Kenneth Murchison (1794 - 1 August 1854) was the Resident Councillor of Penang and Resident Councillor of Singapore, as well as the third

Governor of the Straits Settlements The governor of the Straits Settlements was appointed by the British East India Company until 1867, when the Straits Settlements became a Crown colony. Thereafter the governor was appointed by the Colonial Office. The position existed from 1826 ...

Early life

Murchison was born in Scotland in 1794 to Barbara (née Mackenzie) and Kenneth Murchison. His elder brother was geologist Roderick Murchison. The family moved from

Ross-shire Ross-shire (; gd, Siorrachd Rois) is a historic county in the Scottish Highlands. The county borders Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire to the south, as well as having a complex border with Cromartyshire – a county consisting o ...

in Scotland to

Bathampton Bathampton () is a village and civil parish east of Bath, England on the south bank of the River Avon. The parish has a population of 1,603. The Kennet and Avon Canal passes through the village and a toll bridge links Bathampton to Bathea ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

England for his father to recuperate from an illness, but he would die there in 1796. His mother then took the family to

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

and remarried.

Career

He began his working career 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 South ...

. He was appointed the Resident Councillor of Penang on 29 November 1827, he was also appointed the Resident Councillor of Singapore. While he was Resident in Penang, he conducted a geological survey of Penang on behalf of his brother Roderick Murchison, who was President of the Geological Society. He became the Governor of the Straits Settlements on 7 December 1833, however, he spent much of his time as Governor outside of Southeast Asia, and the administrative duty was performed by his deputy

George Bonham Sir Samuel George Bonham, 1st Baronet (Chinese Translated Name 般咸, 文咸 or 文翰) (7 September 1803 – 8 October 1863) was a British colonial governor, who became the 4th Governor of the Straits Settlements and the 3rd Governor of Hong ...

. Bonham took over as Governor on 18 November 1836.

Personal life

Murchison was married to Charlotte Pryce in 1815 and had a daughter Charlotte. His first wife died in 1816, and he married Anne Nesham in 1826 with whom he had two surviving sons, Kenneth-Robert and Roderick. He died on 1 August 1854.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murchison, Kenneth 1794 births 1854 deaths History of Penang Governors of Penang Administrators in British Penang Governors of the Straits Settlements Administrators in British Singapore Chief Secretaries of Singapore