John Whitehall served as the Acting President of Madras Presidency in former undivided British India for 2 separate terms, from the year 1777 to 1778 and again in 1780. He was also a prominent colonial administrator under the organizational control of the Honourable British East India Company. Whitehall was appointed for the first time as the Acting President of the Province of Madras (now Chennai) in British India on 31 August 1777. He was preceded by Sir George Stratton who served as the President of Madras province from 23 August 1776 to 31 August 1777.
The Madras Presidency, also known as the Madras Province and the Presidency of Fort St. George, was an administrative division of British India. The region incorporated much of southern India, including the modern states of Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep Islands, the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh, the Malabar region of North Kerala, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangapur and Gajapati districts of southern Orissa and the Bellary, Rayagada, Dakshina Kannada, Ganjam and Udupi districts of Karnataka. Ootacamund (now Ooty) was the summer capital of the province and Madras (now known as Chennai) was appointed as the winter capital of the British presidency.
Sir John Whitehall served in office till 8 February 1778 and was succeeded by Sir Thomas Rumbold, who served from 8 February 1778 to 6 April 1780. He was appointed as the President of the province for a second term on 6 April 1780 and held the position till 8 November 1780. Charles Smith succeeded him as the Acting President of Madras Presidency in 1780 and served till 22 June 1781.
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