Thomas Cadell

Colonel Thomas Cadell (5 September 1835 – 6 April 1919) was an army officer who served in India. He served during the 1857 rebellion and was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross. He later served as a governor and chief commissioner in the Andaman Islands.

Biography Cadell was born in East Lothian at Cockenzie House to Hew Francis and Janet née Sydserff. An older brother, Robert Cadell (1825-1907), joined the Royal Artillery and another Francis gained fame as an explorer. Samuel Hill Lawrence was a cousin. Thomas studied at the Edinburgh Academy and received army commission in 1854 and was posted to the 2nd European Bengal Fusiliers (later The Royal Munster Fusiliers) just before the 1857 uprising.

Cadell was 21 years old and a lieutenant during the Indian Mutiny when he performed the deeds on 12 June 1857 at Delhi, India which resulted in being awarded the Victoria Cross:

leftCadell became a captain in 1866 and was promoted to Major in 1874. He was transferred to the Political Department and served in Central India and Rajputana. He later achieved the rank of colonel in the service of the Indian Staff Corps and held various political appointments in India. From 1879 to 1892, he was the Chief Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 1907 he was created Companion of the Bath.

Cadell died in Edinburgh, Scotland and is buried in the family vault in Tranent Parish Churchyard.

Family

He was married to Anna Catherine (d.1876), daughter of Patrick Dalmahoy WS (1798–1872) and Catherine Sawers. They had two sons and two daughters, one son Patrick Robert, became a chief secretary in the Bombay Presidency. The other son, Hew Francis joined the Lothians and Border Horse.

Legacy Cadell Bay in the South Andamans was named after him but the name is no longer in use. Cadell Road in Bombay (now Mumbai), was named not after him but his son, (later Sir) Patrick Robert Cadell. After the Indian Independence in 1947, it was renamed after Indian freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who was lodged at the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.