Sir Elijah Impey was a British judge, the first chief justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in Bengal, Chief Justice of the Sadr Diwani Adalat and Member of Parliament for New Romney. Throughout his life he was positioned with many dignified position from British Government in India and British East India Company. He was one of most beloved friend of Warren Hastings.
Early Life of Sir Elijah Impey
Sir Elijah Impey was born on 13th June 1732. He was born the youngest son of Martha, daughter of James Fraser and was educated at Westminster School with Warren Hastings, who was his intimate friend throughout life. He proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1752, graduating in 1756 as the second Chancellor`s classical medallist.
Career of Elijah Impey
Sir Elijah Impey was appointed the first chief justice of the new Supreme Court at Calcutta, and in 1775 presided at the trial of Maharaja Nanda Kumar, who was accused of forging a bond in an attempt to deprive a widow of more than half her inheritance. As a result of the trial he went down in history, because in 1787 he was subjected to impeachment, along with Warren Hastings, for their conduct of the case. He was accused by Lord Macaulay in the House of Commons of conspiring with Warren Hastings to commit a judicial murder by having unjustly hanged Nanda Kumar; but the whole question of the trial of Nanda Kumar was examined in detail by Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, who stated that "no man ever had, or could have, a fairer trial than Nuncomar, and Impey in particular behaved with absolute fairness and as much indulgence as was compatible with his duty." Elijah Impey was later applied English law so aggressively as to "throw a great country into the most dreadful confusion", until in effect bribed by Hastings to desist.
Elijah Impey as the Member of Parliament
In 1790 Elijah Impey was returned to Parliament as the member for New Romney constituency and spent the next seven years as a Member of Parliament before retiring to Newick Park near Brighton.
Personal Life of Elijah Impey
Elijah Impey was married on 18th January 1768 to Mary, daughter of Sir John Reade, of Shipton Court, Oxfordshire; they had five sons. His wife, Lady Mary Impey, is commemorated in the name of the Impeyan pheasant (Lophophorus impejanus). Elijah Impey died there in 1809 and was buried in the family vault in Hammersmith, London.
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