Alexander Beatson


Alexander Beatson, was an officer in the East India Company's service, governor of St. Helena, and an experimental agriculturist.

Life

He was second son of Robert Beatson, Esq., of Kilrie, Fife County, Scotland, and a nephew or cousin of Robert Beatson. He obtained a cadetship in 1775, and was appointed to an ensigncy in the Madras infantry, 21 Nov. 1776. He served as an engineer officer in the war with Hyder Ali, although he appears never to have belonged to the engineers. As lieutenant, he served with the Guides in Lord Cornwallis's campaigns against Tippu Sultan; and eight years after, as a field officer, was surveyor-general with the army under Lieutenant-general Harris, which captured Seringapatam in 1799. He attained the rank of colonel 1 Jan. 1801.
After leaving India, Beatson was governor of St. Helena from 1808 to 1813. The island, which then belonged to the East
India Company, was in a very unsatisfactory condition. The scanty population had been
nearly swept off by a measles epidemic a short time previously, and, although recruited by emigrants from England and by Chinese coolies, was in a wretched state. The acts of the home authorities in suppressing the spirit traffic and other matters gave rise to great discontent, resulting in a mutiny in 1811, which was put down by the
firmness of Beatson, who also introduced a better system of cultivation and many other
beneficial measures.
After his return to England, he devoted much attention to experiments in agriculture at Knole farm and Henley in Frant, Sussex, near
Tunbridge Wells. He became major-general July 1810, lieutenant-general June 1814, and died 15 October 1830.

Works

Beatson was the author of the following
works: