Streynsham Master
Sir Streynsham Master (28 October 1640 – 28 April 1724) was an English colonial administrator who was one of the 17th-century pioneers of the English East India Company. He served as the Agent of Madras from 27 January 1678 to 3 July 1681, and is credited with having introduced the first administrative reforms in the Madras Government. He banned sati and prohibited the burning of a Hindu widow in 1680 in what is the first official British response to sati. He made English the sole official language and language of court in the Madras Presidency, replacing the Portuguese, Tamil and Malayalam languages.
Streynsham Master | |
|---|---|
| Agent of Madras | |
| In office 27 January 1678 – 3 July 1681 | |
| Preceded by | Sir William Langhorne |
| Succeeded by | William Gyfford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 October 1640 Langdon, Kent, England |
| Died | 28 April 1724 (aged 83) Lancashire, England |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Leigh |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Colonial administrator |
| Signature | |
Returning to England, in 1692 he bought the Codnor Castle estate and for the rest of his life divided his time between Derbyshire and London.