Robert Palk
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Palk, 1st Baronet (December 1717 – 29 April 1798) was an English cleric and politician. He is mostly known for his involvement with the British East India Company
and his term as governor of the Madras Presidency
.
, on the road towards Buckland in the Moor
, and baptised on 16 December 1717 at the Old Mission House, Ashburton. His father Walter Palk, born in 1686, was of yeoman farmer stock and his mother, Frances, was the daughter of Robert Abraham. Walter Palk supplemented his income by acting as a carrier of serge, from the cloth mills just down the road, over Haldon Hill
to Exeter
. Walter had three children, Walter, Robert and Grace. It was Robert who was to bring the family fame and fortune.
Doubts have arisen in some journals as to the exact birthplace of Robert Palk because although there were Palks recorded as living at Ambrooke in the late 15th century, in 1717 the Neyle family apparently owned Ambrooke. Robert Palk mentioned Ambrooke in reference to his line of descent, and some historians have assumed that was where he was born.
Educated at Ashburton Grammar School, he was sponsored by his godfather (who was also his maternal uncle) Robert Abraham, to attend Wadham College, Oxford
, graduating in 1739.
in 1739 at Exeter Cathedral
by Bishop Weston and held two curacies in Cornwall
at Egloskerry
and Launcells
, before going to London in 1741.
During his spell in London he attracted the attention and favour of Sir Robert Walpole
, generally regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, under whose auspices he was sent to India.
In 1747 he was appointed naval chaplain to Admiral Edward Boscawen
on the Namura, bound for India. He arrived at Fort St David
in 1748, at the time when the French were in control of Fort St George
in Madras. Trade supremacy was the order of the day, with the French and British both vying for the major share of the market. For a time it was merely a trade war, with a minimal presence of armed troops, whose task it was to guard the warehouses. Soon the situation evolved into armed fighting between the French and British, and eventually the British Government recognised they were in fact, now at war with France over who controlled India.
General Stringer Lawrence
was given the task of forming an army, and history now remembers him as the ‘Father of the Indian Army’. An Act of Parliament was passed in 1773, which effectively took control of Indian interests away from the Company and its shareholders and placed it into the hands of The Crown
.
Robert Clive was an army officer in the East India Company and later became Governor of Bengal. He arrived in India almost penniless, and due to his hard work and dedication to the King and the East India Company, he was well rewarded with many opportunities by his mentor, Stringer Lawrence. He later became the first Baron Clive of Plassey and the fortune he made from India was probably a lot greater than Palk or Stringer Lawrence could ever have dreamt of.
In 1752 Robert Palk was appointed to the lucrative position of ‘Paymaster and Commissary in the Field’ to Lawrence’s army. In January 1754 Palk and Henry Vansittart
were appointed to discuss the terms of a peace settlement with the French who had control over a large part of India. It took a year before a settlement was finally reached.
It was noted during these years that, according to Robert Orme
(a colleague of Palk's in Madras) that ‘Palk had long since given up studies of history and theology and had thrown himself into active engagement with the contemporary affairs of the British at Madras.’
Palk was starting to amass a small fortune, thanks mainly due to Stringer Lawrence putting lucrative deals in his direction, but the directors of the company soon instructed Palk to confine himself to his religious duties.
This did not sit well with Palk and he returned to England. He renounced his vows and on 7 February 1761 married Anne Vansittart, the sister of Henry
, his wealthy and well-respected colleague in India, whose family home was Shottesbrooke Park in Berkshire
.
While back in England, the East India Company was experiencing various trading difficulties in India. At the Company’s London Headquarters during discussions concerning who might be able to help with the problem, one of the members declared: ‘Gentlemen, you forget, we have Palk at home.’ With one voice the members replied ‘The very man!’ So Robert Palk returned to India in October 1761. He was invited to serve on the Council of the Company, and was appointed to membership of the Treasury Committee. He also served as the Export Warehouse Keeper.
When George Pigot resigned in November 1763, it made way for Palk to take up the post of Governor of Madras. With his new-found authority Palk dived deeper into the world of trade, all the time enlarging his personal wealth.
Palk eventually left India in January 1767 at the age of 50, and was well received by both the King and the Court of Directors on his return. However, returning to England was not the end of his involvement with India. He introduced and was patron to many, who, like him, went with the intention of making themselves a fortune from India.
His nephew Jonathan Palk said this of his Uncle Robert: ‘Rectitude of mind and benignity of heart formed the outline of his character. Uncorrupted by the luxury of the East, he was an encourager of bodily and mental exertion, furnishing his friends with the means not of idleness, but of being active for their own good and the good of society. My father was a little farmer with a large family; for him my uncle bought an estate, which enabled him to live a credit to his mother, and respected by his neighbours.’
for Ashburton
in 1767 and again between 1774 and 1787. In the intervening years he held the office of MP for Wareham
, between 1768 and 1774. This was due to the influence of Calcraft, at the time Secretary for War. His brother Walter Palk also became an MP for Ashburton.
Despite living in Torquay
and then at Haldon House near Exeter, he remained involved with Ashburton for a long time. He owned land around Ashburton and even supplied the church with a new organ.
Robert Palk took a great interest in political matters, mainly supporting the government, but taking an active interest in any matters concerning India and the British East India Company
. Palk was a Tory in sentiment but resented Lord North
's Act, passed in 1773, for the regulation of the East India Company.
The Warren Hastings Correspondence in the British Museum contains a large number of letters written by Robert Palk to Warren Hastings
between 1767 and 1782. Hastings was the first Governor General of India and often wrote to Palk back in England. Some of the letters in the ‘Palk Manuscripts’ were from Hastings asking favours of Sir Robert. Diamonds were a key issue, which were used as a way of sending large sums of money back to England. One letter concerning the precious stones is dated March 1770:
on 19 June 1782 during the reign of King George III. This was in recognition of his efforts in securing India for Britain. His coat of arms portrayed an eagle displayed and the crest had a semi-terrestrial globe of the northern hemisphere with an eagle rising from it, supported by two Asian Indians in loincloths and turbans. The family motto was Deo Ducente meaning ‘God is my Guide’. This was followed by the Mayor of Exeter adding him to the centuries-old roll of the City of Exeter Freemen, a privilege that his son and successive heirs retained until 1883.
With Anne, he had a son Lawrence, whose godfather was General Stringer Lawrence; and three daughters, Anne, Catherine and Emelia. Both Catherine and Emelia died young, while Anne who had married Sir Bourchier Wrey, 7th Baronet in 1786, died at the age of 24.
Sir Robert Palk died at Haldon House on 29 April 1798, ten years after his wife Lady Anne.
They were both buried in Dunchideock
church.
Palk Bay and the stretch of sea between India and Sri Lanka, The Palk Strait
s, were named after Robert Palk. A range of hills near Madras, the Palkonda Hills, were also named after him.
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 his term as governor of the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
.
Early life
Robert Palk was born in December 1717 at Lower Headborough Farm on the outskirts of AshburtonAshburton, Devon
Ashburton is a small town on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, adjacent to the A38 Devon Expressway.It was formerly important as a stannary town , and remains the largest town within the National Park, with a population of around 3,500...
, on the road towards Buckland in the Moor
Buckland in the Moor
Buckland in the Moor is a village and civil parish in the Teignbridge district of Devon, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 94. The village is in Dartmoor....
, and baptised on 16 December 1717 at the Old Mission House, Ashburton. His father Walter Palk, born in 1686, was of yeoman farmer stock and his mother, Frances, was the daughter of Robert Abraham. Walter Palk supplemented his income by acting as a carrier of serge, from the cloth mills just down the road, over Haldon Hill
Haldon
The Haldon Hills, usually known simply as Haldon, is a ridge of high ground in Devon, England. It is situated between the River Exe and the River Teign and runs northwards from Teignmouth, on the coast, for about until it dwindles away north west of Exeter at the River Yeo, just south of Crediton...
to Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. Walter had three children, Walter, Robert and Grace. It was Robert who was to bring the family fame and fortune.
Doubts have arisen in some journals as to the exact birthplace of Robert Palk because although there were Palks recorded as living at Ambrooke in the late 15th century, in 1717 the Neyle family apparently owned Ambrooke. Robert Palk mentioned Ambrooke in reference to his line of descent, and some historians have assumed that was where he was born.
Educated at Ashburton Grammar School, he was sponsored by his godfather (who was also his maternal uncle) Robert Abraham, to attend Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
, graduating in 1739.
Career
Palk was ordained as a deaconDeacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1739 at Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
by Bishop Weston and held two curacies in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
at Egloskerry
Egloskerry
Egloskerry is a village and civil parish in east Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately five miles northwest of Launceston....
and Launcells
Launcells
Launcells is a hamlet and civil parish in north-east Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is located three miles east of Bude.The civil parish contains other settlements of Red Post and Grimscott...
, before going to London in 1741.
During his spell in London he attracted the attention and favour of Sir Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
, generally regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, under whose auspices he was sent to India.
In 1747 he was appointed naval chaplain to Admiral Edward Boscawen
Edward Boscawen
Admiral Edward Boscawen, PC was an Admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall. He is known principally for his various naval commands throughout the 18th Century and the engagements that he won, including the Siege of Louisburg in 1758 and Battle of Lagos...
on the Namura, bound for India. He arrived at Fort St David
Fort St David
Fort St. David was a British fort near the town of Cuddalore, a hundred miles south of Madras on the Coromandel Coast of India.-History:It was bought from the Mahrattas by the British East India Company in 1690. Robert Clive served as the governor of Fort St David in 1756.The ruins of Fort St David...
in 1748, at the time when the French were in control of Fort St George
Fort St George
Fort St George is the name of the first English fortress in India, founded in 1639 at the coastal city of Madras, the modern city of Chennai. The construction of the Fort provided the impetus for further settlements and trading activity, in what was originally a no man's land...
in Madras. Trade supremacy was the order of the day, with the French and British both vying for the major share of the market. For a time it was merely a trade war, with a minimal presence of armed troops, whose task it was to guard the warehouses. Soon the situation evolved into armed fighting between the French and British, and eventually the British Government recognised they were in fact, now at war with France over who controlled India.
General Stringer Lawrence
Stringer Lawrence
Major-General Stringer Lawrence was an English soldier, the first Commander-in-Chief, India, sometimes regarded as the "Father of the Indian Army"....
was given the task of forming an army, and history now remembers him as the ‘Father of the Indian Army’. An Act of Parliament was passed in 1773, which effectively took control of Indian interests away from the Company and its shareholders and placed it into the hands of The Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
.
Promotion
Early in 1749 the chaplain at Fort St David, Francis Fordyce, publicly insulted Robert Clive, leading to dismissal, which resulted in Robert Palk taking his place. This important promotion led to disagreements regarding the seniority of Palk over other chaplains. Palk sailed to Bombay in October 1750 with the intention of resigning his post and to seek formal employment with the East India Company. However, matters were resolved and he was reinstated and returned to Fort St David in March 1751. It was at this time that Palk made the acquaintance of Stringer Lawrence, after which time they remained life-long friends.Robert Clive was an army officer in the East India Company and later became Governor of Bengal. He arrived in India almost penniless, and due to his hard work and dedication to the King and the East India Company, he was well rewarded with many opportunities by his mentor, Stringer Lawrence. He later became the first Baron Clive of Plassey and the fortune he made from India was probably a lot greater than Palk or Stringer Lawrence could ever have dreamt of.
In 1752 Robert Palk was appointed to the lucrative position of ‘Paymaster and Commissary in the Field’ to Lawrence’s army. In January 1754 Palk and Henry Vansittart
Henry Vansittart
Henry Vansittart was the English Governor of Bengal from 1759 to 1764.Vansittart was born in Bloomsbury in Middlesex, the third son of Arthur van Sittart . His father and his grandfather, Peter van Sittart , were both wealthy merchants and directors of the Russia Company...
were appointed to discuss the terms of a peace settlement with the French who had control over a large part of India. It took a year before a settlement was finally reached.
It was noted during these years that, according to Robert Orme
Robert Orme
Robert Orme , British historian, son of a British East India Company physician and surgeon, Dr. Alexander Orme, was born at Anjutheng, near Travancore on 25 December 1728, and after being educated at Harrow, entered the service of the British East India Company as a writer in Bengal in 1743...
(a colleague of Palk's in Madras) that ‘Palk had long since given up studies of history and theology and had thrown himself into active engagement with the contemporary affairs of the British at Madras.’
Palk was starting to amass a small fortune, thanks mainly due to Stringer Lawrence putting lucrative deals in his direction, but the directors of the company soon instructed Palk to confine himself to his religious duties.
This did not sit well with Palk and he returned to England. He renounced his vows and on 7 February 1761 married Anne Vansittart, the sister of Henry
Henry Vansittart
Henry Vansittart was the English Governor of Bengal from 1759 to 1764.Vansittart was born in Bloomsbury in Middlesex, the third son of Arthur van Sittart . His father and his grandfather, Peter van Sittart , were both wealthy merchants and directors of the Russia Company...
, his wealthy and well-respected colleague in India, whose family home was Shottesbrooke Park in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
While back in England, the East India Company was experiencing various trading difficulties in India. At the Company’s London Headquarters during discussions concerning who might be able to help with the problem, one of the members declared: ‘Gentlemen, you forget, we have Palk at home.’ With one voice the members replied ‘The very man!’ So Robert Palk returned to India in October 1761. He was invited to serve on the Council of the Company, and was appointed to membership of the Treasury Committee. He also served as the Export Warehouse Keeper.
When George Pigot resigned in November 1763, it made way for Palk to take up the post of Governor of Madras. With his new-found authority Palk dived deeper into the world of trade, all the time enlarging his personal wealth.
Palk eventually left India in January 1767 at the age of 50, and was well received by both the King and the Court of Directors on his return. However, returning to England was not the end of his involvement with India. He introduced and was patron to many, who, like him, went with the intention of making themselves a fortune from India.
His nephew Jonathan Palk said this of his Uncle Robert: ‘Rectitude of mind and benignity of heart formed the outline of his character. Uncorrupted by the luxury of the East, he was an encourager of bodily and mental exertion, furnishing his friends with the means not of idleness, but of being active for their own good and the good of society. My father was a little farmer with a large family; for him my uncle bought an estate, which enabled him to live a credit to his mother, and respected by his neighbours.’
Election to parliament
Robert Palk was MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Ashburton
Ashburton (UK Parliament constituency)
Ashburton was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament at Westminster, for one Parliament in 1298 and regularly from 1640 until it was abolished for the 1868 general election. It was one of three Devon borough constituencies newly enfranchised in the Long...
in 1767 and again between 1774 and 1787. In the intervening years he held the office of MP for Wareham
Wareham (UK Parliament constituency)
Wareham was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1302 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-History:...
, between 1768 and 1774. This was due to the influence of Calcraft, at the time Secretary for War. His brother Walter Palk also became an MP for Ashburton.
Despite living in Torquay
Torquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
and then at Haldon House near Exeter, he remained involved with Ashburton for a long time. He owned land around Ashburton and even supplied the church with a new organ.
Robert Palk took a great interest in political matters, mainly supporting the government, but taking an active interest in any matters concerning India and the British 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...
. Palk was a Tory in sentiment but resented Lord North
Frederick North, Lord North
Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, KG, PC , more often known by his courtesy title, Lord North, which he used from 1752 until 1790, was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence...
's Act, passed in 1773, for the regulation of the East India Company.
The Warren Hastings Correspondence in the British Museum contains a large number of letters written by Robert Palk to Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings PC was the first Governor-General of India, from 1773 to 1785. He was famously accused of corruption in an impeachment in 1787, but was acquitted in 1795. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1814.-Early life:...
between 1767 and 1782. Hastings was the first Governor General of India and often wrote to Palk back in England. Some of the letters in the ‘Palk Manuscripts’ were from Hastings asking favours of Sir Robert. Diamonds were a key issue, which were used as a way of sending large sums of money back to England. One letter concerning the precious stones is dated March 1770:
Peerage
Robert Palk was made a baronetBaronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
on 19 June 1782 during the reign of King George III. This was in recognition of his efforts in securing India for Britain. His coat of arms portrayed an eagle displayed and the crest had a semi-terrestrial globe of the northern hemisphere with an eagle rising from it, supported by two Asian Indians in loincloths and turbans. The family motto was Deo Ducente meaning ‘God is my Guide’. This was followed by the Mayor of Exeter adding him to the centuries-old roll of the City of Exeter Freemen, a privilege that his son and successive heirs retained until 1883.
With Anne, he had a son Lawrence, whose godfather was General Stringer Lawrence; and three daughters, Anne, Catherine and Emelia. Both Catherine and Emelia died young, while Anne who had married Sir Bourchier Wrey, 7th Baronet in 1786, died at the age of 24.
Sir Robert Palk died at Haldon House on 29 April 1798, ten years after his wife Lady Anne.
They were both buried in Dunchideock
Dunchideock
Dunchideock is a small civil parish on the north eastern slopes of the Haldon Hills in Teignbridge, Devon, England. It covers an area of 392 hectares and lies about south-west of Exeter and north-east of Bovey Tracey...
church.
Palk Bay and the stretch of sea between India and Sri Lanka, The Palk Strait
Palk Strait
Palk Strait is a strait between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Mannar district of the Northern Province of the island nation of Sri Lanka. It connects the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with the Palk Bay and thence with the Gulf of Mannar in the southwest. The strait is wide. Several...
s, were named after Robert Palk. A range of hills near Madras, the Palkonda Hills, were also named after him.