William Barwell (1709–1769) was an administrator of the

English East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southe ...

Life

He was the son of William Barwell of Enfield, Middlesex, a London merchant. He was appointed a writer with the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

in 1721 and posted to Bengal. Promoted in 1743 to the chiefship of Patna, he then served as

President of Bengal The Governor was the chief colonial administrator in the Bengal presidency, originally the "Presidency of Fort William" and later "Bengal province". In 1644, Gabriel Boughton procured privileges for the East India Company which permitted them to ...

from 1748 to 1749, in post for 14 months. He was dismissed in 1750 after being found guilty of misdemeanours at Patna, and returned to England. In 1751, Barwell bought the Abbey House at

Chertsey Chertsey is a town in the Borough of Runnymede, Surrey, England, south-west of central London. It grew up round Chertsey Abbey, founded in 666 CE, and gained a market charter from Henry I. A bridge across the River Thames first appeared in the ...

, in Surrey. He was elected as a

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

of the East India Company between 1753 and 1766, excepting 1757, 1760, and 1765. He was appointed

High Sheriff of Surrey The list of known High Sheriffs of Surrey extends back to 1066. At various times the High Sheriff of Surrey was also High Sheriff of Sussex (1229–1231, 1232–1240, 1242–1567, 1571–1635). 1066–1228 (High Sheriffs of Surrey only) 1229– ...

for 1768. Barwell died in 1769 and was buried at Chertsey church.

Family

Barwell married three times; firstly to Elizabeth Eyre, secondly to Mary Anne Atkinson and thirdly to Elizabeth Pierce. His second son by his third wife was

Richard Barwell Richard Barwell (8 October 1741 – 2 September 1804) was an early trader with the East India Company and amassed one of the largest fortunes in early British India. Barwell was the son of William Barwell, governor of Bengal in 1748, and afterwa ...

, born in Calcutta, who became a rich

nabob A nabob is a conspicuously wealthy man deriving his fortune in the east, especially in India during the 18th century with the privately held East India Company. Etymology ''Nabob'' is an Anglo-Indian term that came to English from Urdu, poss ...

and Member of Parliament. The Abbey House was left to his son Roger, and stayed in the family to 1809. His daughter Mary Barwell (born 1733) was a financier.

References

1709 births 1769 deaths People from Enfield, London Directors of the British East India Company English businesspeople 18th-century British civil servants High Sheriffs of Surrey Presidents of Bengal British East India Company people {{UK-diplomat-stub