John Underwood Bateman-Champain

Sir John Underwood Bateman-Champain
John Underwood Bateman-Champain in 1875
Born	22 July 1835 London
Died	1 February 1887 (1887-03) (aged 51) Sanremo

Colonel Sir John Underwood Bateman-Champain, KCMG (22 July 1835 – 1 February 1887), born Champain, was a British army officer and engineer in India, who was instrumental in laying the first electric telegraph line from Britain to India by way of the Persian Gulf. He assumed the additional name of Bateman on succeeding to the estate of Halton Park, Lancashire, in 1872.

Champain was born in Gloucester Place, London, on 22 July 1835, the son of Colonel Agnew Champain (d.1876) of the 9th Regiment of Foot. He was educated at Cheltenham College, and for a short time in fortification and military drawing at the Edinburgh Military Academy under Lieutenant Henry Yule. From 1851 to 1853 he attended the East India Company's Military Seminary at Addiscombe, passing out at the head of his term and receiving the Pollock Medal. He obtained a commission as second lieutenant in the Bengal Engineers on 11 June 1853. His later commissions were dated: Lieutenant, 13 July 1857; Captain, 1 September 1863; Major, 5 July 1872; Lieutenant-Colonel, 31 December 1878; and Colonel, 31 December 1882.

Following a further course of professional instruction in military engineering at Chatham, Champain went to India in 1854. He was appointed assistant principal of the Thomason College of Civil Engineering at Roorkee, but while he was there the Indian Rebellion of 1857 broke out. He at once saw active service under Colonel Archdale Wilson, was adjutant of sappers and miners at the actions at Ghazi-ud-din-Nagar on the Hindun river on 30 and 31 May, at Badli-ki-Serai under Major-General Henry Barnard on 8 June, and at the capture of the ridge in front of Delhi. During the Siege of Delhi, Champain took his full share of general engineer work in addition to his duties as adjutant, and one of the siege batteries was named after him by order of the chief engineer (Col. Richard Baird Smith) in acknowledgement of his services. He was wounded by grapeshot on 13 September, but, while still on the sick list, volunteered for duty on 20 September: although still very lame, he was present at the capture of the palace of Delhi.