Sir Alexander Gordon Cardew KCSI

Order of the Star of India

The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...

 (1861–1937) was an Indian civil servant of British origin who served as the acting Governor of Madras from 29 March 1919 to 10 April 1919.

Early life

Alexander Cardew was born in Bath, Somerset on 14 March 1861 the eldest son of the Reverend J.W. Cardew. He was educated at the Somersetshire College and The Queen's College, Oxford

The Queen's College, Oxford

The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...

 and entered the Indian Civil Service in 1881.

India

Cardew served as an Under-Secretary in the Government of Madras from 1885 to 1890. Between 1892 and 1899 he was Inspector-General of Prison. He also served as a member of the Madras Legislative Council

Madras Legislative Council

Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...

from 1906 to 1919 and in the Governor's Executive Council from 1914 to 1919.

As Governor of Madras

Cardew served as the Acting Governor of Madras from 29 March 1919 to 10 April 1919

Family life

Cardew married Evelyn Roberta Firth in 1886 and they had two sons and two daughters. On 12 January 1937 he collapsed and died in the street in Kensington, London from a heart attack, aged 75.