Donald James Mackay

President of BNHS 1886–1890 

Donald James Mackay, 1st Baron Reay and 11th Lord Reay (December 22, 1839 – August 01, 1921) was the first President of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) from 1886 to 1890, while in office as the Governor of Bombay. As many of you know, BNHS was founded in 1883 by a group of eight individuals with the objective of disseminating biological knowledge.

 Born as Donald Jacob, Baron Mackay in The Hague, he uniquely held the Dutch titles of Lord of Ophemert and Zennewijnen due to his birthplace and inheritance. His father, Aeneas Mackay, the 10th Lord Reay, was also a Dutch Member of Parliament.

 Lord Reay succeeded his father in 1876 and was naturalized as a British subject in 1877. Prime Minister William Gladstone appointed him Governor of Bombay in 1885, a position he held until 1890. As Governor, he personally oversaw the political, military, ecclesiastical, and public works departments, and in his final year at office, took charge of public instruction, encouraging the development of teaching across various disciplines. He also paid much attention to the development of the railway system.

 In recognition of his service, he was appointed a Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) in 1887 and a Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India (GCSI) in 1890. Upon returning to Britain, he served as Under-Secretary of State for India from 1894 to 1895.

 Abridged from various public sources

 

– Dr Bharat Bhushan

Honorary Secretary, BNHS