The Public Life of the Earl of Macartney

An 1807 biography of the distinguished British statesman George Macartney (1737–1806), including substantial selections from his own writings.

The British statesman George Macartney (1737–1806) had a long and distinguished career, holding posts including the governorships of Grenada and Madras. He also undertook high-profile diplomatic missions to Russia and China. This two-volume 1807 biography was based on official records and Macartney's own writings.George Macartney (1737–1806) had a long and distinguished political and diplomatic career. He held the post of Secretary for Ireland, was successively governor of Grenada, Madras and the Cape Colony, and served as trade envoy to Russia and China. The son of an Irish landowner, Macartney rose in his profession through diligent diplomacy, perseverance, ambition and integrity; he gradually advanced in both the British and Irish peerage. This two-volume biography by Sir John Barrow, who had accompanied Macartney to China and the Cape, was first published in 1807, and draws heavily on official documents from Macartney's periods in office. Volume 1 contains a chronological account of Macartney's professional life, focusing particularly on the challenges he faced while Governor of Madras in the 1780s, including military threats, wrangling over fiscal policies, the extension of Fort St George, and plans for a Madras police force.