Prinsep may mean any of several notable members of the British Prinsep family. The family descended from John Prinsep, an 18th-century merchant who was the son of Rev. John Prinsep, rector of Saundby, Nottinghamshire, and Bicester,

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

. John Prinsep, his son, founded indigo production in India as well as the making of cotton fabrics in Bengal, opened a copper mint in India and was a founder of the Westminster Life Insurance Society in London, where he later served as Alderman and in Parliament. Prinsep arrived in India as a soldier in the army of the East India Company but became a merchant soon afterwards. During his 16 years in India, John Prinsep amassed a £40,000 fortune, which he used to set himself up as a London businessman and get himself elected to Parliament. Prinsep made two large fortunes and lost both. He was the first of three succeeding generations of Prinseps in India, all of whom were known for their artistic abilities. Among his descendants are the artist Valentine Cameron Prinsep, the Anglo-Indian antiquarian, scholar and architect

James Prinsep James Prinsep FRS (20 August 1799 – 22 April 1840) was an English scholar, orientalist and antiquary. He was the founding editor of the ''Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal'' and is best remembered for deciphering the Kharosthi and B ...

and others.

Prinsep family members

A partial listing of Prinsep family members: *

Augustus Prinsep Augustus Prinsep (31 March 1803 – 10 October 1830) was an English artist, writer, and civil servant. He is best known for his posthumous book, ''The Journal of a Voyage from Calcutta to Van Diemen's Land''. Life Prinsep, born in London, was ...

(1803–1830), eighth and youngest son of John Prinsep, sketcher, writer, civil servant, born in London, attended Haileybury College, then clerk with East India Company, Calcutta, attempted to settle in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

but, unsuccessful, died aboard ship *

Charles Robert Prinsep Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

(1789–1864),

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

barrister and economist, graduate of

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

, Judge Advocate General of Bengal, resided at

Belvedere Estate The Belvedere Estate consists of Belvedere House and the grounds surrounding it, in which the National Library of India is housed, since 1948. It is located in Alipore, near the zoo, in Kolkata. Belvedere House was the former palace for the Vic ...

, Calcutta, son of patriarch John Prinsep *

, Singapore merchant for whom Singapore's Prinsep Street and Prinsep Place are named, owner of the Prinsep nutmeg plantation, 6,700 nutmeg shrubs covering much of what is now downtown Singapore *Edward Augustus Prinsep, (1828–1900), Calcutta merchant, son of William Prinsep of Calcutta *Lieut.

Frederick Bruce Prinsep Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederi ...

(d. 1879), soldier,

21st Hussars The 21st Lancers (Empress of India's) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1858 and amalgamated with the 17th Lancers in 1922 to form the 17th/21st Lancers. Perhaps its most famous engagement was the Battle of Omdurman, where Win ...

3rd European Light Cavalry Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hig ...

, decorated for his role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 * George Augustus Prinsep Esq., (d. 1839) prominent Anglo-Indian journalist, cotton merchant, salt manufacturer, shipping owner, Calcutta, member, Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, assumed editorship of ''The Courier'' newspaper of Calcutta after failure of early business venture, publisher ''Calcutta Gazette'', regained fortune through salt interests, son of merchant John Prinsep *George Levett-Prinsep, Norfolk Crescent, London The Neapolitan (May Prinsep) 1866 by Julia Margaret Cameron

The Neapolitan (May Prinsep) 1866 by Julia Margaret Cameron

* Henry Charles Prinsep (1844–1922), manager of family estates in Western Australia, civil servant, Chief Protector of Aborigines, artist, son of Charles Robert Prinsep, and brother of 'May' Prinsep (who married

Hallam Tennyson Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, (11 August 1852 – 2 December 1928) was a British aristocrat who served as the second governor-general of Australia, in office from 1903 to 1904. He was previously Governor of South Australia from 1899 to 1 ...

, elder son of

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

), born in Calcutta, died in Busselton, Western Australia, home of his wife Josephine Bussell's family *Lt. Col. Henry Auriol Prinsep (1836–1914), soldier, Bengal Staff Corps, his daughter Mary married Hon. William Fitzwilliam James Dundas *

(1799–1840), numismatist, linguist, artist, scholar, Secretary of the Asiatic Society, son of John Prinsep, brother of Henry Thoby Prinsep and William Prinsep (executor of his estate), died at sea returning to England, 1840 *

Henry Thoby Prinsep Henry Thoby Prinsep (15 July 1793 – 11 February 1878) was an English official of the Indian Civil Service, and historian of India. In later life he entered politics, and was a significant figure of the cultural circles of London. Early life Pr ...

(1793–1878), merchant and civil servant, Bengal Civil Service, named director of East India Company 1849, served on the Council of India 1858–1874, son of patriarch John Prinsep, lived at

Little Holland House Little Holland House was the dower house of Holland House in the parish of Kensington, Middlesex, England. It was situated at the end of Nightingale Lane, now the back entrance to Holland Park and was demolished when Melbury Road was made. Num ...

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

, London, one of London's sought-after salons of the age, and The Briary, Isle of Wight, amateur oil painter, married in 1835 to Sarah Monckton Pattle ( Calcutta, 1816–

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

, 1887), and brother-in-law of photographer Julia Margaret Cameron *Sir Henry Thoby Prinsep (1836–1914), judge of the High Court, Calcutta *Arthur Thoby Haverleigh Prinsep (1862–1938), Sir Henry Thoby's son, Australian and New Zealand-based author, actor, poet, journalist and footballer. Wrote under the name F. D'A. C. De L'Isle. * John Prinsep, vicar's son, patriarch of the Prinsep family in India, indigo planter, entrepreneur, arrived in India a few weeks after Warren Hastings became Governor General in 1773, amassed a large fortune in indigo production, retired to frescoed mansion on London's

Leadenhall Street __NOTOC__ Leadenhall Street () is a street in the City of London. It is about and links Cornhill, London, Cornhill in the west to Aldgate in the east. It was formerly the start of the A11 road (England), A11 road from London to Norwich, but th ...

later occupied by the India Office, London alderman, Member of Parliament *James Hunter Prinsep,

Bengal Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 300 million p ...

* James F. M. Prinsep (1861–1895), footballer, was the grandson of Henry's brother, William. *

Thomas Prinsep Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

(1800–1830), engineer, amateur artist, Calcutta, India, younger brother of

of Croxall Hall, Derbyshire, High Sheriff of Derbyshire 1802, former India merchant, artist, cattle breeder, son of patriarch John *

Thomas Levett-Prinsep Thomas Levett-Prinsep (born Thomas Levett; 1800/1–1849) was an English landowner in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. He took on the additional name of Prinsep on inheriting his uncle's holding of Croxall Hall. Life He was born at Wychnor Park ...

, heir to his uncle Thomas Prinsep and son of Theophilus Levett of

Wychnor Park Wychnor Hall (or Wychnor Park, ) is Grade II Listed early 18th-century country house near Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, formerly owned by the Levett Family. The hall has been converted to a Country Club. History Wychnor takes its name from th ...

Derbyshire. On the early death of Prinsep, his seat at Croxall Hall, Derbyshire, devolved onto his nephew Levett, who took the name Levett-Prinsep, resided at Croxall Hall, Derbyshire,

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

and landowner * Valentine Cameron Prinsep (1838–1904), painter, son of Henry Thoby Prinsep, trained to become an Indian merchant but turned to art instead, author of ''Imperial India'', a book of travel writing *Anthony Leyland Val Prinsep (1888-1942), son of Valentine Prinsep, theatre manager and producer who married Marie Lohr and Margaret Bannerman. * William H. Prinsep (1794–1874), merchant, Palmer & Co., Carr, Tagore and Company, founder, Union Bank (failed), founder, Bengal Tea Association, founder, Bengal Coal Company, owner, Bengal Salt Company (inherited from his brother George),

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

, Fort William, Calcutta, amateur artist (studied under George Chinnery), retired to Hyde Park Place, London, secretary,

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

, South Devon Railway, one of seven sons of patriarch John Prinsep. Appointed secretary of the Oswestry & Newtown Railway in September 1855 but appointment rescinded in October 1855 because shareholders thought that he would be biased in favour of the Great Western Railway.National Archives RAIL552/1 (Minute book of Oswestry & Newtown Railway, pp. 46–7, 54–5, 76–7) HenryThobyPrinsep

*The tree ''

Prinsepia ''Prinsepia'' is a genus of trees in the Rosaceae. It bears fruit which looks like a cherry. The various species grow largely in Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, and Taiwan, though ''P. sinensis'' is hardy in zone Zone or The Zone may refer to ...

'' that grows in India, China and Bangladesh, is named for

, secretary of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta.

Notes

{{surname English families