Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Kaye, John William
KAYE, Sir JOHN WILLIAM (1814–1876), military historian, born in 1814, was second son of Charles Kaye of Acton in Middlesex, sometime solicitor to the Bank of England. He was educated at Eton and at the Royal Military College, Addiscombe, and in 1832 went out to India as a cadet in the Bengal artillery. He resigned his position in the army in 1841, and devoted himself to literature. Remaining in India, he started the ‘Calcutta Review’ in 1844, and published a novel entitled ‘Long Engagements,’ but about 1845 returned to England to adopt a professional literary career. In 1856 he entered the home civil service of the East India Company, and on the transfer of the government of India to the crown, he succeeded John Stuart Mill as secretary of the political and secret department of the India Office. For his services in this capacity he was appointed a knight commander of the Star of India on 20 May 1871. Failing health obliged him to retire into private life in 1874, and he died at his residence, Rose Hill, Forest Hill, on 24 July 1876. Kaye married in 1839 Mary Catherine (1813–1893), daughter of Thomas Puckle, chairman of quarter sessions for Surrey; she died 23 Dec. 1893. His country residence was Cliff House, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire.
Kaye was a voluminous writer, and a constant contributor to periodical literature. In 1851 he published his ‘History of the War in Afghanistan,’ in two vols.; subsequent editions in three vols. appeared in 1858 and 1874. In 1852 he edited Buckle's ‘Memoirs of the Services of the Bengal Artillery,’ and in 1853 Tucker's ‘Memorials of Indian Government.’ He published a history of the ‘Administration of the East India Company’ in 1853; ‘The Life and Correspondence of Charles, Lord Metcalfe,’ in two vols. 1854, a second edition, also in two vols., appearing in the same year; ‘The Life and Correspondence of Henry St. George Tucker’ in 1854; ‘Selections from the Papers of Baron Metcalfe’ in 1855; ‘Life and Correspondence of Sir John Malcolm’ in two vols. 1856; and ‘Christianity in India,’ 1859. In 1861 Kaye edited ‘The Autobiography of Miss Cornelia Knight.’
Kaye's best-known work, ‘The History of the Sepoy War in India, 1857–8,’ three vols., appeared between 1864 and 1876, and is ‘a well-ordered and comprehensive narrative.’ In the last volume he reflected on the conduct of the 52nd light infantry and the third column of assault at the siege of Delhi, and a controversy followed. Major J. A. Bayley's ‘Assault of Delhi,’ 1876, defended the regiment, and Henry Durand in 1876 vindicated his father's conduct in a pamphlet entitled ‘Central India in 1857.’ ‘The History of the Sepoy War’ was revised and continued by Colonel G. B. Malleson, and the whole work, with the title of ‘Kaye and Malleson's History of the Indian Mutiny,’ was completed in six vols. in 1890. In 1867 Kaye published his ‘Lives of Indian Officers’ in two vols., a second edition of which followed in 1889. This work appeared originally as a series of articles on ‘Indian Heroes’ in ‘Good Words’ for 1866. In 1867 Kaye supplied the letterpress to a series of illustrations from drawings by W. Simpson, entitled ‘India Ancient and Modern,’ and in 1868, in conjunction with J. F. Watson, he edited Taylor's ‘People of India.’ In 1870 he published ‘Essays of an Optimist,’ being a series of articles reprinted from the ‘Cornhill Magazine.’
[Brit. Mus. Cat.; obituary notices, Times, 27 July 1876; Athenæum, 29 July; Academy, 5 Aug.; Pioneer Mail, 9 Aug.]Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.170
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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