author
Charles Marjoribanks
1794–1833
A Scottish merchant, politician, and East India Company figure, he is best remembered today for a rare early work written to explain Britain to Chinese readers. His short life linked Parliament, global trade, and cross-cultural writing at a remarkable moment in the 1830s.
1 Audiobook
Brief Account of the English Character
by Charles Marjoribanks
About the author
Born in 1794, he was the son of Sir John Marjoribanks, 1st Baronet, and came from a prominent Scottish family. As a young man he worked for the East India Company in Macao, later becoming involved in the company's leadership and in British public life.
In 1832 he was elected Liberal MP for Berwickshire, but his parliamentary career was brief: he died on December 3, 1833. Even so, his career reflects the close ties between commerce and politics in early nineteenth-century Britain.
For audiobook listeners, the most interesting part of his legacy is Brief Account of the English Character. The work was drafted to introduce English customs and character to Chinese readers, giving it a distinctive place among early nineteenth-century cross-cultural writings.