James Rattray

James Rattray (1818 – 24 October 1854) was a soldier and artist, born in Daventry, Northamptonshire, England, who died at Dorundah, in the Ranchi Division, Nagpore, India. At the time of making his notable sketches he was a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Grenadiers, Bengal Army, serving in Afghanistan. Early life In Great Britain. His parents were Charles Rattray M.D. (1779–1835), a physician of Northamptonshire, and Mariane Freeman (1788–1866). Education He had a good command of Persian and could speak directly with the local people. Career Rattray began his career as a soldier. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 5 Dec 1838, the date he sailed out of Gravesend on the Severn, a West Indiaman bound for India. This ship was abandoned at sea (mid Atlantic) later that same year on 29 December 1838, with 16 ft. of water in her hold on a voyage from Miramichi in Canada for Bristol.