Peter Melvill

Major-General Sir Peter Melvill Melvill KCB (2 July 1803[1] – 5 November 1895) was a British military commander in the Bombay Army who was military and naval secretary to the Governor of Bombay.[2]

Melvill was born at Pendennis Castle,[3] near Falmouth, Cornwall, where his father, Capt. Philip Melvill (1762–1811) was Governor. He was the youngest son of Melvill and Elizabeth Carey Dobrée (1770–1845). His family was strongly associated with the East India Company. His elder brothers included Sir James Cosmo Melvill, secretary of the East India Company; Philip Melvill, Military Secretary to the India Office; and Henry Melvill, principal of the East India Company College.[4]

He joined the Bombay Army in 1819 and was employed with the revenue survey of Gujarat from 1822–27. He served as Fort Adjutant of the garrison of Bombay and aide-to-camp to the Governor in 1828. In 1829, he was on special duty in Calcutta as assistant to the Bombay military member of the Financial Commission. In 1836, he was first assistant to the Resident in Cutch and Sind and in 1838 he officiated as Political Agent at the former place. From 1840–1859, he served as Secretary to the Government of Bombay.[2]

He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 1860 Birthday Honours. He retired with the honorary rank of major-general in December 1861.[2]

In 1836, he married Catherine Mary Robertson, the daughter of John Robertson of Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed. They had three daughters in Bombay: Elizabeth Margaret, who married Charles Gonne in Bombay;[5] Catherine Mary, married Arthur John de Hochepied Larpent, 8th Baron de Hochepied;[6] and Robina Henrietta Melville, who died young in India.[7]

He died in Brighton, Sussex, in 1895.[2]

References
  1. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538–1975
  2. "Obituary". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 7 November 1895. p. 6.
  3. 1861 England Census
  4. "Obituary". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 7 October 1882. p. 9.
  5. India, Select Marriages, 1792–1948
  6. Burke, Sir Bernard, ed. (1939). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (97th ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 2678.
  7. India, Select Births and Baptisms, 1786–1947
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