John, Lord Elphinstone

Born: Jun 23, 1807
Died: Jul 19, 1860

John was the 13th Lord Elphinstone, heir to an earldom that was created in 1510. He was twice elected to the parliament as a Scottish Representative peer, serving once from Jan 14, 1833 to Dec 29, 1834, and then again from Sep 8, 1847 to Apr 23, 1859. His political career also included the governorships of Madras and of Bombay.

The last Governor of Bombay while the city was still under the East India Company, Lord Elphinstone served in this position from 1853 to 1860. He began the demolition of the walls of the fort, a process that was only completed by his successor, Sir Bartle Frere. He was also responsible for the start of the Vihar water works in January 1856.