PATEL, FRAMJEE NASARWANJEE Parsee merchant and philanthropist, was born in 1804, and re ceived a vernacular education, with a little English in Bombay. In 1819 he entered upon a business career, and in 1827 became a partner in the firm of Frith, Bomanjee & Co. Banking facil ities being then exceedingly scanty, such Parsees as had any capital at command acted as bankers and brokers to the rising English firms. Patel raised the status of his compatriots to the higher level of independent merchants, and he founded in 1844 a busi ness house under the name of Wallace & Co., from which he retired in 1848 to found in 1849 Framjee, Sands & Co.
Patel's most remarkable public service was performed in con nection with the Parsee Law Association, of which he was presi dent. The domestic affairs of the Parsees having fallen into confusion since their exodus from Persia, the adjudication of disputes relating to matrimonial obligations and the rights of succession in cases of intestacy, was left to the elders of the community who lacked both knowledge and principles on which to base their judgment, and the authority to enforce their de cisions. The case of Ardesir Cursetjee v. Peeroxebai, which came up on appeal before the privy council in England, brought to light the fact that the supreme court of Bombay had no jurisdiction over matrimonial and ecclesiastical disputes among Parsees. This
state of lawlessness being recognized as intolerable, agitation ensued which led to the appointment of a commission, of which Sir Joseph Arnould was the president and Framjee Patel the chief Parsee member. The Parsee Law Association, under the guidance of Patel and Sorabjee Bengallee, rendered invaluable help to the commission, and their joint efforts resulted in the passing by the government of India of the Parsee Marriage and Divorce Act and the Parsee Intestate Succession Act (15 and 21 of 1865). These acts form the charter of matrimonial and eccle siastical status for the Parsees.
At the time of his death in 1894, Framjee Patel was the most revered and best beloved of the distinguished natives of India, having during an eventful public life extending over sixty years worked in co-operation with three generations of the most promi nent of his compatriots to better the condition of their country. His family surname refers to the title of pate/, that is, "mayor," of Bombay, conferred on its founder for services rendered to the English in 1692. (M. M. BH.; X.)