Job Charnock
From LoveToKnow 1911
JOB CHARNOCK (d. 1693), went out to India in 1655 or 1656, apparently not in the East India Company's service, but soon joined it. He was stationed at Cossimbazar, and subsequently at Patna. In 1685 he became chief agent at Hugli. Being besieged there by the Mogul viceroy of Bengal, he put the company's goods and servants on board his light vessels and dropped down the river 27 m. to the village of Sutanati, a place well chosen for the purpose of defence, which occupied the site of what is now Calcutta. It was only, however, at the third attempt that Charnock finally settled down at this spot, and the selection of the future capital of India was entirely due to his stubborn resolution. He was a silent morose man, not popular among his contemporaries, but "always a faithfull Man to the Company." He is said to have married a Hindu widow.
It was believed that he was the founder of Calcutta or Kolkata, but in 2003 the Kolkata High Court in a landmark Judgement based upon the findings of an high level Expert Committee dismissed Charnock's name as the founder of the City and City's birthday on 24th of august 1690. The Court clearly stated that 'Job Charnock was not the founder of Calcutta/ Kolkata'
