Sir W. H. (William Henry) Sleeman

Born in Stratton, Cornwall, in 1788, William Henry Sleeman joined the Bengal Army in 1809 and spent most of his career in India under the East India Company. He served in the Nepal War and later moved into administrative and political work, building a reputation as an energetic field officer and investigator.

He became widely known in the 1830s for leading campaigns against groups the British described as "Thuggee," and he later published books including Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official and Rámáseána. Modern accounts often note that his fame is closely tied to the colonial system he served, so his legacy is usually discussed as both influential and contested.

Sleeman went on to hold senior posts, including Resident at Lucknow in the kingdom of Awadh. He left India in failing health and died at sea in 1856 during the voyage home. Another curious footnote to his life is that he is credited with discovering the fossil later identified as Titanosaurus indicus near Jabalpur in 1828.