MACDONNELL, ANTONY PATRICK Indian and Irish administrator, was born in Co. Mayo on March 7, 1844, and educated at Athlone and at Queen's college, Galway. He entered the Indian Civil Service in 1864, and was sent to Bengal in 1865. His book, Food Grain Supply and Famine Relief in Bihar and Bengal, dealt with his experiences during the Bengal famine of 1873. He held successively the posts of secretary to the Bengal Government, home secretary, acting chief commis sioner of Burma, chief commissioner of the Central Provinces (189o), member of the Government of India, and lieutenant governor of the united provinces of Agra and Oudh. His particular interest was in the agrarian policy of India, and he was respon sible for many reforms in the legislation affecting native tenants and cultivators. His six years' administration of the Cen tral Provinces proved him to be a capable administrator, but his determined methods led to many misunderstandings with his subordinates. He experienced difficulties with the natives also on his introduction of Nagri (Hindi) script in place of Urdu in the courts, and Muslim political agitation has been traced to this cause. In 1897 MacDonnell personally organized the relief
measures during the serious famine, and in 1901, just before the end of his term of office, he was made president of the Famine commission, and drew up the report which has become a standard authority. In Jan. 1903 he became member of the Indian Council, and of the privy council.
MacDonnell was then made under-secretary for Ireland, but with special powers over administration. His tenure of office at first appeared successful, but Wyndham, the chief secretary, was forced to resign on the question of Lord Dunraven's Devolution Act, of which MacDonnell was one of the principal authors. MacDonnell remained in office until 1908, but his special powers were annulled. On his resignation he was raised to the peerage as Lord MacDonnell of Swinford. In the House of Lords he took an active part for many years in the discussion of Irish and Indian problems, and in Aug. 1920 he attended the Irish Peace Con ference in Dublin. He died on June 9, 1925, the peerage becoming extinct.