author
John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune
1801–1851
A British lawyer and educator remembered for championing women's education in colonial India, he founded the Calcutta Female School in 1849. That school later became Bethune College, often described as the oldest women's college in Asia.
1 Audiobook
The Life of Galileo Galilei, with Illustrations of the Advancement of Experimental Philosophy Life of Kepler
by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune
About the author
Born in England in 1801, he studied at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, and was called to the bar in 1827. Before going to India, he built a career in public service and legal work in Britain.
After arriving in Calcutta as the law member of the Governor-General's Council in 1848, he became closely involved with education. He is best known for founding the Calcutta Female School in 1849, a landmark effort to expand formal education for girls at a time when that cause faced strong social resistance.
His name remains closely linked with Bethune College, which grew from that school and became one of the most important institutions for women's education in India. He died in Calcutta in 1851, but his legacy has lasted far beyond his short time there.