John Sullivan (colonial administrator)

Founder of the British settlement at Ootacamund John Sullivan (15 June 1788 – 16 January 1855) was the founder of the British settlement at Ootacamund in Colonial India. Early life Sullivan was born on 15 June 1788, to Stephen and Ann Sullivan. Expedition to Nilgiris He came out to Company-ruled India as a writer with the EIC at age 15. In 1817, he was appointed the Collector of Coimbatore District in the Madras Presidency. He married Henrietta Cecilia Harington, a daughter of Rev. William Harington (1768–1821) and of Anne Collet (1772–1820) on 2 February 1820 in Madras. John Sullivan is best known as the founder of the British settlement at Ootacamund. But he never became the Governor of Madras Presidency. In 1819, he set out to explore the Nilgiris after obtaining an order from the British East India Company charging him with investigating the "origin of the fabulous tales that are circulated concerning the Blue Mountains to verify their authenticity and to send a report to the authorities". With a detachment of Europeans and Madras sepoys, he set out on his mission on 2 January 1819. The journey involved crossing rough and harsh terrain, ascending steep precipices and risk