Robert Armitage SterndaleCMGFZS (30 June 1839[1] – 3 October 1902) was a British naturalist, artist, writer and statesman who worked in British India before becoming governor general of St. Helena.[2][3][4]
A Race for Life. Illustration by R.A. Sterndale
Sterndale was born in 1839, the fourth son of Margaret Craufuird (1806–1866) and William Handley Sterndale (1791–1866) from Ashford-in-the-Water in Derbyshire, who went to India to become an indigo planter in Tirhoot, Bihar. Robert studied privately before qualifying for the Indian Civil Service (ICS) and going to India in 1856 to work in the finance department. He volunteered with local regiments during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and became a deputy collector in August 1859. He later became an assistant settlement officer and then in the finance departments at Nagpur, Calcutta and Punjab. He became Accountant General for Bombay in January 1884 and then at Madras in 1887.[5]
A keen sportsman and big-game hunter, he wrote several books on natural history including on the mammals of India,[6] republished in a new and abridged edition by Frank Finn.[7] He was one of the first editors of the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. His work Seonee, or Camp Life on the Satpura Range published in 1877 influenced the work of Rudyard Kipling and inspired many scenes in the Jungle Book.[8] He also wrote for newspapers contributing to The Asian. An accomplished artist, he made pen sketches, water colours and oil paintings of natural history subjects and was a friend of the artist John Trivett Nettleship.[9] He illustrated two books of E. H. Aitken and contributed a few illustrations to the Lays of Hind by "Aliph Cheem" apart from his own books.[10][11] Sterndale worked in the Currency Department (starting as an assistant to the deputy commissioner of paper currency in 1868) at Calcutta and retired in 1890. In 1891, the congress of orientalists awarded him a medal of merit.[12] In 1894 he helped in the set up of a committee (other members included Robert G.W. Herbert, James Mackenzie, E. Field, Grant Blunt, J. C. Mellis[13]) in London to save St. Helena and set up a fish curing industry. In 1895 he was temporarily assigned to govern St. Helena during the absence of William Grey-Wilson and was posted as a Governor in 1897,[14] a position that was succeeded by Henry Lionel Galway in 1902. One of his brothers Handley Bathurst Sterndale (1829–1878) was an archaeologist who suggested connections between the monuments made by vanished Polynesian civilizations and relics in India, Britain and Central America.[15] His sister Agnes married Sir Cecil Beadon in 1860.[16]
Sterndale died of a heart attack at the St Ermin's Hotel in Westminster while home on sick leave from Saint Helena on 2 October 1902.[17] His wife Mary Catherine née Spitta (1845–1927) died at Southsea.[18] They had two daughters: Harriet Mary Sterndale (b. 1873) who married Col Cecil Charles Palmer RA (b. 1872); and Annette Mary Elinor Sterndale (b. 1875) who married Major David Birdwood Thomson (1863–1930) a brother of Christopher Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson.
Publicationsedit
[1884] Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon. Thacker, Spink, and Co., London and Calcutta.
[1887] Seonee, or Camp Life on the Satpura Range. Thacker, Spink and Co., Calcutta and Simla.
[1886] Denizens of the Jungle. Thacker, Spink and Co., Calcutta and Simla.
[1879] The Afghan Knife. A Novel. Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3
Referencesedit
^Riddick, John F. (1998). Who was who in British India. Greenwood Press. p. 345. ISBN978-0-313-29232-3. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
^Jackson, E. L. (1903). "Robert Armitage Sterndate". St. Helena. p. 296.
^"Sterndale, Robert Armitage". Appletons' Cyclopaedia for 1902. NY: D. Appleton & Company. 1903. p. 517.
^"Obituary: Mr. R. A. Sterndale". The Geographical Journal. 20 (5): 550. 1902. JSTOR 1775127.
^"Death of the Governor of St. Helena". Derby Daily Telegraph. 7 October 1902 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^Sterndale, Robert Armitage (1884). Natural history of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon. London and Calcutta: Thacker, Spink, and Co.
^Finn, Frank (1929). Sterndale's Mammalia of India. Calcutta and Simla: Thacker, Spink and Co.
^Crane, Ralph & Lisa Fletcher (2014). "Picturing the Indian tiger: Imperial iconography in the nineteenth century". Victorian Literature and Culture. 42 (3): 369–386. doi:10.1017/S1060150314000047.
^"Cronje's Gaoler. Author and Journalist". Dundee Evening Telegraph. 29 March 1900. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^Aliph Cheem (1905). Lays of Ind (11 ed.). London: W. Thacker and Co.
^"The Magazines. A Naturalist on the Prowl". Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette. 27 September 1894. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
robert, armitage, sterndale, june, 1839, october, 1902, british, naturalist, artist, writer, statesman, worked, british, india, before, becoming, governor, general, helena, race, life, illustration, sterndale, sterndale, born, 1839, fourth, margaret, craufuird. Robert Armitage Sterndale CMG FZS 30 June 1839 1 3 October 1902 was a British naturalist artist writer and statesman who worked in British India before becoming governor general of St Helena 2 3 4 A Race for Life Illustration by R A Sterndale Sterndale was born in 1839 the fourth son of Margaret Craufuird 1806 1866 and William Handley Sterndale 1791 1866 from Ashford in the Water in Derbyshire who went to India to become an indigo planter in Tirhoot Bihar Robert studied privately before qualifying for the Indian Civil Service ICS and going to India in 1856 to work in the finance department He volunteered with local regiments during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and became a deputy collector in August 1859 He later became an assistant settlement officer and then in the finance departments at Nagpur Calcutta and Punjab He became Accountant General for Bombay in January 1884 and then at Madras in 1887 5 A keen sportsman and big game hunter he wrote several books on natural history including on the mammals of India 6 republished in a new and abridged edition by Frank Finn 7 He was one of the first editors of the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society His work Seonee or Camp Life on the Satpura Range published in 1877 influenced the work of Rudyard Kipling and inspired many scenes in the Jungle Book 8 He also wrote for newspapers contributing to The Asian An accomplished artist he made pen sketches water colours and oil paintings of natural history subjects and was a friend of the artist John Trivett Nettleship 9 He illustrated two books of E H Aitken and contributed a few illustrations to the Lays of Hind by Aliph Cheem apart from his own books 10 11 Sterndale worked in the Currency Department starting as an assistant to the deputy commissioner of paper currency in 1868 at Calcutta and retired in 1890 In 1891 the congress of orientalists awarded him a medal of merit 12 In 1894 he helped in the set up of a committee other members included Robert G W Herbert James Mackenzie E Field Grant Blunt J C Mellis 13 in London to save St Helena and set up a fish curing industry In 1895 he was temporarily assigned to govern St Helena during the absence of William Grey Wilson and was posted as a Governor in 1897 14 a position that was succeeded by Henry Lionel Galway in 1902 One of his brothers Handley Bathurst Sterndale 1829 1878 was an archaeologist who suggested connections between the monuments made by vanished Polynesian civilizations and relics in India Britain and Central America 15 His sister Agnes married Sir Cecil Beadon in 1860 16 Sterndale died of a heart attack at the St Ermin s Hotel in Westminster while home on sick leave from Saint Helena on 2 October 1902 17 His wife Mary Catherine nee Spitta 1845 1927 died at Southsea 18 They had two daughters Harriet Mary Sterndale b 1873 who married Col Cecil Charles Palmer RA b 1872 and Annette Mary Elinor Sterndale b 1875 who married Major David Birdwood Thomson 1863 1930 a brother of Christopher Thomson 1st Baron Thomson Publications edit 1884 Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon Thacker Spink and Co London and Calcutta 1887 Seonee or Camp Life on the Satpura Range Thacker Spink and Co Calcutta and Simla 1886 Denizens of the Jungle Thacker Spink and Co Calcutta and Simla 1879 The Afghan Knife A Novel Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3References edit Riddick John F 1998 Who was who in British India Greenwood Press p 345 ISBN 978 0 313 29232 3 Retrieved 1 February 2021 Jackson E L 1903 Robert Armitage Sterndate St Helena p 296 Sterndale Robert Armitage Appletons Cyclopaedia for 1902 NY D Appleton amp Company 1903 p 517 Obituary Mr R A Sterndale The Geographical Journal 20 5 550 1902 JSTOR 1775127 Death of the Governor of St Helena Derby Daily Telegraph 7 October 1902 via British Newspaper Archive Sterndale Robert Armitage 1884 Natural history of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon London and Calcutta Thacker Spink and Co Finn Frank 1929 Sterndale s Mammalia of India Calcutta and Simla Thacker Spink and Co Crane Ralph amp Lisa Fletcher 2014 Picturing the Indian tiger Imperial iconography in the nineteenth century Victorian Literature and Culture 42 3 369 386 doi 10 1017 S1060150314000047 Cronje s Gaoler Author and Journalist Dundee Evening Telegraph 29 March 1900 p 4 via British Newspaper Archive Aliph Cheem 1905 Lays of Ind 11 ed London W Thacker and Co The Magazines A Naturalist on the Prowl Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette 27 September 1894 p 6 via British Newspaper Archive Congressof Orientalists Morning Post 23 September 1891 p 2 via British Newspaper Archive A distressful island Dover Express 29 June 1894 p 6 via British Newspaper Archive Pall Mall Gazette Office Pall Mall Gazette March 3 1897 p 8 via British Newspaper Archive Literary Jottings Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald 1 November 1890 p 7 via British Newspaper Archive Buckland C E 1901 Bengal under the Lieutenant Governors Volume 1 London S K Lahiri amp Co p 276 Untitled Hull Daily Mail 8 October 1902 p 5 via British Newspaper Archive Untitled Dundee Evening Telegraph 10 November 1927 p 7 via British Newspaper Archive External links editWorks by Robert Armitage Sterndale at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Robert Armitage Sterndale at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robert Armitage Sterndale amp oldid 1190305773, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
