John Carnac
Encyclopedia
Brigadier-General
John Carnac (1716 – 29 November 1800) was a British officer who served three times as Commander-in-Chief of India
.
, John Carnac voyaged to India as a lieutenant in the 39th Regiment
in 1754 and served at Madras as secretary and aide-de-camp to the colonel of the regiment, John Adlercron
. He joined the service of the East India Company
as Captain
in 1758 after transferring from the 39th foot. After his arrival in Bengal
he became secretary and aide-de-camp to Robert Clive, governor of Bengal, and joined him in an expedition against the Prince Ali Gauhar
, son of the Mughal emperor Alamgir II
.
In 1761 he engaged with and defeated Shah Alam II
. He became Brigadier-General in 1764 and participated with Clive in the negotiations with Shuja-ud-Daula
and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II
in 1765.
In 1767, Carnac resigned from the company's service in January and returned to England. He purchased an estate near Ringwood
in Hampshire
and also participated in a largely unsuccessful housing development in Southampton
. By 1773 Carnac was short of money and he returned to India as a member of the Council at Bombay.
He was dismissed from the East India Company for his involvement in the Convention of Wadgaon in 1779 and died at Mangalore
in November 1800.
, while Admiral John Rivett-Carnac
became an early explorer of Australia.
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
John Carnac (1716 – 29 November 1800) was a British officer who served three times as Commander-in-Chief of India
Commander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
.
Military career
Educated at Trinity College, DublinTrinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, John Carnac voyaged to India as a lieutenant in the 39th Regiment
39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot
The 39th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1719 and amalgamated into The Dorsetshire Regiment in 1881.The regiment was raised by Colonel Richard Coote in Ireland in August 1702...
in 1754 and served at Madras as secretary and aide-de-camp to the colonel of the regiment, John Adlercron
John Adlercron
Lieutenant General John Adlercron was Commander-in-Chief, India.-Military career:Born into a Huguenot family who had taken refuge in Dublin at the end of the seventeenth century, Adlercron joined the Royal Army: in 1754 he went to India as Commanding Officer of the 39th Regiment of Foot to...
. He joined the service of 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...
as 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...
in 1758 after transferring from the 39th foot. After his arrival in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
he became secretary and aide-de-camp to Robert Clive, governor of Bengal, and joined him in an expedition against the Prince Ali Gauhar
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II , also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India. A son of Alamgir II, he was exiled to Allahabad in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din, who appointed Shah Jahan III as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah.Shah Alam II was considered the only and...
, son of the Mughal emperor Alamgir II
Alamgir II
Aziz-ud-din Alamgir II was the Mughal Emperor of India from 3 June 1754 to 29 November 1759. He was the son of Jahandar Shah....
.
In 1761 he engaged with and defeated Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II , also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India. A son of Alamgir II, he was exiled to Allahabad in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din, who appointed Shah Jahan III as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah.Shah Alam II was considered the only and...
. He became Brigadier-General in 1764 and participated with Clive in the negotiations with Shuja-ud-Daula
Shuja-ud-Daula
Shuja-ud-Daula was the Subedar Nawab of Oudh from 5 October 1754 to 26 January 1775, and the son of Muhammad Nasir.Though a minor royal, he is best known for his key roles in two definitive battles in Indian history - the Third Battle of Panipat which ended Maratha domination of India, and the...
and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II , also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India. A son of Alamgir II, he was exiled to Allahabad in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din, who appointed Shah Jahan III as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah.Shah Alam II was considered the only and...
in 1765.
In 1767, Carnac resigned from the company's service in January and returned to England. He purchased an estate near Ringwood
Ringwood
Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages....
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and also participated in a largely unsuccessful housing development in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. By 1773 Carnac was short of money and he returned to India as a member of the Council at Bombay.
He was dismissed from the East India Company for his involvement in the Convention of Wadgaon in 1779 and died at Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
in November 1800.
Family
In 1765 John Carnac married Elizabeth Woollaston. Then in 1769 he married Elizabeth Catherine Rivett. John Carnac's last will and testament made his brother-in-law James Rivett his heir, provided that he assumed the additional name of Carnac which he did in 1801. Two of James's sons became famous: Sir James Rivett-Carnac, 1st Bt, became a Governor of Bombay PresidencyBombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
, while Admiral John Rivett-Carnac
John Rivett-Carnac
Admiral John Rivett-Carnac or John Rivett Carnac was an officer in the Royal Navy who became an early explorer in Western Australia. He later attained the rank of admiral....
became an early explorer of Australia.