Archibald Blair
Encyclopedia
Archibald Blair was a naval surveyor in the Bombay Marine.
He joined the Bombay Marine, received his first commission in 1771 and in 1792 was promoted captain. In 1772, as a midshipman, he went on his first survey mission along the coasts of India, Iran and Arabia. In 1780 he was lieutenant on a ship captured by a French man-of-war off the Cape of Good Hope. He was kept prisoner by the French until 1784 when they handed him over to the Dutch who returned him to the Bombay Marine that same year. He was given the then considerable sum of £200 on account of his long captivity and suffering. Between 1786 and 1788 he took part in a number of survey missions, to the Chagos archipelago, to Diamond Harbour south of Calcutta and to adjacent parts of the Hooghly river.
His first surveying voyage to the Andaman Islands
took place between December 1788 and April 1789, as a result of which the Governor-general decided to colonise the islands in order to provide a safe harbour in the war against pirates. Blair had surveyed the islands in Viper and Elizabeth, discovering the fine natural harbour on South Andaman Island
which he initially named Port Cornwallis (later renamed Port Blair
), and establishing a fort on Chatham Island in the bay. He later returned to successfully establish a permanent colony, partly composed of convicts. In 1792 he was ordered to relocate the settlement to North Andaman Island
and hand over command to Major Kyd.
His name also appears on maps as Blair's (or Blair) Harbour
from some surveying in the South China Sea
: his own chart of the Malay Peninsula, published in 1805, shows the site just as "A Good Harbour", although an earlier larger scale "Plan of Blair's Harbour" had been published in 1793.
Blair returned to England in 1795. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in May, 1799, his candidacy citation describing him as " Archibald Blair Esqr of Bayford, Herts, Captain on the Maritime Establishment of the East India Company at Bombay a Gentleman distinguished in his profession and for astronomical observations and having been employed by The East India Company in forming an Establishment at the Andamans ". He is recorded to have read an account of the Andaman Islands to the Society in London in 1799.
Retiring in 1800, he settled at Bayford, Hertfordshire where he died in 1815.
In 1803 he received a government commission in England on all cotton belonging to the Company and exported from Bombay as the reward for inventing a machine which made "a considerable improvement in the packing of cotton."
He joined the Bombay Marine, received his first commission in 1771 and in 1792 was promoted captain. In 1772, as a midshipman, he went on his first survey mission along the coasts of India, Iran and Arabia. In 1780 he was lieutenant on a ship captured by a French man-of-war off the Cape of Good Hope. He was kept prisoner by the French until 1784 when they handed him over to the Dutch who returned him to the Bombay Marine that same year. He was given the then considerable sum of £200 on account of his long captivity and suffering. Between 1786 and 1788 he took part in a number of survey missions, to the Chagos archipelago, to Diamond Harbour south of Calcutta and to adjacent parts of the Hooghly river.
His first surveying voyage to the Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
took place between December 1788 and April 1789, as a result of which the Governor-general decided to colonise the islands in order to provide a safe harbour in the war against pirates. Blair had surveyed the islands in Viper and Elizabeth, discovering the fine natural harbour on South Andaman Island
South Andaman Island
South Andaman Island is the southernmost island of the Great Andaman and is home to the majority of the population of the Andaman Islands. Port Blair, the capital of the islands, is located on the southern part of this island. Some areas of the island are restricted areas for non-Indians; however,...
which he initially named Port Cornwallis (later renamed Port Blair
Port Blair
Port Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
), and establishing a fort on Chatham Island in the bay. He later returned to successfully establish a permanent colony, partly composed of convicts. In 1792 he was ordered to relocate the settlement to North Andaman Island
North Andaman Island
North Andaman Island is the northern island of Great Andaman of the Andaman Islands, with an area of 1376 km². The main town on the island is Diglipur. Known for its marine life, the island's main industries are rice and orange-growing...
and hand over command to Major Kyd.
His name also appears on maps as Blair's (or Blair) Harbour
Blair's Harbour
Blair's Harbour is located between Pahang on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and the island of Tioman. It never seems to have had any physical presence, but appears on many maps of the East Indies/East India Islands/Malayan Peninsula during the 19th century, and still appears on Admiralty...
from some surveying in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
: his own chart of the Malay Peninsula, published in 1805, shows the site just as "A Good Harbour", although an earlier larger scale "Plan of Blair's Harbour" had been published in 1793.
Blair returned to England in 1795. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in May, 1799, his candidacy citation describing him as " Archibald Blair Esqr of Bayford, Herts, Captain on the Maritime Establishment of the East India Company at Bombay a Gentleman distinguished in his profession and for astronomical observations and having been employed by The East India Company in forming an Establishment at the Andamans ". He is recorded to have read an account of the Andaman Islands to the Society in London in 1799.
Retiring in 1800, he settled at Bayford, Hertfordshire where he died in 1815.
In 1803 he received a government commission in England on all cotton belonging to the Company and exported from Bombay as the reward for inventing a machine which made "a considerable improvement in the packing of cotton."