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RIND, James Nathaniel (1793-1840) — Calcutta
Lithographer. Superintendent of the Government Lithographic Press at Calcutta. Produced official maps, but also others in private partnership from 1825-1829 with George Wood, as the “Asiatic Lithographic Company”. For the work of the “Asiatic Lithographic Company”, see the entry for Wood. Also produced views, botanical and costume plates, grammars, works in Arabic, Persian, etc.
Born 16 Oct 1793 and baptised at Stirling 29 Oct 1793 — the son of Thomas Rind, a physician, and his wife Mary McNeille. He was appointed an Assistant Surgeon in the Bengal Medical Service 29 Nov 1814 and Surgeon 5 May 1826. In early 1821, he returned home for a period of rest and recuperation, his health and his hearing both in need of restoration. Before returning to India, a chance encounter in Edinburgh with Alexander Forrester (see BME 2011), with whom he had been at school, altered his subsequent career. He acquired a thorough knowledge of lithography under Forrester’s tutelage and returned to Calcutta in August 1822 with a lithographic press and all the requisite materials for its use. His proposal to establish an official press was presented to the East India Company in January 1823 and Rind became its superintendent, producing numerous maps as well as official forms, circulars, etc. Aside from his official work, Rind became a partner in the “Asiatic Lithographic Press”, run by his former assistant George Wood, in 1825. A dispute over the propriety of this double role, especially as the two presses appeared to share premises and materials, led to the dismissal of a number of workmen, including Thomas Black and George Henry Stapleton. Although Rind successfully maintained that the advantage of these arrangements accrued mainly to the government and he was acquitted of any misconduct, he was required to sever his connection with the private company. Papers relating to the dispute survive in the British Library. He married Mrs Marian Rose at St. John Calcutta 20 Dec 1827. Rind was invalided out of the service 13 Jun 1836 and died at sea 27 Apr 1840. Probate on his estate was granted 9 Oct 1840 — will in the National Archives. The “Asiatic Lithographic Press” was later taken over by Thomas Black. His wife Marian died in London in 1844.
Asiatic Lithographic Company’s Press, Park Street, Chowringhee — 1828
BLIO. BNA. NA. Graham Shaw, ‘Calcutta: birthplace of the Indian lithographed book’, in Francesca Orsini, ed., “The history of the book in South Asia” 2013.
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I am directly related to the Rind family of Stirling, including James Nathaniel Rind, of Lithographic Press, Calcutta, died at sea 1840.
Thank you very much for this. Do please let us know if you have anything of a biographical nature to add – to improve or correct our entry.
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Hello I have just come across this particular website and just to say that My mother was adopted by Walter Lockhart Rind and his wife and I have been busy researching the family history – there seem to be a lot of Rinds! I have managed to build up a file for most of the family and by joining Ancestry and have been hooked. I live in Devon and hoping to visit Brookwood Cemetery in Woking to locate Walter and Maria’s grave. Anna was my my maternal grandmother and both she and Maria came to the UK from the Seychelles. Walter’s wife was Maria. Best wishes
Please let me know the type of further info you might like.
Thank you. Anything at all that would improve or correct the biographical details, or provide additional interest. Dates for his parents. Dates for his wife. Details of education or training. All best, Laurence.