Streynsham Master
Encyclopedia
Sir Streynsham Master was one of the 17th century pioneers of the English
East India Company
. He served as the Agent of Madras from 27 January 1678 to 3 July 1681 and is credited with having introduced the first administrative reforms in the Madras Government.
Returning to England
, in 1692 he bought the Codnor Castle
estate and for the rest of his life divided his time between Derbyshire
and London
.
right from his early days. He served as the Acting President of the Company's factory at Surat
during the visit of the President Aungier to the new colony at Bombay. After the return of Aungier, Master served for some time as a member of the Council. In 1670 he led the English in the successful defence of Surat from the Marathas. In 1676, even before Langhorne's removal from power, Master was nominated in advance as the next Agent of Madras in the case of Emergency. In the meantime, until the end of Langhorne's tenure, Master served for a time as the Agent of the Company's factory at Masulipatnam and then Bengal, before he was sent back to Madras to take office as the second member of the Council.
. While the Maratha army camped near Kanchipuram
, news reached the Council at Fort St George by means of the Company's spies that the Marathas intended to proceed upon Madras, Sadras and Pulicat. However, the information proved to be false as the Maratha troops immediately returned to the north from whence they came after the siege of Poonamallee.
church in Madras, were laid during the Agency of Streynsham Master. The foundation
of the church was laid on Lady Day
, 1678. The construction of the church was completed in two and a half years and it opened on October 28, 1680.
. The Company's merchant, Casa Verona, declined and sent him a harsh reply. A month later, when Lingappa visited Casa Verona to express his condolences on the death of the former's wife, he asked the latter the reason why the Agent had not sent anyone to receive. To this Casa Verona delivered an extremely arrogant reply which left the Naik fuming with anger.
When Casa Verona died in 1680, Lingappa sent a Havildar
named Shakeel Ahmed to take over the settlement of Madras from the Company. He was promptly arrested by the Company's troops and dispatched across the frontier. Following this act by the English, Lingappa blockaded Madras and prevented goods and supplies from entering the settlement. He demanded that the English agree to pay him an annual tribute of 2,000 pagodas in order to lift the embargo. At one point of time, the situation became so serious that the Directors of the Council even contemplated the thought of moving the Company's factory to Gingee
. Neither food nor fuel could be obtained, and the inhabitants starved.
On April 9, 1681, Lieutenant Richardson was sent with fifty of the Company's troops to Gingee. Richardson reached the village of Khandur and besieged the town. At about midnight, Richardson took the town and drove away the Polygar. The required amount of provisions were obtained and transported back to Madras.
On June 3, 1681, Streynsham Master was replaced with William Gyfford
as the Agent of Madras.
courts. Hence, in 1678, the Government of Fort St George set up a judiciary with the Agent and the members of the Council as judges. Two English Choultry judges were appointed to hear cases concerning their Indian
subjects
.
Master is credited with having introduced the role of a scavenger
who was required to remove the dirt and filth of the streets. Scavengers were also empowered to collect the house-tax and other taxes. Watchmen
were appointed to guard the settlement at night. Taverns, Hotels, Entertainment-houses and theatres had to be licensed.
estate in Derbyshire
. He served as High Sheriff of Derbyshire
in 1712. Master and his wife resided at Stanley Grange in Morley
.
English colonial empire
The English colonial empire consisted of a variety of overseas territories colonized, conquered, or otherwise acquired by the former Kingdom of England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries....
East India Company
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...
. He served as the Agent of Madras from 27 January 1678 to 3 July 1681 and is credited with having introduced the first administrative reforms in the Madras Government.
Returning to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1692 he bought the Codnor Castle
Codnor Castle
Codnor Castle is a ruined thirteenth-century castle in Derbyshire, England. The land around Codnor came under the jurisdiction of William Peverel after the Norman conquest. Although registered as a Scheduled Ancient Monument the site is officially, as at 2008, a Building at Risk.The castle is a...
estate and for the rest of his life divided his time between Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and London
London
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...
.
Early career
Streynsham Master had a distinguished career in the East India CompanyEast 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...
right from his early days. He served as the Acting President of the Company's factory at Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
during the visit of the President Aungier to the new colony at Bombay. After the return of Aungier, Master served for some time as a member of the Council. In 1670 he led the English in the successful defence of Surat from the Marathas. In 1676, even before Langhorne's removal from power, Master was nominated in advance as the next Agent of Madras in the case of Emergency. In the meantime, until the end of Langhorne's tenure, Master served for a time as the Agent of the Company's factory at Masulipatnam and then Bengal, before he was sent back to Madras to take office as the second member of the Council.
Shivaji's Campaign
In August 1678, the Maratha Emperor Shivaji sent an army of 1,500 horse to capture PoonamalleePoonamallee
Poonamallee is a town in the Poonamallee taluk of the Thiruvallur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu...
. While the Maratha army camped near Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram, or Kanchi, is a temple city and a municipality in Kanchipuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a temple town and the headquarters of Kanchipuram district...
, news reached the Council at Fort St George by means of the Company's spies that the Marathas intended to proceed upon Madras, Sadras and Pulicat. However, the information proved to be false as the Maratha troops immediately returned to the north from whence they came after the siege of Poonamallee.
Foundation of St Mary's Church
The foundations of St Mary's church, the oldest AnglicanAnglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in Madras, were laid during the Agency of Streynsham Master. The foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
of the church was laid on Lady Day
Lady Day
In the western Liturgical year, Lady Day is the traditional name of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin in some English speaking countries. It is the first of the four traditional English quarter days. The "Lady" was the Virgin Mary. The term derives from Middle English, when some...
, 1678. The construction of the church was completed in two and a half years and it opened on October 28, 1680.
Lingappa Naik's Demands
In August 1678 Lingappa Naik, the Naik of Poonamallee, demanded a large sum of money from the East India CompanyEast 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 Company's merchant, Casa Verona, declined and sent him a harsh reply. A month later, when Lingappa visited Casa Verona to express his condolences on the death of the former's wife, he asked the latter the reason why the Agent had not sent anyone to receive. To this Casa Verona delivered an extremely arrogant reply which left the Naik fuming with anger.
When Casa Verona died in 1680, Lingappa sent a Havildar
Havildar
Havildar ) was the Military 'In Charge' of a Fort during the times of Maratha Empire. In the British Indian Army it was equivalent rank to Sergeant, next above Naik, and is still used in the modern Indian Army and Pakistan Army. The cavalry equivalent is Daffadar...
named Shakeel Ahmed to take over the settlement of Madras from the Company. He was promptly arrested by the Company's troops and dispatched across the frontier. Following this act by the English, Lingappa blockaded Madras and prevented goods and supplies from entering the settlement. He demanded that the English agree to pay him an annual tribute of 2,000 pagodas in order to lift the embargo. At one point of time, the situation became so serious that the Directors of the Council even contemplated the thought of moving the Company's factory to Gingee
Gingee
Gingee is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam, 28 km away....
. Neither food nor fuel could be obtained, and the inhabitants starved.
On April 9, 1681, Lieutenant Richardson was sent with fifty of the Company's troops to Gingee. Richardson reached the village of Khandur and besieged the town. At about midnight, Richardson took the town and drove away the Polygar. The required amount of provisions were obtained and transported back to Madras.
On June 3, 1681, Streynsham Master was replaced with William Gyfford
William Gyfford
William Gyfford was an English factor and Agent of Madras from July 3, 1681 to August 8, 1684 and the President of Madras from January 26, 1685 to July 25, 1687.....
as the Agent of Madras.
Reforms
The population of Madras had increased to the point that it seemed difficult to retain the old ChoultryChoultry
A choultry, or tschultri, is a resting place for visitors where rooms and food are provided by a charitable institution for nominal rates.Some were guesthouses where accommodation was free of charge...
courts. Hence, in 1678, the Government of Fort St George set up a judiciary with the Agent and the members of the Council as judges. Two English Choultry judges were appointed to hear cases concerning their Indian
Indian people
Indian people or Indisians constitute the Asian nation and pan-ethnic group native to India, which forms the south of Asia, containing 17.31% of the world's population. The Indian nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the rich and complex history of India...
subjects
Common People
"Common People" is a song by English alternative rock band Pulp. It was released as a single in 1995, reaching number two on the UK singles chart. It also appears on the band's 1995 album Different Class. The song is about those who were perceived by the songwriter as wanting to be "like common...
.
Master is credited with having introduced the role of a scavenger
Scavenger
Scavenging is both a carnivorous and herbivorous feeding behavior in which individual scavengers search out dead animal and dead plant biomass on which to feed. The eating of carrion from the same species is referred to as cannibalism. Scavengers play an important role in the ecosystem by...
who was required to remove the dirt and filth of the streets. Scavengers were also empowered to collect the house-tax and other taxes. Watchmen
Watchmen
Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
were appointed to guard the settlement at night. Taverns, Hotels, Entertainment-houses and theatres had to be licensed.
Family
He was the son of Richard Master of East Langham, Kent. He married Elizabeth Leigh of Lyme Hall, Cheshire with whom he had a daughter and two sons. In 1692 he purchased the Codnor CastleCodnor Castle
Codnor Castle is a ruined thirteenth-century castle in Derbyshire, England. The land around Codnor came under the jurisdiction of William Peverel after the Norman conquest. Although registered as a Scheduled Ancient Monument the site is officially, as at 2008, a Building at Risk.The castle is a...
estate in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. He served as High Sheriff of Derbyshire
High Sheriff of Derbyshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Derbyshire from 1568.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been...
in 1712. Master and his wife resided at Stanley Grange in Morley
Morley, Derbyshire
Morley is a civil parish within the area of Erewash Borough Council in the English county of Derbyshire, north of Derby It is on the eastern side of Morley Moor, with Morley Smithy to the north. The parish church of St Matthew stands near the Tithe Barn and dovecote of Morley Hall...
.
External links
- Codnor & District Local History & Heritage website - Master Family of Codnor