"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٩‎٧‎٥] (١٢٦٢/٤٩٢)

1975
Ellis was
succeeded by Dr. (afterwards Sir John) McNeill, an officer of
1 of a
Ellis*
the Indian Medical Service, who had begun his career in Persia some 20
vears before, as Residency Surgeon at Bushehr, and who had for some
time been physician to the British Legation at Tehran.
Colonel (afterwards Sir Justin) Sheil succeeded Sir J. McNeill as Colonel
British Minister at Tehran in August 184!2, after the settlement of all
the questions outstanding between Britain and Persia; but he quitted
cases y Persia on leave in October 1847, and at the time of Muhammad Shah's
death Colonel F. Farrant held charge of the British Legation, Both of Colonel P.
MW these officers had come to Persia originally in the capacity of military
nltolis} instructors; and Colonel Farrant, as mentioned elsewhere, had been
laves iitol employed as a Special Commissioner, representing the British and
Russian Governments at Karbala in 1843.
In 1835, when the re-transfer of the Tehran Legation from the Proposed
Government of India to His Majesty's Government had been in principle thfAssktant-
decided 4 on, the Government of India resolved that the office of Assistant ship to the
to the Resident at Bushehr should, after the resignation or departure Bashehr/
of Lieutenant Hennell, the actual incumbent, be abolished; and that the 1835-42.
charge of the Residency should thereafter, in any sudden emergency,
devolve on the Residency Surgeon.
In 1838, the question of Lieutenant Hennell's promotion or resigna
tion having arisen, the Government of Bombay strongly opposed the
intended reduction on the grounds that correspondence in vernacular with
the numerous Arab chiefs having relations with the Residency was an
onerous duty with which, single-handed, the Resident could not properly
cope, and that the superintendence of the maritime peace frequently
necessitated his presence, or that of a properly qualified Assistant, at
places far distant from the Bushehr headquarters. They also laid stress
on the importance of possessing at Bushehr, especially in critical times,
a second officer thoroughly conversant with local politics and with the
languages of the country, a qualification that the Residency Surgeon
could not be expected to possess, any more than his medical duties
permitted of his absence from Bushehr. To these arguments the
Government of India yielded a reluctant and temporary assent; and
* Lieutenant Edmunds, an officer of the Bombay Army and an excellent
Oriental scholar, was appointed Assistant Resident.
* Lieutenant Edmunds left Bushehr during the time of the difficulties between
f^ain and Persia. In May 1840 he was at Baghdad as a visitor; a little later he
?? P ar t in the British operations against the Egyptians on the Syrian coast; and on
i J 11 ? 1 ^9. ^ n dia he was appointed First Assistant to the British Political Agent m Smd;
u e died at Poena without having joined that post.