Arthur Purves Phayre

Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Purves Phayre GCMG KCSI CB
12th Governor of Mauritius
In office 1874–1878
Preceded by	Office established
1st Chief Commissioner of Burma
In office 31 January 1862 – 16 February 1867
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Albert Fytche
Personal details
Born	7 May 1812 Shrewsbury
Died	14 December 1885 (1885-12-15) (aged 73)
Nationality	British
Occupation	Administrator
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India Companions of the Order of the Bath
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Indian Army
Rank	Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Purves Phayre GCMG KCSI CB (7 May 1812 – 14 December 1885) was a career British Indian Army officer who was the first Commissioner of British Burma, 1862–1867, Governor of Mauritius, 1874–1878, and author.

His brother, Sir Robert Phayre (1820–1897), also served in India; part of Phayre family, of which Lt Col Robert Phayre, who served the British administration in Ireland in 17th century, also signed death warrant of Charles I.

Descendants: Colonel Robert Bernard Phayre MC Queens Own Gurkhas, son Colonel Robin Desmond Phayre RA, son Lt Col Robin Phayre LI, cousin Col Terence Phayre Knott MC RM, of whom son Captain Robert Knott AAC changed name by deed poll to Phayre, to prevent family name dying out, lives in Kenya.

Early life

Phayre was born in Shrewsbury and educated at Shrewsbury School. He joined the Indian Army in 1828. In 1846 he was appointed assistant to the commissioner of the province of Tenasserim, Burma, and in 1849 he was made commissioner of Arakan. After the Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852), he became commissioner of Pegu. He was made a Brevet Captain in 1854 and in 1862 he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel.

Work

Government office

In 1862 Phayre was made commissioner for the entire province of British Burma. He left Burma in 1867.

He served as 12th Governor of Mauritius from 21 Sep 1874 to 31 Dec 1878.

He was appointed a CB in 1864, promoted to Colonel in 1866 and was knighted with the KCSI in 1867. In 1871, he was promoted to Major-General and was promoted to Lieutenant-General in 1873. He retired to Bray in Ireland and was appointed a GCMG in 1878.

Naturalist

Phayre wrote the first standard History of Burma (1883). He is commemorated in the names of a number of animals, including:

• Phayre's leaf monkey, Trachypithecus phayrei
• Indochinese flying squirrel, Hylopetes phayrei
• Phayre's squirrel, Callosciurus phayrei
• Eared pitta, Pitta phayrei
• Brown Asian forest tortoise, Manouria emys phayrei subspecies of Manouria emys
• Ashy-headed green pigeon, Treron phayrei

External links

• http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Myanmar.htm

Government offices
Preceded by first incumbent	Chief Commissioner of British Crown Colony of Burma 1862–1867	Succeeded by Albert Fytche
Preceded by Arthur Hamilton-Gordon	Governor of Mauritius 1874–1878	Succeeded by Sir George Bowen