Michael Symes (diplomat)

Michael SymesFRS(1761–22 January 1809) was an Irish soldier, diplomat and politician.

Early life

He was the fifth son of Richard Symes ofBallyarthur,and Eleanor Cliffe ofRoss, County Wexford,and was educated atTrinity College Dublin.

Symes entered theEast India CompanyArmy in 1780, as a cadet in theBengal Army.On furlough in 1786 as a lieutenant, he re-enlisted in 1787.He went to India again in the following year, with the newly raised76th Regiment of Foot.He served as aide-de-camp toSir Thomas Musgrave, 7th BaronetatMadrasin 1791, became captain in 1793, and lieutenant-colonel in 1800.

Missions to Burma

Amarapura Palace1795, reception of the British embassy led by Michael Symes

In 1795 Symes was sent bySir John Shore,theGovernor-General of India,on a mission toBurma.He obtained from KingBodawpaya,then known to the British as King or Emperor of Ava, a royal order permitting a British agent to reside atRangoonto protect the interests of British subjects.Francis Buchanan-Hamiltonaccompanied him, as botanist.WhenHiram Coxwent as agent, however, he found the situation other than he had understood, and there were recriminations against Symes.

Symes was elected aFellow of the Royal Societyin 1800.In 1802, when his regiment was atKanpur,Symes was sent byRichard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesleyon a second mission to Ava. On this occasion it was to protest against the demand made by the Burmese governor ofArakanfor the surrender of fugitives, who had sought refuge in the British district ofChittagong.In the capital, he obtained a verbal assurance that the demand should be withdrawn. On the journey back toCalcutta,where he arrived in February 1803, he was affronted by the Burmese governor of Rangoon.

Later life

His regiment returned to England in 1806, and Symes was in poor health, but had a recommendation from Wellesley to the government. He was twice accommodated. First he had a seat atCarlowfrom the middle of 1806. The arrangement came to an end with the1806 general election.A seat in parliament was again found for him in January 1807, after he had unsuccessfully contestedSt Ives.He became Member of Parliament forHeytesbury.The occurrence of the1807 general electionin short succession cancelled this second arrangement, withSir William à Court, 1st Baronet.Symes stood forMorpeth,but dropped out of parliament.

Symes was sent in 1808 to Spain. He served duringSir John Moore'sretreat to Coruña,suffered from the hardships of the campaign, and died on the way home, on board the transportMary,on 22 January 1809. His body was taken from Portsmouth to Rochester, and buried in St. Margaret's Church on 3 February 1809.

Works

Symes wroteAn Account of an Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava sent by the Governal-General of India in 1795,London, 1800.

Family

When on leave in England Symes married, on 18 February 1801, Jemima, daughter of Paul Pilcher of Rochester. His widow marriedSir Joseph de Courcy Laffan, 1st Baronet,and died on 18 August 1835, aged 64.

Further reading

• D. G. E. Hall,Michael Symes: journal of his second embassy to the court of Ava in 1802,ed. (1955)

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Lee, Sidney,ed. (1898). "Symes, Michael".Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 55. London: Smith, Elder & Co.