Macartney Expedition

Born in Ireland on May 14, 1737, George Macartney, Earl Macartney, studied at Trinity College, Dublin, and went on to become envoy-extraordinary to St. Petersburg, where he concluded a commercial treaty with the Empress Catherine. In 1775 he became Governor of the Caribbee Islands, and was captured by the French in 1779 when Grenada was attacked. In 1780, he was appointed by the East India Company as governor of Fort St. George in Madras (India), at the time of the Mahratta War, and remained in India until 1786, when he resigned. In 1792, he was sent as Ambassador to China, the first British embassy to that country. He embarked upon the "Lion" and traveled to China with a large contingent of soldiers, scientists, secretaries, and artists. Although they did not succeed in their primary goal of securing permission to have a British minister in China, the embassy collected much important and valuable information relating to conditions in China, trade, customs, and practices. In 1795, Macartney became governor of the newly-captured colony of the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). He died in 1806.

continue

Cornell University Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Cornell University Library

Copyright © 2002 Division of Rare & Manuscript Collections
2B Carl A. Kroch Library, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853
Phone Number: (607) 255-3530. Fax Number: (607) 255-9524

For reference questions, send mail to: rareref@cornell.edu
If you have questions or comments about the site, send mail to: webmaster.