Ernest Cable, 1st Baron Cable
Encyclopedia
Ernest Cable, 1st Baron Cable (1 December 1859 – 28 March 1927) was an India
n-born British
merchant and financier.
. Cable was educated privately and at the University of Calcutta
.
and jute
.
In 1886 he became a partner
in the company. By 1896 it directly employed 15,000 people and contracted 15,000 more. Much of this expansion was due to Cable's business acumen and his knowledge of India and good relations with its people. He also set up a subsidiary in the City of London
to ease British investments in the company. By 1914 he was senior partner of the company. In 1917 Bird acquired a controlling interest in F. W. Heilgers and Co, another Calcutta merchant house, creating by far the largest company in India, employing 100,000 people.
Cable was also a director
of the Western Assurance Company, the Tanganyika Development Company, and the British America Assurance Company.
and from then sat in the Imperial Legislative Council, headed by the Viceroy of India. He was nominated Sheriff
of Calcutta in 1905 and during his tenure was knighted when George, Prince of Wales
and his wife Mary of Teck
visited the city in the following year.
After his return to England by 1913, Cable was invited into the Royal Commission on Indian Finance and Currency and in 1916 he was appointed High Sheriff of Devon
. In the 1921 New Year's Honours he was raised to Peerage of the United Kingdom
with the title Baron Cable, of Ideford, in the County of Devon
.
in 1927; he was buried in Ideford on 31 March. With his death the barony became extinct.
A Junior Wing House at St Paul's School, Darjeeling
, India, where all the houses
bear names after colonial age figures, is named after him.
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...
n-born British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
merchant and financier.
Background
Born in Calcutta, he was the eldest son of George Hebberd Cable, a superintendent with the Indian Customs and Excise Service. His mother Emily Maria, was the daughter of William Pickersgill, who had served in the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. Cable was educated privately and at the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
.
Mercantile career
After his education Cable became first employed in Calcutta at Ashburner and Co and then worked for Lyall, Rennie and Co, both trading agencys. Aged seventeen he joined Bird and Co, a merchant house which had interests in many different areas of commerce, especially labour contracting (in which it had started), coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and jute
Jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable fibre that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from plants in the genus Corchorus, which has been classified in the family Tiliaceae, or more recently in Malvaceae....
.
In 1886 he became a partner
Business partner
Business partner is a term used to denote a commercial entity with which another commercial entity has some form of alliance. This relationship may be a highly contractual, exclusive bond in which both entities commit not to ally with third parties...
in the company. By 1896 it directly employed 15,000 people and contracted 15,000 more. Much of this expansion was due to Cable's business acumen and his knowledge of India and good relations with its people. He also set up a subsidiary in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
to ease British investments in the company. By 1914 he was senior partner of the company. In 1917 Bird acquired a controlling interest in F. W. Heilgers and Co, another Calcutta merchant house, creating by far the largest company in India, employing 100,000 people.
Cable was also a director
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of the Western Assurance Company, the Tanganyika Development Company, and the British America Assurance Company.
Political career
In 1903 Cable was elected president of the Bengal Chamber of CommerceBengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a chamber of commerce based in West Bengal, India.Established in 1853, it is the oldest such institution in India.The organization has its headquarters at the former Royal Exchange in B. B. D...
and from then sat in the Imperial Legislative Council, headed by the Viceroy of India. He was nominated Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Calcutta in 1905 and during his tenure was knighted when George, Prince of Wales
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and his wife Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
visited the city in the following year.
After his return to England by 1913, Cable was invited into the Royal Commission on Indian Finance and Currency and in 1916 he was appointed High Sheriff of Devon
High Sheriff of Devon
The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, he holds his office over the duration of a year. He has judicial, ceremonial and administrative functions and executes High Court...
. In the 1921 New Year's Honours he was raised to Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
with the title Baron Cable, of Ideford, in the County of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Personal life
On 10 October 1888, he married Lilian Sarah, daughter of Weston Joseph Sparkes. The couple had two daughters and one son, George, who was killed in action in the First World War in 1915. His wife died in 1924 and Cable survived her for three years, dying in LondonLondon
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...
in 1927; he was buried in Ideford on 31 March. With his death the barony became extinct.
A Junior Wing House at St Paul's School, Darjeeling
St Paul's School, Darjeeling
Founded in 1823, St. Paul's School is one of Asia's oldest and most pre-eminent private boarding schools known for its rich academic tradition and elite alumni base. It is located in the town of Darjeeling, in the far northern portion of India. At about above sea level, it is the highest private...
, India, where all the houses
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
bear names after colonial age figures, is named after him.