william wedderburn, born 1838
liberal mp and campaigner for indian self rule
Sir William Wedderburn was born in March 1838 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He left for India in 1860 and began official duty at Dharwar as an Assistant Collector. He was appointed Acting Judicial Commissioner in Sind and Judge of the Sadar Court in 1874. In 1882 he became the District and Sessions Judge of Poona. At the time of his retirement in 1887, he was the Chief Secretary to the Government of Bombay. During his service in India, Wedderburn's attention was focused on famine, the poverty of the Indian peasantry, the problem of agricultural indebtedness and the question of reviving the ancient village system. His concern with these problems brought him in touch with the Indian National Congress. After his retirement, Wedderburn threw his heart and soul into the cause of Indian self government. He presided over the fourth Congress held in Bombay in 1889. He entered Parliament in 1893 as a Liberal member and sought to voice India's grievances in the House. He began participating in the activities of the Indian Famine Union set up in June 1901, for investigation into famines and proposing preventive measures. He came to India in 1904 to attend the 20th session of the Indian National Congress in Bombay, which was presided over by Sir Henry Cotton. He was again invited in 1910 to preside over the 25th session.
Click below to view his life story:
Source: Biography by S.J.Ratcliffe, published in 1922 by George Allen & Unwin. Provided to Lives Retold by Alex Reid, great grandson of William Wedderburn, in 2020.
Reproduced in December 2020, with acknowledgement and thanks, from the community website of Tibberton, Gloucestershire.