The East India Company at Home, 1757-1857

The East India Company at Home, 1757–1857 explores how empire in Asia shaped British country houses, their interiors and the lives of their residents. It includes chapters from researchers based in a wide range of settings such as archives and libraries, museums, heritage organisations, the community of family historians and universities. It moves beyond conventional academic narratives and makes an important contribution to ongoing debates around how empire impacted Britain.The volume focuses on the propertied families of the East India Company at the height of Company rule. From the Battle of Plassey in 1757 to the outbreak of the Indian Uprising in 1857, objects, people and wealth flowed to Britain from Asia. As men in Company service increasingly shifted their activities from trade to military expansion and political administration, a new population of civil servants, army officers, surveyors and surgeons journeyed to India to make their fortunes. These Company men and their families acquired wealth, tastes and identities in India, which travelled home with them to Britain. Their stories, the biographies of their Indian possessions and the narratives of the stately homes in Britain that came to house them, frame our explorations of imperial culture and its British legacies.Praise for the East India Company at Home, 1757-1857'Recommended for many new and interesting insights into a very wide subject.'Chowkidar'By an impressive process of distillation Margot Finn and Kate Smith have put together a coherent survey of the material traces of old India hands – the lucky ones who survived to be repatriated and to make their mark anew in Britain – compiled from a refreshing variety of perspectives'Journal of the History of Collections'This immensely engaging volume... not only contributes to ongoing debates about the place of heritage in modern society and its role in the making of British culture and identity, but also sheds new light on how we package heritage for public consumption, thereby creating new narratives and histories. It showcases public history at its best.'H-Asia, H-Net Reviews'Invaluable for anyone interested in how the British empire shaped the material culture of British country houses and the families who built, owned and lived in them…'The Georgian: The Magazine of the Georgian Group Front Cover......Page 1 Half-Title......Page 2 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright information......Page 5 Acknowledgments......Page 6 Table of Contents......Page 10 Figures and Tables......Page 13 List of Abbreviations......Page 23 List of Contributors......Page 24 Introduction......Page 30 Nation and empire in country house histories......Page 33 Global histories, local & national tastes......Page 41 Object stories......Page 43 Research communities......Page 45 Conclusion......Page 47 Section 1 The social life of things......Page 50 1 Prize possession......Page 54 The casket’s origins in eighteenth-century India......Page 56 Material culture from Seringapatam......Page 59 The Fraser family and the casket: between Britain and India......Page 62 Conclusion: shifting meanings......Page 66 2 Chinese wallpaper ......Page 68 The evolution of Chinese wallpaper: the story from east and west......Page 70 East India Company connections......Page 80 Gifts and gifting......Page 86 Acknowledgments......Page 95 3 Production, purchase, dispossession, recirculation ......Page 97 Production......Page 100 Purchase......Page 103 Dispossession......Page 107 Recirculation......Page 113 Conclusion......Page 115 4 ‘A jaghire without a crime’......Page 117 Family commerce......Page 119 Winds of trade......Page 126 The ‘oriental’ interiors at Osterley......Page 128 Conclusion......Page 135 Section 2 Objects, houses, homes and the construction......Page 138 5 Manly objects? Gendering armorial porcelain wares......Page 142 Introduction......Page 143 Women, porcelain and pleasure......Page 146 The Basildon Park service......Page 148 Acquisition......Page 149 Designing the service......Page 152 Using the service......Page 155 Conclusion......Page 157 6 Fanny Parkes (1794–1875)......Page 160 Who was Fanny Parkes?......Page 163 Wanderings of a Pilgrim in Search of the Picturesque......Page 166 The ‘Grand Moving Diorama of Hindostan’......Page 169 The cabinet of curiosities......Page 172 Conclusion......Page 181 7 Refashioning house, home and family......Page 182 Touch House, empire and identity......Page 184 The Amhersts and familial belonging......Page 192 Conclusion......Page 198 Section 3 The Home Counties......Page 200 8 Warfield Park, Berkshire......Page 204 A country house of one’s own......Page 206 Rebuilding Warfield together......Page 211 A new generation......Page 214 Conclusion......Page 218 9 Englefield House, Berkshire ......Page 220 The East India Company arrives......Page 222 The Wrightes return......Page 225 Lady Margaret Clive at Englefield House......Page 228 The Benyon legacy (1789–1854)......Page 230 Conclusion......Page 232 10 Swallowfield Park, Berkshire......Page 234 Swallowfield before the Russells......Page 237 The Russells in India: Anglo-Indian tastes......Page 239 Testing the English market......Page 246 Swallowfield and its reformation......Page 251 Hidden in plain view: Indian legacies......Page 254 Conclusions......Page 257 11 Valentines, the Raymonds and Company material culture......Page 260 Valentines Mansion’s EIC owners and their material objects......Page 261 The East India Company in Ilford......Page 266 The Valentine: the EIC’s ships at trade and war......Page 268 Shipwrecks and the EIC’s ‘immaterial’ material culture......Page 272 Conclusion......Page 277 12 Growing up in a Company town......Page 280 The East India Company in Hertfordshire......Page 284 Nabobs, merchants and planters: networks of empire and North Mymms......Page 288 Section 4 On the borders......Page 302 13 A fairy palace in Devon ......Page 306 Background and training......Page 307 Experiences in India......Page 309 Building in India......Page 311 Building projects in Europe......Page 315 Building project in Devon......Page 319 Conclusion......Page 324 14 Partly after the Chinese manner ......Page 327 ‘Chinese’ staircases on record in north-west Wales......Page 328 A local style......Page 333 Possible influence of Plas Newydd......Page 334 Local connections with the East India Company......Page 335 The ‘China craze’......Page 337 ‘In the Chinese taste’......Page 340 ‘Along English lines’......Page 344 Conclusion: The East India Company and ‘Chinese’ staircases......Page 345 15 The intimate trade of Alexander Hall......Page 347 Entering the Company service......Page 350 Life in Sumatra......Page 352 Tinned salmon and the Caledonian Mercury: importing Scotland to Sumatra......Page 355 Sex and slaves in Sumatra and Scotland......Page 358 Conclusion......Page 360 16 Connecting Britain and India......Page 362 At home in India......Page 369 Madeira......Page 374 At home in Scotland......Page 376 Conclusion......Page 378 Section 5 Company families and identities......Page 380 17 The career of William Gamul Farmer (1746–1797) in India, 1763–1795......Page 384 The letters......Page 385 The Farmer family......Page 389 Trade and money......Page 396 William Gamul Farmer’s career......Page 400 William Gamul Farmer’s fortune......Page 408 Conclusion......Page 413 Philip Melvill......Page 418 James Cosmo Melvill......Page 424 Philip Melvill......Page 430 Henry Melvill......Page 431 Summary......Page 433 James Cosmo Melvill......Page 434 Philip Sandys Melvill......Page 435 Richard Gwatkin Melvill......Page 436 Summary......Page 438 Conclusion......Page 439 19 The Indian seal of Sir Francis Sykes ......Page 441 The seal......Page 442 The owner......Page 443 The banian......Page 447 The Cossimbazar Raj......Page 449 The Sykes family......Page 452 The reunion......Page 455 The seal as witness......Page 457 Conclusion......Page 458 Notes......Page 462 Periodicals......Page 515 Printed......Page 516 Secondary Sources......Page 518 Websites......Page 532 Index......Page 534 Back Cover......Page 540 Front Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright information 5 Acknowledgments 6 Table of Contents 10 Figures and Tables 13 List of Abbreviations 23 List of Contributors 24 Introduction 30 Nation and empire in country house histories 33 Global histories, local & national tastes 41 Object stories 43 Research communities 45 Conclusion 47 Section 1 The social life of things 50 1 Prize possession 54 The casket’s origins in eighteenth-century India 56 Material culture from Seringapatam 59 The Fraser family and the casket: between Britain and India 62 The casket in the British Museum 66 Conclusion: shifting meanings 66 2 Chinese wallpaper 68 The evolution of Chinese wallpaper: the story from east and west 70 East India Company connections 80 Gifts and gifting 86 Concluding remarks: afterlife 95 Acknowledgments 95 3 Production, purchase, dispossession, recirculation 97 Production 100 Purchase 103 Dispossession 107 Recirculation 113 Conclusion 115 4 ‘A jaghire without a crime’ 117 Family commerce 119 Winds of trade 126 The ‘oriental’ interiors at Osterley 128 Conclusion 135 Section 2 Objects, houses, homes and the construction 138 5 Manly objects? Gendering armorial porcelain wares 142 Introduction 143 Women, porcelain and pleasure 146 The Basildon Park service 148 Acquisition 149 Designing the service 152 Using the service 155 Conclusion 157 6 Fanny Parkes (1794–1875) 160 Who was Fanny Parkes? 163 Wanderings of a Pilgrim in Search of the Picturesque 166 The ‘Grand Moving Diorama of Hindostan’ 169 The cabinet of curiosities 172 Conclusion 181 7 Refashioning house, home and family 182 Touch House, empire and identity 184 The Amhersts and familial belonging 192 Conclusion 198 Section 3 The Home Counties 200 8 Warfield Park, Berkshire 204 A country house of one’s own 206 Rebuilding Warfield together 211 A new generation 214 Conclusion 218 9 Englefield House, Berkshire 220 The East India Company arrives 222 The Wrightes return 225 Lady Margaret Clive at Englefield House 228 The Benyon legacy (1789–1854) 230 Conclusion 232 10 Swallowfield Park, Berkshire 234 Swallowfield before the Russells 237 The Russells in India: Anglo-Indian tastes 239 Testing the English market 246 Swallowfield and its reformation 251 Hidden in plain view: Indian legacies 254 Conclusions 257 11 Valentines, the Raymonds and Company material culture 260 Valentines Mansion’s EIC owners and their material objects 261 The East India Company in Ilford 266 The Valentine: the EIC’s ships at trade and war 268 Shipwrecks and the EIC’s ‘immaterial’ material culture 272 Conclusion 277 12 Growing up in a Company town 280 The East India Company in Hertfordshire 284 Nabobs, merchants and planters: networks of empire and North Mymms 288 Section 4 On the borders 302 13 A fairy palace in Devon 306 Background and training 307 Experiences in India 309 Building in India 311 Building projects in Europe 315 Building project in Devon 319 Conclusion 324 14 Partly after the Chinese manner 327 ‘Chinese’ staircases on record in north-west Wales 328 A local style 333 Possible influence of Plas Newydd 334 Local connections with the East India Company 335 The ‘China craze’ 337 ‘In the Chinese taste’ 340 ‘Along English lines’ 344 Conclusion: The East India Company and ‘Chinese’ staircases 345 15 The intimate trade of Alexander Hall 347 Entering the Company service 350 Life in Sumatra 352 Tinned salmon and the Caledonian Mercury: importing Scotland to Sumatra 355 Sex and slaves in Sumatra and Scotland 358 Conclusion 360 16 Connecting Britain and India 362 At home in India 369 Madeira 374 At home in Scotland 376 Conclusion 378 Section 5 Company families and identities 380 17 The career of William Gamul Farmer (1746–1797) in India, 1763–1795 384 The letters 385 The Farmer family 389 Trade and money 396 William Gamul Farmer’s career 400 William Gamul Farmer’s fortune 408 Conclusion 413 18 The Melvill family and India 418 Philip Melvill 418 Philip Melvill’s children 424 James Cosmo Melvill 424 Philip Melvill 430 Henry Melvill 431 Peter Melvill Melvill 433 Summary 433 Philip Melvill’s grandchildren and more 434 Philip Melvill 434 James Cosmo Melvill 434 Philip Sandys Melvill 435 Henry Melvill 436 Maxwell Melvill 436 Richard Gwatkin Melvill 436 Summary 438 Conclusion 439 19 The Indian seal of Sir Francis Sykes 441 The seal 442 The owner 443 The banian 447 The Cossimbazar Raj 449 The Sykes family 452 The reunion 455 The seal as witness 457 Conclusion 458 Notes 462 Bibliography 515 Archives 515 Published Primary Sources 515 Periodicals 515 Printed 516 Secondary Sources 518 Unpublished Theses 532 Websites 532 Index 534 Back Cover 540 The East India Company At Home, 1757–1857 Explores How Empire In Asia Shaped British Country Houses, Their Interiors And The Lives Of Their Residents. It Includes Chapters From Researchers Based In A Wide Range Of Settings Such As Archives And Libraries, Museums, Heritage Organisations, The Community Of Family Historians And Universities. It Moves Beyond Conventional Academic Narratives And Makes An Important Contribution To Ongoing Debates Around How Empire Impacted Britain. The Volume Focuses On The Propertied Families Of The East India Company At The Height Of Company Rule. From The Battle Of Plassey In 1757 To The Outbreak Of The Indian Uprising In 1857, Objects, People And Wealth Flowed To Britain From Asia. As Men In Company Service Increasingly Shifted Their Activities From Trade To Military Expansion And Political Administration, A New Population Of Civil Servants, Army Officers, Surveyors And Surgeons Journeyed To India To Make Their Fortunes. These Company Men And Their Families Acquired Wealth, Tastes And Identities In India, Which Travelled Home With Them To Britain. Their Stories, The Biographies Of Their Indian Possessions And The Narratives Of The Stately Homes In Britain That Came To House Them, Frame Our Explorations Of Imperial Culture And Its British Legacies. In the century between 1757 and 1857, the East India Company brought both sizeable affluence and fresh perspective back home to Britain from the Indian subcontinent. During this period, the Company shifted its activities and increasingly employed civil servants, army officers, surveyors, and doctors, many of whom returned to Britain with newly acquired wealth, tastes, and identities. This book explored how empire in Asia shaped British country houses, their interiors and the lives of their residents. It includes chapters from researchers based in a wide range of settings such as archives and libraries, museums, heritage organisations, the community of family historians and universities. This book moved beyond conventional academic narratives by drawing on wider research, exploring how the empire in Asia shaped British country houses, thus contributing to the ongoing conversation on imperial culture and its British legacies