ANDERSON, James. Edinburgh 1758 — Bath 3.10.1833. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer in India. Son of David Anderson (1707–1786, factor to the Earl of Wemyss) and Mary Mitchelson. Studied at Edinburgh. Came to India before 1782 as Lieutenant. In 1785 succeeded his brother David as the Resident with Sindhia, remained only one year there. Back in the U.K. he married 1800 Catherine Grant, one son and one daughter. His elder brother, David Anderson (1750–1825), also served in India until 1785 and collected 113 Persian manuscripts which he then donated to Edinburgh University (also James collected 54 Persian manuscripts which his nephew then donated to Edinburgh University). Both brothers were assistants to and friends of Warren Hastings.

Publications: “Extracts from the Toozuké Jehangery, or Memoirs of Jehangeer, written by himself, and containing a History of the Transactions of the First Thirteen Years of his Reign”, The Asiatic Miscellany 2, 1786, 71-86, 173-189 (with Persian text); “An Account of Malabar, and of the Rise and Progress of the Musulman Religion in that Country, from Ferishtah’s General History of Hindoostan”, Ibid. 279-305 (with text).

Sources: Stray notes in A.M. Guenther, “Seeking Employment in the British Empire”, accessed in digital.library.mcgill.ca/fontanus/pdfs/Fontanus2010_Guenther_pp129-154.pdf (more on his brother), further details in landedfamilies.blogspot.com/2014/08/134-anderson-of-st-germans-and.html and in docs.is.ed.ac.uk.