Regency Personalities Series-John Pitt Kennedy

Regency Personalities Series


In my attempts to provide us with the details of the Regency, today I continue with one of the many period notables.



John Pitt Kennedy

1796-1879

Kennedy was born at Carndonagh in Ireland and educated at Foyle College in Derry. Then the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich. He became a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in 1815. Four years later he was sent to Malta and after to Corfu. He was the superintendent of a canal at Lefkada in 1820 and served under Sir Charles Napier at Cephalonia. Later he was sub-inspector of the militia in the Ionian Islands.

Returning to Ireland, he began to work on ways to improve the lives of the agricultural classes. His work, Instruct; Employ; Don’t Hang Them: or Ireland Tranquilized without Soldiers and Enriched without English Capital in 1835 showcased his thoughts. He wrote more and was made Inspector General for Irish Education in 1837, secretary to the Devon Commission in 1843 and part of the famine relief committee in 1845. He was once again made part of the army in 1849 as military secretary to Napier and accompanied the man to India.

Kennedy then built the road from Kalka to Kunawur and Tibet. He also published British Home and Colonial Empire between 1865 and 1869.