William Fullerton Elphinstone

The Hon. William Fullerton Elphinstone (13 September 1740 – 3 May 1834) was a Scottish ship's captain for the East India Company who became a Director of the company several times between 1786 and 1824, and who served both as Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the company.

He was born William Elphinstone in Stirlingshire, the third son of Charles, the 10th Lord Elphinstone and his wife Lady Clementina Fleming. His younger brother was George Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith.

He went to sea at the age of 15 and joined the East India Company's maritime service, studied navigation and became a midshipman on the Company ship Winchelsea. He sailed to India and China in 1758-60 and was made third mate in the Hector and then captain of the Triton, making his final voyage for the Company in 1777.

He afterwards became a director of the company (1786–9, 1791–4, 1796–9, 1801–04, 1806–09, 1811–13–14, 1816–19, 1821–24). He served as Deputy-Chairman of the company in 1813 and as Chairman in 1804, 1806 and 1814, retiring in 1825 after a stroke.

He died at Enfield in 1834 and was buried in St Marylebone Parish Church near his London home. His memorial tablet describes him in the following terms: He was equally remarkable for sound judgment and decision, united the highest firmness to the utmost kindness of heart, and retained to the latest period of human life the warmth of his benevolence, and the serenity of his temper.

In 1774 he had married Elizabeth, the daughter of William Fullerton of Carstairs and adopted the additional name of Fullerton. His wife was heiress to her uncle John Fullerton of Carberry, to whose estate she succeeded in 1802. They had 4 sons and 3 daughters; one son was Major-General William George Keith Elphinstone, CB.

He was portrayed in the 2017 British TV series Taboo as Sir Stephen Strange.

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