Arthur Purves Phayre
| Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Purves Phayre GCMG KCSI CB | |
|---|---|
| 12th Governor of Mauritius | |
|
In office 1874–1878 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| 1st Chief Commissioner of Burma | |
|
In office 31 January 1862 – 16 February 1867 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Albert Fytche |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
7 May 1812 Shrewsbury |
| Died | 14 December 1885 (aged 73) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Administrator |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India Companions of the Order of the Bath |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 British Indian Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Purves Phayre GCMG KCSI CB (7 May 1812 – 14 December 1885) was a career British Indian Army officer who was the first Commissioner of British Burma, 1862–1867, Governor of Mauritius, 1874–1878, and author.
His brother, Sir Robert Phayre (1820–1897), also served in India; part of Phayre family, of which Lt Col Robert Phayre, who served the British administration in Ireland in 17th century, also signed death warrant of Charles I.
Descendants: Colonel Robert Bernard Phayre MC Queens Own Gurkhas, son Colonel Robin Desmond Phayre RA, son Lt Col Robin Phayre LI, cousin Col Terence Phayre Knott MC RM, of whom son Captain Robert Knott AAC changed name by deed poll to Phayre, to prevent family name dying out, lives in Kenya.
Early life
Phayre was born in Shrewsbury and educated at Shrewsbury School. He joined the Indian Army in 1828. In 1846 he was appointed assistant to the commissioner of the province of Tenasserim, Burma, and in 1849 he was made commissioner of Arakan. After the Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852), he became commissioner of Pegu. He was made a Brevet Captain in 1854 and in 1862 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel.
Work
Government office
In 1862 Phayre was made commissioner for the entire province of British Burma. He left Burma in 1867.
He served as 12th Governor of Mauritius from 21 Sep 1874 to 31 Dec 1878.[1]
He was appointed a CB in 1864, promoted to Colonel in 1866 and was knighted with the KCSI in 1867. In 1871, he was promoted to Major-General and was promoted to Lieutenant-General in 1873. He retired to Bray in Ireland and was appointed a GCMG in 1878.
Naturalist
Phayre wrote the first standard History of Burma (1883). He is commemorated in the names of a number of animals, including:
- Phayre's leaf monkey, Trachypithecus phayrei
- Indochinese flying squirrel, Hylopetes phayrei
- Phayre's squirrel, Callosciurus phayrei
- Eared pitta, Pitta phayrei
- Brown Asian forest tortoise, Manouria emys phayrei [2]
- Ashy-headed green pigeon, Treron phayrei
Numismatist
Phayre collected coins (some are now in the British Museum collection), and in 1882 wrote Coins of Arakan, of Pegu, and of Burma, International Numismata Orientalia, part 8. The title page notes that he was a corresponding member of the Société Académique Indo-Chinoise. He was also a member of the Royal Asiatic Society.[3]
References
- ↑ "Mauritius". World Statesmen.
- ↑ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Phayre", p. 205).
- ↑ Obituary, in the JRAS Royal Asiatic Society. Proceedings of the Sixty-Third Anniversary Meeting of the Society, Held on the 17th of May, 1886 Henry Yule The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland New Series, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Oct., 1886), pp. I-CLXIX Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25208848
External links
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by first incumbent |
Chief Commissioner of British Crown Colony of Burma 1862–1867 |
Succeeded by Albert Fytche |
| Preceded by Arthur Hamilton-Gordon |
Governor of Mauritius 1874–1878 |
Succeeded by Sir George Bowen |