Indigo in the Azamgarh District. 119 



notice of the magistrate. The prohibitory rule under 

 which Mr. Crommelin had been opposed, did not 

 apply to persons born in India, and soon after the 

 establishment of his concern, others were set agoing 

 in various places. In 1808, Mr. D. O. Ferguson, act- 

 ing on behalf of a Major Stevenson, erected a factory 

 at Nizamabad, and another, now fallen completely to 

 ruin, was established at Imilia, which, though pro- 

 fessedly the property of a native, was, in 1811, man- 

 aged by a European named O'Dell. As time went 

 on, more factories were erected at various places. 

 In 1812, Mr. Ferguson's factories passed into the 

 hands of Mr. J. Sturmes. This gentleman carried on 

 the concern vigorously, and added to it another 

 branch factory. He also engaged with sugar and 

 cloth trades, and, by mortgage, purchase, and farm, 

 held possession of a number of landed estates. After 

 his death in 1821, his indigo concern and estates were 

 managed for a number of years by his executors. 

 In 1829, the indigo concern and part of the estates were 

 sold the former being purchased by Mr. H. E. Hun- 

 ter. Meanwhile Mr. Crommelin's factory had changed 

 hands ; some being held by persons resident in the 

 district, others by persons resident in Calcutta or 

 elsewhere, who managed them through agents. For 

 several years after 1829, Mr. Hunter, who, in addition 

 to the Nizamabad concern, had taken over some of the 



