Robert James Elliot

Elliot, Robert James, 1790—1849

by Benjamin Colbert

Robert James Elliot was born at Wheldrake, Yorkshire, on 12 May 1790, the son of the Reverend Robert Elliot and Mary Elliot. He entered the navy as a Cadet in 1802 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1808. From 1808 to 1814 he served in the East Indies, after which he was promoted to Commander.

From 1822 to 1824 he commanded a vessel that toured India, China, and the Red Sea, during which time he made numerous on-the-spot sketches. These were engraved and published in parts from 1830 to 1832, then collected as View in the East in 1833. In this edition, the letterpress descriptions were drawn from a variety of published works, including Amelia Heber’s posthumous edition of Reginald Heber’s Narrative of a Journey through the Upper Provinces of India (1828). In the 1835 edition, the publishers Fisher & Co. commissioned Emma Roberts to write new letterpress.

When in London, Elliot busied himself with charity work benefiting sailors, including support for a sailors’ home. He died at Pentonville on 30 April 1849.

Sources:

Peach, Annette. 'Elliot, Robert James (1790–1849), naval officer and topographical draughtsman'. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 23 Sept. 2004. Oxford University Press. Web. 15 Jan. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/8669