12 Facts About Thomas Hardwicke

Major-General Thomas Hardwicke was an English soldier and naturalist who was in India from 1777 to 1823.

Thomas Hardwicke collected numerous specimens of natural history and had them painted by Indian artists.

Thomas Hardwicke was posted in southern India from 1781 to 1785 serving under Colonel Pearce and Sir Eyre Coote.

Thomas Hardwicke saw action in the Relief of Vellore, the Siege of Cuddalore and in the Rohilla Campaign.

Thomas Hardwicke resigned from the command of the Bengal Artillery in 1823 to return to England and died at The Lodge, Lambeth, on 3 March 1835.

Thomas Hardwicke started collecting zoological specimens in these travels and amassed a large collection of paintings of animals which he got local artists to make.

The Indian artists employed by Thomas Hardwicke are unknown, except for one Goordial, but they were trained and their style was adapted to the demands of technical illustration using watercolours.

Thomas Hardwicke was in contact with Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society, and Hardwicke himself became a fellow of the Royal Society in 1813.

Thomas Hardwicke collected botanical drawings and 16 volumes of illustrations of Plants of India and about 136 drawings of fungi are in the British Library in London.

Thomas Hardwicke was elected Fellow of the Royal Society on 8 April 1813 and Fellow of the Linnean Society on 20 March 1804.

Thomas Hardwicke held positions of vice-president to the Asiatic Society of Bengal and was an honorary member of the Royal Dublin Society.

Thomas Hardwicke was not married but had three illegitimate daughters and two sons apart from two daughters born to an Indian mistress.