William Marsden (16 November 1754 – 6 October 1836) was an Irish orientalist, numismatist, and linguist who served as Second, then First Secretary to the Admiralty during years of conflict with France.
His translation of the Travels of Marco Polo (later revised by Manuel Komroff and others) remained a standard version well into the 20th century.
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Early life
Marsden was born on 16 November 1754 at Verval in County Wicklow to John Marsden (1715–1801), a shipping merchant and banker, and Eleanor Marsden Bagnall (née Bagnall; died 1804). The tenth of sixteen siblings, Marsden was the brother of the barrister Alexander Marsden (1761–1834).
Marsden received a classical education in Dublin, with the intention of studying at Trinity College Dublin for a career in the church.
Career
In 1770, Marsden's elder brother John, a writer in East India Company service at Fort Marlborough, Bengkulu, wrote home to suggest that William should be sent to join him in Sumatra. After successfully petitioning for a Fort Marlborough writership, Marsden left Dublin on 9 December 1770. Arriving at Sumatra on 30 May 1771, Marsden was appointed a position within the secretary's office and was later appointed sub-secretary in November 1773. Marsden assumed the responsibilities of secretary to the company's government in Sumatra in January 1794, and was formally appointed secretary in October 1776.