Residents of Hawke s Bay town named after unstable sociopath could ask for name change
17 Jan, 2021 12:06 AM
4 minutes to read
The town of Clive was named after controversial historic figure Robert Clive, he was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency . Photo / Warren Buckland
The town of Clive was named after controversial historic figure Robert Clive, he was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency . Photo / Warren Buckland
A Hawke s Bay historian has backed the notion that a town named after an unstable sociopath could revert to its original Māori name – but only if residents call for change.
An elite private school has renamed Clive of India house over the military leader s links to colonialism and Empire.
Robert Clive was a notoriously wealthy military leader in the 18th century and attended Merchant Taylor s School for Boys in Hertfordshire for one year before being expelled for fighting.
A low-born Clive went on to become a clerk for the East India Company before rising up to a high position within the British military, reported The Telegraph.
The school s headmaster Simon Everson wrote a letter to its old boys reading: Robert Clive has always been a controversial figure.
Robert Clive (pictured) was a notoriously wealthy military leader in the 18th century and attended Merchant Taylor s School for Boys in Hertfordshire for one year before being expelled for fighting