Philip Melvill

Philip Melvill (7 April 1762 – 27 October 1811) was a nineteenth-century philanthropist of Falmouth, Cornwall. He was born in 1762 in Dunbar, in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland. Military service He served in India, as a lieutenant in the 73rd regiment in the war against Hyder Ali's forces. In 1780, he was wounded and captured. He was held prisoner for four years under bad conditions. On his release, he was promoted to captain. However, he was still very ill and stayed with his brother in Bengal until 1786, when he was much recovered. On his return to England in 1797, he was appointed the commander of an invalid company based on Guernsey, where he married Miss Elizabeth Dobree. He set up a school for the children of soldiers in his command.