Sir Edward Barnes
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Sir Edward Barnes, GCB (1776–1838) was a British soldier who became governor of Ceylon.
Barnes joined the 47th Regiment of Foot in 1792, and quickly rose to field rank. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1807, and colonel in 1810. Two years later, he served on Wellington's staff in the Peninsular War. His services in this capacity gained him further promotion; as a major-general, he led a brigade in the Battle of Vitoria and the Pyrenean battles. He was awarded the cross and three clasps for his Peninsula service. Barnes served in the campaign of 1815 as adjutant-general, and was wounded at Waterloo. Already a K.C.B., he received the Austrian Order of Maria Theresa, and the Russian Order of St Anne.
In 1819, his connection with Ceylon began. He was its governor from 1824 to 1831. He directed the construction of the great military road between Colombo and Kandy, and of many other lines of communication, made the first census of the population, and introduced coffee cultivation based on the West Indian system (1824). In 1831, he received the G.C.B.. From 1832 to 1833, he was commander in-chief in India, with the local rank of general.
On his return home, after two unsuccessful attempts to secure the seat, he became member of Parliament for Sudbury in 1837, but he died in the following year. Sir Edward Barnes' portrait was painted, for Ceylon, by John Wood, and a memorial statue was erected in Colombo.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Bagshaw Benjamin Smith |
Member of Parliament for Sudbury with Sir James John Hamilton, Bt 1837 Joseph Bailey 1837–1838 1837–1838 |
Succeeded by Joseph Bailey Sir John Walsh, Bt |
| Military Offices | ||
| Preceded by The Earl of Dalhousie |
Commander-in-Chief, India 1832–1833 |
Succeeded by The Lord William Bentinck |
