John Sullivan (British governor)
| John Sullivan | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 15 June 1788 London, England |
| Died | 16 January 1855 Berkshire, England |
| Resting place | St Laurence, Upton-cum-Chalvey, Berkshire |
| Monuments | Sullivan Memorial |
| Known for | Founder of the British settlement at Ootacamund |
| Spouse(s) |
Henrietta Cecilia Harington (1768–1821) Anne Collet (1772–1820) |
Henrietta Cecilia Harington (1768–1821)
John Sullivan (15 June 1788 – 16 January 1855),son of John Sulivan(1749 –1839), of Richings Park, Iver, Buckinghamshire, the second son of Benjamin Sulivan of Cork (1720–67), Clerk of the Crown for Waterford and Cork [Kinsman of Laurence Sulivan, Chairman and Director of the East India Company] and Lady Henrietta Hobart, daughter of George, 3rd Earl of Buckinghamshire and sister of Robert, Lord Hobart, one of Pitt's Secretaries of State. He was christened 7 July 1788 – St. Georges Hanover Square. He came out to India as a writer with the EIC at age 15 and was appointed the Collector of Coimbatore in 1817, India. He married Henrietta Cecilia Harington, a daughter of Rev. William Harington (1768–1821) and of Anne Collet (1772–1820) on 2 February 1820 in Madras. John Sullivan is best known as the founder of the British settlement at Ootacamund.
In 1819, he set out to explore the Nilgiris after obtaining an order from the British East India Company charging him with investigating the "origin of the fabulous tales that are circulated concerning the Blue Mountains to verify their authenticity and to send a report to the authorities".
With a detachment of Europeans and Madras sepoys, he set out on his mission on 2 January 1819. The journey involved crossing rough and harsh terrain, ascending steep precipices and risking danger from wild animals. After an expedition that lasted for six days and the loss of the lives of some of the expedition members, Sullivan finally reached a plateau from where he proudly hoisted the British flag. After touring the area in 1819, John Sullivan began a personal campaign to persuade the government of Madras that the location's "unusually temperate and healthy" climate made it ideal as a "resort of invalids," primarily soldiers. In 1821 the Medical Board of the presidency ordered three assistant surgeons to investigate these claims. Their reports persuaded the Board that "we fully anticipate very great advantages from a resort to these Hills," and it recommended that fifty invalid soldiers be sent there to test the region's salubrity. Independently, Sullivan and other officials from neighbouring districts established summer residences at Ootacamund, in the heart of the Nilgiris. This nascent community soon attracted a stream of visitors in search of health, comfort and leisure.
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