Name Michael Ferrar | Died 1931 | |
Lt. Col. Michael Lloyd Ferrar CSI CIE OBE (16 April 1876 – 25 February 1971) was a British commissioner of the Penal Settlement at Port Blair on Andaman Islands and Nicobar Islands.
Son of Michael Lloyd Ferrar who joined the Indian Civil Service in 1861 and arrived in India in 1863.
Born 1876, educated at St. Columba's College, Rugby and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
Ferrar, was a contemporary of Sir Winston Churchill at Sandhurst and joined the Indian Army at the age of 20 in 1896. Ferrar opted to move to the Civil Service and was inducted into the Punjab Commission. During the five years that he was in the army (where he served on the Tirah Campaign 1897-98), he studied Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Punjabi and Pashto. In recognition of his proficiency in these languages he was appointed an examiner in Urdu at Cambridge University from 1934-62.
Before becoming Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, from 1902-1906 he commanded the Baloch Levy, was postal censor Bombay 1915-18 and deputy commissioner Lahore 1919-23. He retired in 1931. He served as a Major in the Home Guard 1940-41.
A keen naturalist and student of the butterfly fauna. He collected over 4000 specimens which are now in the Natural History Museum at London. Was in touch with other lepidopterists such as Brigadier W. H. Evans. Ferrargunj is named after him.