Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/132

 DE LAUNEY, EUSTACE BENEDICT (1715–1777)

A Flemish soldier of fortune, in the service of Martanda Varma of Travancore : he built the Travancore lines which were captured by Tippoo in 1790 : also the fort of Udayagiri, 38 miles S.E. of Trivandrum : remembered among the natives as Istach (Eustache),the Valiya Kappithan, or great captain : died 1777, buried at Udayagiri.

DE MEURON, CHARLES DANIELL (1738–1806)

Maj-General : son of Theodore de Meuron, justicier : born May 6, 1738 : at 17 fought in a body of Swiss Marines for the French, against the English at Rochefort : in 1757, on the Florissant nearly escaped capture by the English : joined the Swiss Guards, 1763 : Captain and Colonel, 1768 : as proprietary colonel raised in 1781 the Neuchatel regiment de Meuron, 1,020 strong, for the Dutch E.I.Co. : reached the Cape, Jan. 1782 : sent on to Ceylon to reinforce Suffrein : to Cuddalore, June 1783 : returned to Ceylon and the Cape, and again Ceylon, where he, then Colonel, left the regiment, of which the Commanding Officer was his brother Pierre Frederich (q.v.) : in 1795, C. D. de Meuron after prolonged negotiations ceded the regiment to England : the transfer was ratified at Madras, 1797 : de Meuron went to England, 1797, and was occupied in recruiting, and in the negotiations for completing the transfer, 1798 : was made a British Maj-General : retired : died at Neuchatel April 6, 1806.

DE MEURON, PIERRE FREDRICK (1746–1813)

Brother of C. D. (q.v.) : born 1746 : commanded the regiment de Meuron under the Dutch in Ceylon : when the English invaded Ceylon in August, 1795, several detachments of the regiment were defeated : that under P. F. de Meuron held out : on its cession to England, in 1795, it embarked for Tuticorin : where de Meuron was made, by Lord Hobart, Military Governor of Ceylon, 1797–8 : commanded the troops there till 1799 : then commandment was in the Mysore campaign of 1799 : took the regiment from Vellore to Madras, 1801, and left for London : he retired. 1807, settled at Neuchatel, died there, March 30, 1813 : the regiment was disbanded in 1816, after 14 years' service under the Dutch, 21 years' under the English.

DEMPSTER, FRANCIS ERSKINE (1858–)

Born July 9, 1858 : son of Capt. H. L. Dempster : educated at Edinburgh Academy, the Institution and University, and at Cooper's Hill College : joined the Indian Telegraph Department, 1878 : served in the Afghan war, 1879–80 : Chin-Lushai expedition, 1889 : Chitral expedition, 1895 : C.I.E. 1896 : Super-intendent of the Indian Government Telegraphs.

DENING, LEWIS (1848–)

Entered the Army, 1867, and became Lt-Colonel, 1893 : served in Afghan war, 1878–9 : Burmese expedition, 1886–88 : Dongola expedition, 1896, and N.W. Frontier, 1897 : D.S.O. 1887, and C.B. 1903 : Colonel on Staff, commanding 2nd Class District in India since 1903.

DENISON, SIR WILLIAM THOMAS (1804–1871)

Governor, and Colonel : son of John Denison : born May 3, 1804 : educated at Sunbury, Eton, and the R.M.A., Woolwich : joined the R.E. in 1826 : made the Rideau Canal in Canada, 1827–31 : employed at Woolwich, Chatham, on inspection at Bermuda till 1847, when, as Captain R.E. he went to Van Diemen's Land as Lieutenant-Governor, and was knighted. From 1854 to 1861 he was Governor of New South Wales and titular Governor-General of Australia : K.C.B., 1856 : Governor of Madras from Feb. 1861 : held strong views on military questions, and did not conceal his unfavourable estimate of the character of the natives of India : was opposed to their admission into the Legislative Councils and to the establishment of subordinate Legislative Councils at all : his previous experience made him an authority on public works, roads, railways, etc. While Governor of Madras he was summoned' to Calcutta on Lord Elgin's death and acted as Viceroy and Governor-General from Dec. 2, 1863, until Sir John Lawrence assumed charge on Jan. 12, 1864. 