John Cartier (23 May 1733 – 25 January 1802) was aBritishcolonial governor inIndia. He served asGovernor of Bengal from 1769 to 1772.
Cartier first arrived in India as a writer in the service of theBritish East India Company.[1] He was expelled fromDacca in 1756 while serving there as an assistant.[1] After fleeing with other fugitives toFulta, he joinedClive of India and helped in the retaking ofBengal, for which he was praised by the Court of Directors of the British East India Company.[1] Cartier's career accelerated after theBattle of Plassey. In 1761, Cartier became chief of the Dacca factory.[2] By 1767, he was Second in theCalcutta Council.[1]
On 26 December 1769 Cartier succeededHarry Verelst as Governor ofBengal.[1] Cartier was governor at time of theBengal famine of 1770, during which one-third of the populace died. Cartier was blamed for ignoring warnings about the impending disaster[2] but was able to use a magazine of grain to feed fifteen thousand people every day for some months.[3]
In response to the crisis, the Court of Directors sent a three-person commission to Bengal to assess the situation. En route, however, the ship carrying the three members foundered at sea.[4] The Court of Directors did not send a replacement and recalled Cartier.[2]Warren Hastings was selected as his replacement; he took office on 28 April 1772.[1]
Cartier became aHigh Sheriff of Kent in 1789. Unusually the previous incumbent, James Bond, continued from the year before and Cartier served only for the latter part of the year.[5]
Cartier died inBedgbury,Kent on 25 January 1802 and was buried at Goudhurst, Kent. He was eulogized byEdmund Burke for his government of Bengal.[1] His wife Stephana, the daughter ofStephen Law, survived him and also died in Bedgbury on 22 August 1825.[6]
dictionary biography.
| Preceded by | Governor of Bengal 1769–1772 | Succeeded by |
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