Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/112

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other smaller works have followed them. Chief Engineer, 1852 : Commandant of Engineers, 1856 : he was knighted in 1861, made K.C.S.I. in 1866 : retired in 1862, and continued to advocate irrigation and canals as preferable to railway communication. He had a controversy with Sir Proby Cautley (q.v.) about the latter's Ganges Canal. He was admittedly the greatest Indian authority of his age on the subject of irrigation : he founded, it has been said, a School of Indian Hydraulic Engineering in the officers trained under him : General in 1877 : died July 24, 1899 : wrote a book on Public Works in India.

COTTON, SIR GEORGE (1842–1905)

Born in Ireland, 1842 : educated in England : went to Bombay in 1863, as Manager of East Indian Cotton Agency. In partnership with Mr. James Greaves commenced the firm of Greaves, Cotton & Co., Bombay, and James Greaves & Co., Manchester : Fellow of the Bombay University, Chairman of the Municipal Corporation, and Sheriff of Bombay in 1897 : knighted in 1897 : died Feb. 5, 1905.

COTTON, RIGHT REV. DR. GEORGE EDWARD LYNCH (1813–1866)

Bishop of Calcutta and Metropolitan of India and Ceylon : son of Captain T. Cotton : born Oct. 29, 1813, his father dying about the same time : educated at Westminster, and Trinity College, Cambridge : took his degree in 1836 as a Senior Optime in mathematics, and eighth in the Classical Tripos : appointed in 1837 by Dr. Arnold to a mastership at Rugby : became Fellow of Trinity : left Rugby in 1852 to become Head Master of Marl-borough College, where he effected numerous improvements : consecrated Bishop of Calcutta on May 13, 1858 : reached Calcutta that year. He acquired universal confidence and respect besides influence with the Government, so that he was able to do much for the Church of England and for Anglo-Indian education. He succeeded in establishing schools at the chief hill stations for the education of Anglo-Indian and Eurasian children, whose parents could not afford to send them to England. He maintained his position and principles as Bishop of the Church of England, while assisting missionary work and other Christian developments. His capacity as an administrator, organizer and educator was acknowledged. He made the long tours required by the size of his metropolitan charge and the paucity of Bishops. Returning from one of them, he was drowned at Kushtia on the Gorai River in Bengal, on Oct. 6, 1866, while re-embarking on a steamer. He lost his footing on a badly constructed platform, fell into the river and disappeared. His loss was regarded as a public calamity, which the Government officially announced.

COTTON, SIR HENRY JOHN STEDMAN (1845–)

I.C.S. : son of J. J. Cotton, Madras Civil Service : born Sep. 13, 1845 : educated at Magdalen College School, Brighton College, and King's College, London : entered the Bengal Civil Service, 1867 : held numerous appointments until he became Secretary to the Bengal Government, Revenue Department, 1888; Secretary in the Financial Department, 1889; Chief Secretary, 1891–6; acting Home Secretary to the Government of India, 1896 : Chief Commissioner of Assam, 1896–1902, when he retired: K.C.S.I., 1902 : has since sought to influence the public mind by his letters to the Times in opposition to Lord Curzon's policy in Tibet : author of New India, or India in Transition, besides official publications.

COTTON, JAMES SUTHERLAND (1847–)

Son of J. J. Cotton, Madras Civil Service : born July 17, 1847 : educated at Magdalen College School, Brighton College, Winchester, and Trinity College, Oxford (Scholar) First Class in Moderations and Final Classical School : was Editor of the Academy : is now employed as editor in England of the forthcoming revised edition of the Imperial Gazetteer of India : author of India (Citizen Series), Mountstuart Elphinstone ("Rulers of India" Series), Decennial Report on the Moral and Material Progress of India, 1885 : Quinqennial Report on Education in India, 1898.

COTTON, JOHN (1783–1860)

I.C.S. : went to Madras : many years Collector of Tanjore : after retirement from India he was Director of the E.I.