Sir Elijah Impey

Sir Elijah Impey (1732-1809) was a British judge in India, born at Hammersmith. He was educated at Cambridge, and called to the bar in 1756. He was sent out to Bengal as first Chief-Justice in 1774. He supported Warren Hastings's administration, and presided over the court which sentenced Nuncomar (Maharaja Nandkumar of Bhadrapur, now in Birbhum district of West Bengal) to death for forgery. Maharaja was accused of forging a bond in an attempt to deprive a widow of more than half her inheritance. In the quarrel over Hastings's alleged resignation he decided in favour of the governor. He was recalled and impeached for his conduct of the Nuncomar trial in 1783, but was honourably acquitted. After resigning in 1789, he sat in Parliament for New Romney till 1796.

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