Yamuna
and Ganges. He was involved in the construction of shelters to advancing troops along the Grand Trunk Road
to aid the quelling of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
. He arrived in course of this work at Cawnpore (now Kanpur) a day before the attack by Tantya Tope (Second Battle of Cawnpore
). He also was involved in crucial civil works that aided the quelling of the rebellion by bridging the Gogra and Gomti rivers at Gorakhpur
and Phulpur
that enabled the Gorkha regiment
to cross these rivers. He received several commendations from his commanders here and later in the taking of the fort at Jumalpur, Khandua nalla and Kaisar Bagh, vital actions in the braking of the Siege of Lucknow
. For his actions at Jumalpur he was recommended for the Victoria Cross
, although he did not receive this honour. He received the Indian Mutiny Medal
with clasp and was promoted to second captain on 27 August 1858, and given brevet
promotion to major the following day for his services in the quelling of the rebellion. He was sent to the Nilgiris due to ill-health during this time.
He spent a year in Burma as the executive engineer and Superintendent of the jail at Moulmein. On 29 June 1861, he was promoted to substantive captain
and was posted as the Garrison
Engineer at Fort William
, Calcutta and later as the assistant to Chief Engineer
, Mysore until 1864, when he was made the Chief Engineer at Mysore. Due to the reorganisation of the armed forces following the assumption of Crown rule in India he was transferred to the Royal Engineers on 29 April 1862. In Mysore, he was involved in public works
and built several roads, buildings, tanks and canals. He spent seven months in Melbourne
on a project to wash down gold alluvium
, at the request of the Victorian
government in view of his experience with hydrological studies in Mysore. He was brevetted lieutenant colonel on 14 June 1869, and substantive promotion followed on 15 October 1870 (without him ever having held the substantive rank of major), he was brevetted colonel on 15 October 1875.
He was appointed as an under-secretary to the Government of India in 1877. which earned him the Afghanistan Medal
. In 1878, he was promoted as the Secretary in the public works
department at Madras, and was promoted substantive colonel on 30 December. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath on 25 July 1879, and also commanded the Royal Engineers on the advance from Kandahar
to Kabul
during the Second Anglo-Afghan War
. He became a member of the legislative council in Madras and was elected as a Fellow of the Madras University. He was promoted major general on 4 June 1883, and retired from the army on 11 January 1884 with the honorary rank of lieutenant general. He also received the distinguished service award in India.
He was married to Sophia Mary, daughter of William Henry Benson
of the Indian Civil Service, at Ootacamund
in 1858. After her death in 1882 he married Henrietta at Dublin in 1890.
. Later he settled in London
where he died at St George's Hospital
in 1908 and was inter
red at Hove
, Sussex
.
Sankey is memorialised in the Phoenix Park
, Dublin, Ireland. A circle of trees bears the name Sankey's Wood. A plaque (dated 1894) lies half-hidden in the undergrowth there.
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's army in British India, later transferring to the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
after the Indian Mutiny and the assumption of Crown rule in India.See also The Sankey Tank
Sankey Tank
Sankey tank , a manmade lake or tank, is situated in the western part of Bangalore in the middle of the suburbs of Malleshwaram, Vyalikaval and Sadashiva Nagar. The lake covers an area of about . At its widest, the tank has a width of...
in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
which he constructed to meet the water demands of that city is named after him. The high court building in Bangalore, Attara Kacheri, was designed and built by him.
Early life
Richard Sankey was born in 1829 at Rockwell Castle, County TipperaryCounty Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on 22 March 1829. He was the fourth son of Eleanor and Matthew Sankey. Eleanor was herself from a family of military men, her father being Colenol Henry O'Hara, J.P of O'Hara Broom, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. Matthew Sankey was a barrister
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...
at Bawnmore, Co. Cork and Modeshil, Co. Tipperary. Richard Sankey did his schooling at Rev. Flynn's School on Harcourt Street in Dublin and entered the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
's military seminary at Addiscombe
Addiscombe Military Academy
The East India Company Military Seminary, colloquially known as Addiscombe Seminary, Addiscombe College, or Addiscombe Military Academy was a British military academy at Addiscombe, Surrey, in what is now the London Borough of Croydon. It was established in 1809, and closed in 1861...
in 1845.
Career in India
He was commissioned as a second lieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Madras Sappers in November 1846, he was then trained in military engineering with the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
at Chatham from 1 January 1847 (holding temporary rank as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the British Army). He then arrived in India in November 1848. After two years of service at Mercatur, he officiated in 1850 as Superintending Engineer at Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
. During this time he made a small collection of fossils of Glossopteris
Glossopteris
Glossopteris is the largest and best-known genus of the extinct order of seed ferns known as Glossopteridales ....
from the Nagpur district and wrote a paper on the geology of the region in 1854. The collection was moved from the Museum of Practical Geology to the British Museum in 1880. In 1856, he was promoted as the Superintendent of the East Coast Canal at Madras. In May 1857, he was promoted as the Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department under Col. William Erskine Baker
William Erskine Baker
General Sir William Erskine Baker KCB was a senior British Indian Army officer who went on to be Military Secretary to the India Office.-Military career:...
in Calcutta. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, he was commissioned as the Captain of the Calcutta Cavalry Volunteers, but was soon despatched to Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
where he led the construction of several embankments and bridges across the Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
and Ganges. He was involved in the construction of shelters to advancing troops along the Grand Trunk Road
Grand Trunk Road
The Grand Trunk Road also formerly known as Uttarapatha, Shah Rah-e-Azam or Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak is one of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads...
to aid the quelling of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
. He arrived in course of this work at Cawnpore (now Kanpur) a day before the attack by Tantya Tope (Second Battle of Cawnpore
Second Battle of Cawnpore
The Second Battle of Cawnpore was a battle of Indian rebellion of 1857. It was decisive as it thwarted the rebels' last chance to regain the initiative and recapture the cities of Kanpur and Lucknow.-Background:...
). He also was involved in crucial civil works that aided the quelling of the rebellion by bridging the Gogra and Gomti rivers at Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
and Phulpur
Phulpur
Phulpur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Allahabad district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is known for being the Lok Sabha seat from which Jawaharlal Nehru got elected to the Indian Parliament.-Geography:...
that enabled the Gorkha regiment
Gurkha
Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...
to cross these rivers. He received several commendations from his commanders here and later in the taking of the fort at Jumalpur, Khandua nalla and Kaisar Bagh, vital actions in the braking of the Siege of Lucknow
Siege of Lucknow
The Siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defense of the Residency within the city of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was abandoned.Lucknow was the capital of...
. For his actions at Jumalpur he was recommended for the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, although he did not receive this honour. He received the Indian Mutiny Medal
Indian Mutiny Medal
The Indian Mutiny Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1858, for issue to officers and men of British and Indian units who served in operations in suppression of the Indian Mutiny....
with clasp and was promoted to second captain on 27 August 1858, and given brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
promotion to major the following day for his services in the quelling of the rebellion. He was sent to the Nilgiris due to ill-health during this time.
He spent a year in Burma as the executive engineer and Superintendent of the jail at Moulmein. On 29 June 1861, he was promoted to substantive captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
and was posted as the Garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
Engineer at Fort William
Fort William, India
Fort William is a fort built in Calcutta on the Eastern banks of the River Hooghly, the major distributary of the River Ganges, during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It was named after King William III of England...
, Calcutta and later as the assistant to Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
In marine transportation, the chief engineer is a licensed mariner in charge of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. "Chief engineer" is the official title of someone qualified to oversee the entire engine department; the qualification is colloquially called a "chief's...
, Mysore until 1864, when he was made the Chief Engineer at Mysore. Due to the reorganisation of the armed forces following the assumption of Crown rule in India he was transferred to the Royal Engineers on 29 April 1862. In Mysore, he was involved in public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
and built several roads, buildings, tanks and canals. He spent seven months in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on a project to wash down gold alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
, at the request of the Victorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
government in view of his experience with hydrological studies in Mysore. He was brevetted lieutenant colonel on 14 June 1869, and substantive promotion followed on 15 October 1870 (without him ever having held the substantive rank of major), he was brevetted colonel on 15 October 1875.
Afghanistan Medal (United Kingdom)
The Afghanistan Medal was awarded for the military actions involving the British Army and local Indian units in Afghanistan between 1878–1880. This was the Second Anglo-Afghan War, the first being from 1839–1842....
. In 1878, he was promoted as the Secretary in the public works
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
department at Madras, and was promoted substantive colonel on 30 December. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath on 25 July 1879, and also commanded the Royal Engineers on the advance from Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
to Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
during the Second Anglo-Afghan War
Second Anglo-Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner...
. He became a member of the legislative council in Madras and was elected as a Fellow of the Madras University. He was promoted major general on 4 June 1883, and retired from the army on 11 January 1884 with the honorary rank of lieutenant general. He also received the distinguished service award in India.
He was married to Sophia Mary, daughter of William Henry Benson
William Henry Benson
William Henry Benson was a civil servant in British India and an amateur malacologist. He made large collections of molluscs and described numerous species. He was a malacologist occurring in the U.K., India and South Africa.He joined Haileybury College in 1819 and joined the East India Company at...
of the Indian Civil Service, at Ootacamund
Ootacamund
Ootacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
in 1858. After her death in 1882 he married Henrietta at Dublin in 1890.
Return to Ireland and death
After retirement, he went back to Ireland, where he became the Chairman of the Board of Works. He was promoted Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 25 May 1892 for his work in Ireland. He also undertook projects in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Later he settled in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where he died at St George's Hospital
St George's Hospital
Founded in 1733, St George’s Hospital is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It shares its main hospital site in Tooting, England with the St George's, University of London which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research....
in 1908 and was inter
Inter
Inter may refer to:* inter to place inside of the earth, from the Latin "in" + "terra" * Inter- is a Latin prefix meaning "between", among, or "within a group".* An intersexual person* Inter, Ukrainian TV-channel...
red at Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
Sankey is memorialised in the Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
, Dublin, Ireland. A circle of trees bears the name Sankey's Wood. A plaque (dated 1894) lies half-hidden in the undergrowth there.
External links
- Newspaper report on the Coliban waterworks
- Le Messurier, A (1880) Kandahar in 1879. W H Allen.