# Nathaniel Elwick

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{{Short description|British merchant}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name        = Nathaniel Elwick
| image       =
| order       = 
| office      = President of [Fort St. George](/source/Fort_St._George%2C_India), [Madras](/source/Chennai)
| term_start  = 15 October 1721
| term_end    = 15 January 1725
| lieutenant  = 
| predecessor = [Francis Hastings](/source/Francis_Hastings_of_Madras)
| successor   = [James Macrae](/source/James_Macrae)
| birth_date  = 1675
| birth_place = 
| death_date  = 1750
| death_place = 
| party       = 
| spouse      = 
| children    = 
| profession  = 
| signature   = Elwick sign.jpg 
}}

'''Nathaniel Elwick''' (February 1675 – 1750) was a [British](/source/British_people) merchant who served as the President of [Fort St. George](/source/Fort_St._George%2C_India) from 15 October 1721 to 15 January 1725.<ref name="governors_fortstgeorge">{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_BrProvinces.htm#Madras|title=List of Governors of Madras|publisher=worldstatesmen.org|accessdate=2008-09-30}}</ref>

== Early life ==

Nathaniel Elwick was born to John Elwick and Judith Crisp.<ref name="nathanielelwick_bio">{{Cite web|url=https://www.elwick.info/heroes.htm#NATHANIEL%20ELWICK%201675-1750|title=Nathaniel Elwick 1675-1750|publisher=Elwick Family Website|accessdate=2008-09-30}}</ref> He was baptized on 13 February 1675 and completed his schooling at Merchant Taylor's School in [London](/source/London).

== Envoy to China ==

Both of Nathaniel's brothers, Thomas Elwick and John Elwick, were Directors of the [British](/source/Great_Britain) [East India Company](/source/East_India_Company). Nathaniel was sent to [China](/source/China) in 1713 as an official envoy.

== Governor of Madras ==

Two months from the commencement of Elwick's tenure, his predecessor [Francis Hastings](/source/Francis_Hastings_of_Madras) died. Hastings' ''dubash'' Mar Kistna was arrested on 8 September 1722 on charges of [extortion](/source/extortion) and non-payment of [debt](/source/debt)s. He was imprisoned in Fort St. George until 11 December 1722 and released only when he had settled his [debt](/source/debt)s.

The privileged [Armenia](/source/Armenia)n community of [Madras](/source/Chennai) carried out a flourishing trade with the [French](/source/France) settlement of [Puducherry](/source/Puducherry_(city)). However, this trade was forbidden by Elwick and he considered any sort of foreign trade as detrimental to the interests of the [British](/source/Great_Britain) [East India Company](/source/East_India_Company).

[Cheen Kulich Khan](/source/Qamar-ud-din_Khan%2C_Asaf_Jah_I), the [Nizam](/source/Nizam) of [Hyderabad](/source/Hyderabad%2C_India), defeated the [Nawab of the Carnatic](/source/Nawab_of_the_Carnatic) in June 1724 and proceeded towards [Gingee](/source/Gingee), causing severe apprehensions among the [British](/source/Great_Britain) authorities in Madras. The same month, the [Afghans](/source/Afghanistan) laid siege to the town of [Shiraz](/source/Shiraz) in [Persia](/source/Persia), effectively cutting off the supply of [Madeira wine](/source/Madeira_wine) to the factory of Madras.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elwick, Nathaniel}}
Category:1675 births
Category:1750 deaths
Category:Presidents of Madras
Category:18th-century British merchants
Category:People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Category:1721 in India
Category:1725 in India

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nathaniel Elwick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Elwick) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Elwick?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.