JEEJEEBHOY, SIR JAMSETJEE, Bart. IncLan Tier:nail: an born in Bombay. of Parsee parents_ and was left an Ln early life. He made his way in life by .715 own unaided ability. Before he was twenty he under took a voyage to China : and he subseqaently initiated matic trade with that country. His second return voyage from China was made in one of he East India Company's _fee:. which. under the command of Sir Nathaniel Dance. defeated he French squadron under Admiral Linois (Feb. 15. 1804). On his fourth return_ voyage from China. the Indianian in which he sailez: forced to surrender to :he French, by who he was carried as. a prisoner to the Cape of Good Hope. then a neutral Dutch possession: eventually he made his way back to Calcutta in a Danish ship. A voyage to China was more successful. He had fairly established his reputation as a merchant. and settled down in Bombay where he extended his operations on a area: scale. By 1S36 he had amassed what a: that period was regarded as fabulous wealth.
Jarnsetiee Jeejeebboy then began that career of private and public philanthropy which is his chef title to fame. Hospitals.
schools. homes of charity, pension funds were founded or en dowed by while numerous public works in the shape of wells. reservoirs. bridges. causeways and the like. not only in Bombay. but in other parts of India, were the creation of his bounty. The total of his known benefactions amounted at the time of his death. which took place in 1559. to over i:sci.cod. A: that time the various communities of India were much more isolated in their habits and their sympathies than they are now. Jams.e:jee Jeejeebhoy's unsectarian philanthropy awakened a common under standing and created a bond between them which had a national and political significance. His services were recognized ":"."..-St in 1842 by the bestowal of a knighthood. and in 1358 by that of a baronetcy. These were the first distinctions of their kind con ferred by Queen Victoria upon a British subject in India.