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John Hallet Batten. [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc., 1886, Vol XVIII, p. 57-58.

By Rev. W. Harpley

Prepared by Michael Steer

There is an extensive obituary to Mr Batten in Alumni Cantabrigienses, the comprehensive biographical list of all Cambridge University graduates. This article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

John Hallet Batten was the son of the Rev. Joseph Batten, a native of Penzance, and was closely related to the Batten family, whose name is so inseparably identified with the history and associations of that town. Born at Haileybury, Herts, where his father was principal of the East India College, on May 5th, 1811, he was educated first at Hanwell School, and then at Charterhouse. After a couple of years at Haileybury, he went to Trinity College, Cambridge. He entered the Bengal Civil Service in 1829, and resigned in March, 1866. Whilst in this Service, he was respectively assistant to Collector and Magistrate at Azimghur in 1833, and at Suharampoor in 1835; assistant to Commissioner of Kumaon in 1848; Judge of Cawnpoor, 1858; Officiating Commissioner of Kohilamb, 1859; Judge of Mynpoory, 1860; Commissioner of Agra, and Officiating Judge of Suddur, Dewanny, &c., 1863. Mr. Batten was elected M.R.A.S. in 1856, and F.R.G.s. in 1866; and was an Honorary Secretary of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall 1869-73.

On his return from India, Mr. Batten spent some months at Torquay, and then resided for a few years at Penzance, subsequently removing to Heavitree, Exeter. He joined the Association in 1873, was Vice-President in 1878, and was rarely absent from the annual meetings. His most important published work was the Official Report on the Province of Kumaon, published at Agra in 1851. Contributions from his pen have also appeared in various periodicals. He died at his residence at Manston Terrace, Exeter, July 14th, 1886.