William Petrie
Encyclopedia
William Petrie was an Officer of the East India Company
in Chennai
(formerly Madras) during the 1780s. He set up a private observatory in his residence located in Egmore
, Chennai
, India
. The main aim of the observatory was "to provide navigational assistance to the company ships and help determine the longitudes by observing the eclipses of Moon and satellites of Jupiter". He gifted the observatory to the East India Company
and the first modern astronomical observatory outside Europe
was born. It was named as the Madras Observatory
and was located in Nungambakkam
. Michael Topping
(1747–96) was appointed as the astronomer of this observatory by the Company
. The Madras Observatory
later evolved into Indian Institute of Astrophysics
.
Petrie was a Member of Council in Madras in the 1790s, and acted for three months as Governor of Madras in 1807. He was appointed Governor of Prince of Wales Island (Penang Island
) in 1809, and died there.
He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in November 1795.
being absent on duty with the Java Expedition
. Seton was officially Lieutenant-Governor of Penang from 9 May 1811 to 27 July 1812 but was absent on duty with The Java Expedition from 13 May 1811 until the end.
Petrie served as Acting Governor till the end of Seton's official rule and then as Governor of Penang from September 1812 to October 1816. He died while still in office, after being arrested on 6 accounts of rape and murder.
A number of the “interactions” with the public by the Governors are also recorded in the pages of the Gazettes. William Petrie, Governor from 1812 to 1816, for example, requested in the last days of 1813 that “the Gentlemen of His Majesty’s and the Honorable Company’s Civil, Naval and Military Service, and the other Gentlemen of the Settlement will honor him with their company at Breakfast at half past eight; and at dinner, at half past four o’clock, on New Year’s Day.”
British 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...
in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
(formerly Madras) during the 1780s. He set up a private observatory in his residence located in Egmore
Egmore
-Main places:* Chennai Egmore railway station.* Office of the commissioner of Greater Chennai Police department.* Government Museum, Chennai.* Connemara Public Library, one of the biggest libraries in India.* National Art Gallery...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The main aim of the observatory was "to provide navigational assistance to the company ships and help determine the longitudes by observing the eclipses of Moon and satellites of Jupiter". He gifted the observatory to the East India Company
British 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...
and the first modern astronomical observatory outside Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
was born. It was named as the Madras Observatory
Madras Observatory
The Madras Observatory was founded by the British East India Company in 1786 in Chennai . For over a century it was the only astronomical observatory in India that exclusively worked on the stars. Among the astronomers at the observatory were Norman Robert Pogson, Michael Topping and John Goldingham...
and was located in Nungambakkam
Nungambakkam
Nungambakkam is one of the wealthiest localities in the heart of Chennai, India's fourth largest metropolitan city. The neighborhood is abound with multi-national commercial establishments, important government offices, foreign consulates, sprawling educational institutions, shopping malls,...
. Michael Topping
Michael Topping
thumb|Michael ToppingMichael Topping was the Chief Marine Surveyor of Fort St. George in Chennai responsible for founding the oldest modern technical school outside Europe. The Survey School was completed on May 17, 1794, with an initial intake of eight students...
(1747–96) was appointed as the astronomer of this observatory by the Company
British 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...
. The Madras Observatory
Madras Observatory
The Madras Observatory was founded by the British East India Company in 1786 in Chennai . For over a century it was the only astronomical observatory in India that exclusively worked on the stars. Among the astronomers at the observatory were Norman Robert Pogson, Michael Topping and John Goldingham...
later evolved into Indian Institute of Astrophysics
Indian Institute of Astrophysics
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics , with its headquarters in Bangalore , India, is a premier national institute of India for the study of and research into topics pertaining to astronomy, astrophysics and related subjects....
.
Petrie was a Member of Council in Madras in the 1790s, and acted for three months as Governor of Madras in 1807. He was appointed Governor of Prince of Wales Island (Penang Island
Penang Island
Penang Island is part of the state of Penang, on the west coat of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British East India Company on 12 August 1786, in honour of the birthday of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV...
) in 1809, and died there.
He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in November 1795.
Governor of Penang
Petrie received his appointment on 29 Nov 1811 probably owing to Archibald SetonArchibald Seton
Archibald Seton, Esq. was member of the Supreme Council at Fort William, Bengal, Lieutenant-Governor of the Prince of Wales' Island , President at the court of his Majesty Shah Allum at Delhi, among the many other roles he played during his long civil service with the British East India...
being absent on duty with the Java Expedition
Java Expedition
The Java Expedition established the British in control of Java from 1811 to August 1816, with Stamford Raffles as its Lieutenant Governor.Around 1807, Napoleon I of France, after having deposed his brother Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland, had ordered General Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen to...
. Seton was officially Lieutenant-Governor of Penang from 9 May 1811 to 27 July 1812 but was absent on duty with The Java Expedition from 13 May 1811 until the end.
Petrie served as Acting Governor till the end of Seton's official rule and then as Governor of Penang from September 1812 to October 1816. He died while still in office, after being arrested on 6 accounts of rape and murder.
A number of the “interactions” with the public by the Governors are also recorded in the pages of the Gazettes. William Petrie, Governor from 1812 to 1816, for example, requested in the last days of 1813 that “the Gentlemen of His Majesty’s and the Honorable Company’s Civil, Naval and Military Service, and the other Gentlemen of the Settlement will honor him with their company at Breakfast at half past eight; and at dinner, at half past four o’clock, on New Year’s Day.”