Sir Edward Barnes

Lieutenant General Sir Edward Barnes, (28 October 1776 – 19 March 1838) was a British soldier who became governor of Ceylon. Military career Barnes joined the 47th Regiment of Foot in 1792 as an ensign, and quickly rose to field rank. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1807, serving in the Invasion of Martinique in 1809, and colonel in 1810. Two years later, he served on Wellington's staff in the Peninsular War. His services in this capacity gained him further promotion; as a major-general, he led a brigade in the Battle of Vitoria and took part in the battles the Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive and Orthez. He was awarded the Gold Cross and three clasps for his Peninsula service. Barnes served in the campaign of 1815 as adjutant-general, and was wounded at the Battle of Waterloo, where he was known as "our fire eating adjutant general". Already a KCB, he was a recipient of the Austrian Order of Maria Theresa 3rd Class, and the Russian Order of St Anne. In 1808 he was appointed the lieutenant-governor of Dominica serving in the position until 1812, when he was gazetted as lieutenant-governor of Antigua in December 1813, although he did not take up the appointment. In 1819, his connection with Ceylon began. Lieutenant-General Barnes was appointed acting Governor of Ceylon from 1 February 1820 to 2 February 1822, succeeding Robert Brownrigg. He then served as governor of Ceylon from 18 January 1824 to 13 October 1831, succeeded by Robert Wilmot-Horton (1784–1841, governor 13 to 23 October 1831). He directed the construction of the great military road between Colombo and Kandy, and of many other lines of communication, made the first census of the population, and introduced coffee cultivation based on the West Indian system (1824). In 1831, he received the GCB. From 1832 to 1833, he was commander in-chief in India, with the local rank of general.