A. R. Knapp

2021-07-25T06:34:59Z

2409:4073:4E8B:9945:B8B1:5A3F:AD4A:D44B: /* Career */Added details of service in Malabar

{{Short description|British civil servant}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
'''Sir Arthur Rowland Knapp''' <small>[[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] [[Order of the Star of India|CSI]] [[Order of the Indian Empire|KCIE]]</small> (10 December 1870 – 22 May 1954) was a British civil servant who served as the Revenue Member of the Executive Council of the [[Governor of Madras]] from 1923 to 1926.

== Early life ==

Arthur Knapp was born at [[Woolston, Southampton|Woolston]] in 1870 to Lt Col. Charles Barrett Knapp. He was educated at [[Westminster School]] and [[Christ Church, Oxford]]. He married Florence Annie Moore on 9 August 1899 at Madras, India.<ref name="peerage_florence">url=http://www.thepeerage.com/p43991.htm#c439909.1|</ref>
His wife Florence was the daughter of Edward Moore, DD Principal of St Edmunds Hall Oxford.<ref name="peerage_florence"/>

His daughter Margaret Elfreda Knapp was married to the prominent [[Royal Navy]] officer and Director of [[Naval Intelligence Division (United Kingdom)|Naval Intelligence]] [[Sir Anthony Buzzard, 2nd Baronet|Anthony Buzzard]], and the theologian [[Sir Anthony Buzzard, 3rd Baronet|Anthony F. Buzzard]] is his grandson.<ref name="arthur_knapp">url=http://www.thepeerage.com/p19717.htm#i197164|</ref>

== Career ==

A Knapp joined the [[Indian civil service]] in 1891 and served as Assistant Collector and magistrate, [[Malabar district]], [[Madras Presidency|Madras]]. In 1899, he was appointed Under-secretary in the Board of Revenue rising to become Secretary.His inexperience and lack of understanding about the nuances of local culture led to a lot of his administrative reforms being ineffective and unpopular.It is believed that even after he was long gone from Malabar, Sir Knapp’s name became synonymous with incompetence; eventually being assimilated into Malayalam as Knappan.
Knapp was made a [[Order of the British Empire|Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] in 1919,<ref name="londongazette_19190603">{{cite news|title=Supplement|page=7051|work=[[London Gazette]]|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31379/supplements/7051/page.pdf|date=3 June 1919}}</ref> invested as a [[Order of the Star of India|Companion, Order of the Star of India (C.S.I.)]]<ref>Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003 volume 1, page 628</ref> in 1922 and [[Order of the Indian Empire|Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]] in the 1924 New Year Honours list.<ref name="londongazette_19240101">{{cite news|title=Supplement|work=London Gazette|date=1 January 1924|url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/32893/supplements/5/page.pdf|page=5}}</ref>

== Legislative Council ==

In 1923, Knapp was nominated to the [[Madras Legislative Council]] and served from 1923 to 1926.

== Death ==

Knapp died on 22 May 1954 at the age of 83.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

* {{cite web|title=Sir Arthur Rowland Knapp|work=Burke's Peerage|publisher=Daryll Lundy|url=http://www.thepeerage.com/p19717.htm#i197163}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knapp, A. R.}}
[[Category:1870 births]]
[[Category:1954 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Madras Presidency]]
[[Category:Indian Civil Service (British India) officers]]

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A. R. Knapp