Stephen Popham

Stephen Popham (5 July 1745 – 13 June 1795) was a British politician and solicitor who is remembered for improving the residential locality of Georgetown in the city of Chennai, India and reforming the civic and police administration.

For Stephen Popham (English MP, died 1444), see Stephen Popham (English MP).
Stephen Popham
Member of Parliament
for Castlebar
In office
1776 – ?
MonarchGeorge III of the United Kingdom
Preceded byJohn William Hamilton
Succeeded byJames Browne
Personal details
Born(1745-07-05)5 July 1745
United Kingdom
Died13 June 1795(1795-06-13) (aged 49)
Conjeevaram, Madras Presidency
NationalityBritish
Alma materTrinity College, Cambridge
Occupationsolicitor, politician, civic activist
Professionlawyer

Early life

Popham was born on 5 July 1745,[1] the fourth son of Joseph Popham of Gibraltar and Mary Riggs.[2] Popham's younger brother was the British naval officer Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham.[3] He had his education at King's School and matriculated from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1764.[2] He graduated as 4th Wrangler in 1767 and obtained a Master of Arts degree in 1774.[2] Popham was admitted to the Middle Temple on 14 April 1762.[2]

Popham entered politics in 1776 and was elected to the Irish House of Commons in June 1776 as MP for Castlebar.[1] Popham and was succeeded as MP by James Browne.

In India

Popham's fortunes began to decline in the late 1770s and he faced a financial crisis.[3] He arrived in India about this time and was worked in Calcutta as Secretary to Sir John Day, the Advocate-General of Bengal.[3] In 1778, he travelled along with Day to the city of Madras for an official inquiry. At Madras, a violent argument broke out between Day and Popham forcing the two to break up. Popham stayed on in Madras and purchased a plot in Blacktown and settled down in the city.[3]

Popham purchased the adjacent plot and constructed a drainage channel in the area. He then constructed a wide thoroughfare through Blacktown. The road was named "Popham's Broadway" and presently, it is known simply as Broadway. Popham was critical of the power and influence of the dubashes[4]

Popham recommended the construction of direct and cross drains in every street, the lighting of streets, registration of births and deaths and licensing of liquor shops and outlets.[5] In 1782, Popham submitted a plan for the creation of a regular police force in Madras city.[5]

Pophams Broadway, Madras

The Pophams Broadway at Madras was once a fine road bisecting George Town into Peddanaickenpet and Muthialpet. Before, it was a road, it was a ditch in the suburb called Atta Pallam, and was owned by Stephen Popham, former MP of the British Parliament and later Advocate General at Calcutta, who moved to Madras in 1778. Popham is credited with setting up the Madras Police in 1782. At that time, the lands of the present Madras United Club, General Hospital and Park Town Post Office was a hill called Hoggs Hill (called as Narimedu or 'mound of foxes' by the natives). Hoggs Hill was considered to be a security threat to the Fort St. George and a decision was taken to level the hill. Popham's negotiated with the Government of Madras to use the earth removed from Hoggs Hill to fill up the ditch. The road which came through after filling the ditch came to be known as Popham's Broadway.[6]

Death

Popham died in Conjeevaram on 13 June 1795 as a result of injuries suffered during a fall from his curricle.[7]

Notes
  1. "Irish House of Commons, 1692-1800". Leigh Rayment.
  2. The record of old Westminsters: a biographical list of all those who are known to have been educated at Westminster school from the earliest times to 1927, Volume 2. Chiswick press. 1928. p. 754.
  3. Popham, Peter (6 June 1998). "Popham - The Improver". The Independent.
  4. Mukund, Kanakalatha (2005). The view from below: indigenous society, temples, and the early colonial state in Tamilnadu, 1700-1835. Orient Blackswan. p. 41. ISBN 978-81-250-2800-0.
  5. Srinivasachari, C. S. (1939). "Governor Pigot and his immediate successors (1775-1803)". History of the city of Madras written for the Tercentenary Celebration Committee. Madras: P. Varadachary & Co. pp. 189–191.
  6. Sriram, V (18 February 2008). "History behind the broadway". India Today. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  7. Wilkinson, Theon (1976). Two monsoons. Duckworth. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-7156-1015-2.
Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by
Edward Kirwan
John William Hamilton		 Member of Parliament for Castlebar
1776 – 1783
With: Thomas Coghlan		 Succeeded by
Thomas Warren
James Browne


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