Robert Atherton CCS, JP (1801 – 1855) was a 19th-century British colonial official in British Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), where he served for more than 25 years. After a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, during which he was awarded the Burma Medal, he held a series of administrative and judicial posts in the Northern Province of Ceylon from 1825 to 1835. He was appointed Assistant Government Agent (A.G.A.) of the Eastern Province in 1835, 1839, and 1845, and of the Northern Province in 1836. He also served as District Judge of Batticaloa in 1841 and as Justice of the Peace (JP) for the Eastern Province from 1848 until his death in 1855. In addition to his official career, Atherton was also an author, best known for his 1835 legal publication Thasawalamy: Or, The Laws and Customs of the Malabars of Jaffna.
Early life Robert Atherton was born on 8 December 1801 at Walton on the Hill, Liverpool, the fourth son of Colonel John Joseph Atherton (1761–1809) of the Second Lancashire Regiment of Fencible Light Dragoons. His father was associated with Walton Hall, Liverpool, and Street Court, Kingsland, Herefordshire.
His mother was Marianne Mitford (1777-1856), the eldest daughter of Bertram Mitford (1748-1800) of Mitford Old Manor House.
Atherton was christened in Walton on the Hill, Liverpool a year after his birth on 17 December 1802. His ancient paternal family home, Walton Hall, Liverpool was sold two years later after multiple generations of occupancy. Street Court, a manor in Kingsland, Herefordshire became his new home in a rural setting. Shortly before his eighth birthday, his military father died.
Aspects of Atherton’s schooling and early life in England prior to his naval service remain obscure. Following the death of his father in 1809, he grew up with his widowed mother at Street Court, Herefordshire. A contemporary critic later noted he “was brought up to the profession of a seaman,” suggesting his education was oriented toward naval rather than academic life.
His youngest brother, George Nugent Atherton, drowned on 15 February 1827 after the ice broke beneath him whilst he was skating on the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens, London.
When coming of age, Atherton did not purchase his commission as an officer in his father's regiment, instead he joined the Royal Navy, in the footsteps of his elder brother, Bertram Mitford Atherton (1800-1858).
Naval career Atherton served for two years under Captain Frederick Marryat on board the HMS Larne (1814), a 20-gun sixth rate small warship in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1825). As the acting purser onboard, he was the officer responsible for all administrative duties, including managing ship’s supplies, such as food and drink, clothing, bedding and candles. Pursers at the time received no fixed salary but were entitled to profits generated through their business activities.
March to December 1824 During March, Governor-General Amherst had declared war on Burma. The Royal Navy captured Rangoon (present day Yangon) and with 4,000 men defended it against General Maha Bandula’s army of 60,000. A recipient of the Burma Medal, Atherton was honourably mentioned for bravery in Captain Frederick Marryat's despatches at the time.
On the 2 April 1824, the British expedition under the command of Sir Archibald Campbell, proceeded against Rangoon, home of the Konbaung dynasty, with HMS Larne, the fleet of transports (for land forces), and East India Company cruisers assembling at Port Cornwallis, in the Andaman Islands.
On 11 May 1824, HMS Larne proceeded up the Irrawaddy River and having silenced an artillery battery, landed the troops who occupied Rangoon before proceeding further up river, with many of the crew falling ill with cholera and other diseases.
On the 11 July 1824, Captain Frederick Marryat reported to Commodore Charles Grant as follows:
Commodore Charles Grant fell mortally ill and departed for the Straits Settlements (then controlled by the East India Company), and died on 25 July 1824. In an official letter, addressed to Commodore Grant, of whose death he was then uninformed, Captain Frederick Marryat says:
January to December 1825 At the beginning of January, under the command of Sir Archibald Campbell, and Captain Henry Ducie Chads, Atherton was involved with the preparations for the advance on Ava (present day Inwa), located in Mandalay Region, Burma, involving the joint crews of the HMS Arachne, HMS Larne, and HMS Sophie, which included a detachment of 237 men. On 11 January 1825, the troops, under Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Goodall Elrington (1776—1845), of the 47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot, embarked on board two divisions of gunboats, commanded by Captain G. T. Finnucane, of the 14th regiment, and Lieutenant Joseph H. Rouband, of the Bombay Marine, with the objective of driving the enemy from the old Portuguese fort and the pagoda of Syriam (present day Thanlyin).
The detachment including Atherton landed under the fort of Syriam, and found the bridge across the nullah removed: to make another, with planks sent for the occasion, provided the Royal Navy an opportunity of displaying their usual activity, skill, and steady courage. On this point the enemy kept up a heavy and well-directed fire, by which nearly 30 men were killed and wounded, including among the latter Atherton, and five sailors. In a few minutes, however, the bridge was laid, by the blue jackets swimming across with the planks; two of the gun-boats were also brought up the creek. On the soldiers gaining the opposite bank, and rushing upon the works, the enemy instantly fled, although the place was as strong as considerable art and indefatigable labour could render it, and was capable of making a most formidable resistance.
During the attack of the Syriam pagoda the next morning, “the sailors assisted in manning the scaling ladders, and Lieutenant Keele was the first person over” the stockade at the foot of the edifice: here ended the military operations, for the enemy made no further resistance, and parties were immediately formed to bum and destroy the works. Lieutenant Keele reported in the highest terms the steady bravery and good conduct of Lieutenants Thomas Fraser and Bazely; Messrs. Lett, Coyde, Michell, Cranley, and Scott, midshipmen; Atherton, and of every man attached to the flotilla. One occurrence we feel it but justice to name, as shewing a truly British spirit. A soldier, in crossing the bridge, fell overboard and would have been drowned, but for the gallantry and humanity of Mr. Scott, who instantly jumped after him, under the enemy’s heavy fire, and was himself exhausted when brought on shore.
On the 26 March, Atherton’s ship, HMS Larne weighed and dropped down to Naputtah, which had accepted British protection. On the 27 March, Captain Frederick Marryat received information, that the guns belonging to the deserted stockades were at the town of Thingang, situated up a branch of the river leading to Rangoon; that 150 Naputtah men were detained there, to be forwarded to Danubyu; and that the enemy’s force consisted of 800 men.
On the morning of the 28 March, Captain Frederick Marryat proceeded against Thingang, at the head of fifty seamen and marines, twelve sepoys, and fifty villagers whom he had prevailed upon to fight against the Burmese, and armed with swords and spears. At 3 p.m., while forming for the attack, a canoe came off, with intelligence that the enemy did not wish to fight, and would submit to his terms: these were, that all arms should be surrendered, the Naputtah men to be provided with canoes to return to their homes, and the Wongee of the town placed at his disposal. This personage being one of General Maha Bandula’s principal chiefs, who had commanded 1,000 men at the attack of Rangoon, and been invested with the gold chattah chief was brought away as a prisoner. On the night of the 30 March, the same force was sent, under Lieutenant Fraser, to surprise the village of Pumkayi, where the enemy were stated to be 300 strong, and commanded by another gold chattah chief. The attack was successful; the Burmese submitted to the same terms as at Thingang; and the Wongee, who had fled into the jungle, was followed and taken by the Naputtah men, who, in consequence of their former good conduct, were now entrusted with muskets. A party of 100 men, the only force that remained between Cape Negrais and Bassein, subsequently sent in their submission. Previous to their separation, Captain Frederick Marryat received Major Robert Sale’s “sincere thanks for his valuable and cordial cooperation.” The conduct of Lieutenant Fraser, Mr. Atherton, and Messrs. Dewes and Norcock, midshipmen, was reported to Captain Thomas Alexander in terms of high commendation.
On 3 June 1825, Atherton was slightly wounded during a successful attack on the stockades near the village of Kemmindine. This expedition resulted in the loss of the quartermaster, Peter Knox. Atherton is mentioned the despatches of Captain Coe, who transmitted a report of the attack from the recently promoted Captain George Frederick Ryves of HMS Sophie.
During December 1825, Atherton was honourably mentioned in both the despatches of Captain Thomas Alexander and Captain Henry Ducie Chads, who both served as commanders of HMS Alligator. Atherton was recognised for his valiant efforts in the 11–12 January naval expedition in cooperation with land forces under the command of Sir Archibald Campbell. Having been wounded twice during the 2 year campaign, and often sick, Atherton was discharged from further service, joining the Ceylon Civil Service. Mr Jones, the clerk on HMS Boadicea was appointed purser on HMS Larne, vice Atherton in December 1825.
Ceylon Civil Service
1825-1835
As a commissioned officer in the Ceylon Civil Service (C.C.S), he initially performed the duties of District officer, replacing E. Nolan, who retired. Atherton’s first C.C.S civil appointment was to be based at the north of the Island, as Superintendent of Stud, Sitting Magistrate, and Fiscal of Delft from 5 December 1825.
While holding the appointment of Superintendent of Delft Island, he married at Kayts, on 24 April 1826. During these early years on the island Atherton served in the Ceylon Rifles.
During 1828 Atherton was commissioner of Jaffnapatam. He went on to serve as the Assistant Collector of Customs, Jaffna from 1 January 1831. These roles ceased in 1833.
In 1833 the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission created the Legislative Council of Ceylon, the first step towards a representative government on the island. Initially it consisted of 16 members: the British Governor, the five appointed members of the Executive Council of Ceylon (the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney General, the Auditor-General, the Treasurer and the General Officer Commanding), four other government officials (including the Government Agents of the Western and Central provinces) and six appointed unofficial members (three Europeans, one Sinhalese, one Tamil and one Burgher). Atherton was one of the first Acting Government Agents (A.G.A.) to be appointed by the Governor.
1835-1845 Although Atherton was initially based in the Northern Province, from 1835 he performed the role of A.G.A. in the Eastern Province, relocating with his family to Batticaloa.
Atherton returned to the Northern Province the following year, before making Batticaloa his primary residence. He became the A.G.A Eastern Province from 1 November 1835, and the A.G.A for the Northern Province from 1 March 1836.
In February 1839, Atherton was appointed once again as the A.G.A Eastern Province.