CLEGHORN, Hugh. Fife 1751/52 — ?.2.1836. British (Scottish) Civil Servant in Sri Lanka. High School in Edinburgh 1762-63. In 1773-93 Professor of Civil and Natural History at St.Andrews University, in 1788-90 interrupted by a long tour around Central Europe. In 1795 went to India and Ceylon with comte de Meuron. He achieved that de Meuron’s regiment transferred its allegiance from the Dutch to the British in 1796 and thus began the British rule in Ceylon (Colombo). In 1798 Cleghorn was appointed Colonial Secretary of Ceylon, but he did not get on with Governor Frederick North, resigned in 1800 and returned to Scotland. Married Rachel, at least three sons and one daughter.
Publications: The Cleghorn papers, a footnote to history; being the diary, 1795-1796, of Hugh Cleghorn of Stravithie … first colonial secretary of Ceylon, 1798-1800. Edited by William Neil. 10+294 p. L. 1927.
Sources: J.R. Toussaint, Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon 23, 1934, 114f.; Wikipedia.
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