James West

James West was born in the village of Brill, Buckinghamshire and was baptised in All Saints Church on 5th November 1732. He obtained a Cadetship in the British Army in 1758 and later that year left England and sailed to India as aide de camp to General William Draper who had formed the 79th Regiment of Foot. ‘Draper's Regiment' arrived in India on 14th Sept 1758, bringing 900 troops and 2 men-of-war – sorely needed reinforcements in the fight against the French. The regiment were stationed at Fort St George, in Madras, and made a successful attack against the French at Black Town. On 2nd February 1759 James was promoted to Ensign and again promoted (to Lieutenant) in January 1760 when the regiment were part of the forces which defeated the French at Wandiwash. In 1763 he decided to leave the army and become a ‘free merchant'.

Back in December 1758 he had applied for a piece of land near Royapetta. This application was successful and his house was built there in 1761. The ‘Vestiges of Old Madras' defines this as ‘ a Piece of Ground lying between Raya Petta and the Road on the Left of White Choultry Plain'. He later successfully applied to lease 8 acres of land at Poodoopauk. The rent for this was 3 pagodas. (the standard coin of Sothern India).

On 21st April 1761 James married Ann De Morgan, who had been born in Madras on 29th January 1739. Ann had previously been married to Captain John Innes by whom she had had 4 children. The marriage of James and Ann produced an additional 15 children – one of them died at birth and was buried un-named. The Innes children retained their father's surname

Between 1773 and 1774 the family sailed from India to England and took up residence in London. On 31st August 1781 James rejoined the army as part of the 75th Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales Regiment). This was at the time of the American War of Independence when not only were troops needed in America but also to guard Britain against a possible attack by the French. The regiment did not see action and it was disbanded in 1783. James was kept on half pay for the rest of his life.

Ann returned to India some time after her grandson George Innes was born in 1792. It is likely that James had returned earlier. In 1795 he wrote to Lord Hobart (Governor Of Madras) urging the restoration of the office of Cutwal (i.e. superintendant) the Market and offering himself as incumbent :

‘Though harvests have been abundant, prices rule high, great part of which no doubt grows out of Sir Charles Oakley's …mistaken rules to economy , and tho' he buttone'd up his own Coat to the Coller and observed there was no need of a Westcoat in so warm a climate, he could not nor ought not to have thought of a Westcoat was Extravagent or unprofitable, whatever his thought were of a doiuble garment….The British arms, my Oord, have been long successful in India, and tho' such extent of Country is now in possession, I remember the time when the Company's Power, fate and defence were all within the walls of Fort St George; and from such defence nobly made success follow'd and gave possession of the Carnatic , and from such happy success, Power and Plenty. I hope they will make me the Instrument to relieve the poor and not to send them away….'

The date of James' death is not certain.There is a James West buried in St Mary's Cemetery, Fort St George with the headstone 'James West Esq. d., 28 Nov 1802 aged 70 years'. This ties in with his baptismal date. But in a memorial speech delivered to the Court of the Directors of the East India Company in 1846 it was stated that James West died at the age of 78. He was also referred to as ‘Captain' – it is not known if or when he achieved this rank.

In October 1805 Ann returned to England aboard the Dover Castle, accompanied by her grandson John Parry who was suffering from ill-health. Her date of death is unknown.

 

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