Foster 494

William Davis (c.1700 - 1765), 1750

A half-length portrait in an oval, the figure turned sharply to the left. The costume consists of a grey satin coat, embroidered with gold, and a claret coloured waistcoat.

30 by 25 ins (76 by 63.5 cms)

Purchased, April 1910

William Davis was appointed a Writer for Bengal in October 1717, and arrived in India 20 August, 1718. He spent several years at Dacca, and afterwards served at Calcutta as Bakhshi, Import Warehouse Keeper, Export Warehouse Keeper, and finally (September 1744) Accountant. He was now Third in Council, and would in the natural course of things have become Second, and afterwards President and Governor. He was, however, too impatient to wait his turn, and so he commenced intriguing in London to be appointed to succeed the then President. Unfortunately for him, a letter from his London agent, intimating that the latter had been given carte blanche to spend any money that might be necessary to secure this result fell into the hands of the Directors, who looking upon it as ‘highly reflecting on the honour of the Court’, decided (6 February 1745) to dismiss Davis from their service. Instructions to that effect reached Calcutta in January 1746, and Davis ‘withdrew from the Board accordingly’. He sailed for England in February on the ‘Wager.’

From London Davis kept up correspondence with his friends in India, and it was to him that Holwell addressed the famous letter describing the suffering of the prisoners in the Black Hole. He died in London on 29 March 1765.