▶Date of birth: 6 May 1840    Place of birth: Pendleton, near Manchester

▶Father: Robert Brandt     Mother: Margaret Sarah Dobson

▶Spouse(s): Lucy Sophia Dobson    Date(s) of marriage:  24 January 1871    Place(s) of marriage: All Saints Church, Cheltenham

▶Occupation: Madras Civil Service

▶Lifestory: Gloucestershire Echo 17 July 1925: Death of Mr. Brandt. Scholar, Sportsman, and Judge. Former Captain of the Oxford XI.

A very fine old English gentleman and a notable member of the community of Anglo-Indians in Cheltenham, Mr. Francis Brandt. 1.C.S., of 13 Lypiatt-terrace, and long of Kirkella, Pittville Circus-road, passed away on Friday morning at the great age of 85 years.

Mr. Brandt, who at the time he retired from the Indian Civil Service was Judge of the High Court of Madras, had a distinguished scholastic, sporting, and professional career. The fourth son of the late Robt. Brandt, barrister-at-law, of Pendleton (Lancs.), who was County Court Judge of Manchester, he was born on May 6, 1840. He was educated at Cheltenham College, which he entered in 1849, and where he was a member of the cricket XI in 1856-57-58. He won the Silver (Classical Medal) and a scholarship at Brasenose College. Oxford, in the latter year, and at the University in 1860 was first-class in Classical Moderations. He was in the varsity cricket teams of 1859-60-61, and was captain of the team of 1861.

Having taken his B-A. and M A. degrees, Mr. Brandt entered the Indian Civil Service, Madras, where a distinguished career awaited him. He was Assistant to the Collector and Magistrate the Kistua District, 1862-66; District and Sessions Judge, Trichinopoly, 1878-83; Collector and Magistrate, and additional Sessions Judge at Nilgiris, 1883-84; and Judge of the High Court of Judicature, Madras, 1884-88. He retired in the latter year, and returned England, and from 1892-95 he held at Cambridge University the position of a professor of Oriental languages, on which subject his long residence in India and his keen interest had made him an authority.

Mr Brandt’s connection with Cheltenham was three-fold, for not only was he educated here, but he married a daughter of the Principal of the College of his years there (Rev. W. Dobson), his wife being Miss Lucy Sophia Dobson, and in 1896 he was appointed a member of the Council of his old school.

In the Great War Mr. Brandt sustained a great loss by the death of his heroic son, Captain F. Brandt, the sinking of whose ship, the ill-fated Monmouth, by the Germans off Coronel, was one of early tragedies of the war. This took place on November 1st, 1914, and we well recall with what fortitude the father, then 74 years of age, bore his loss, the circumstances of which were the more painful on account of the contradictory reports concerning the naval disaster in which the Monmouth went down. Early in the war he was one of those who spoke at local recruiting meetings, and one of his own sons was amongst the number of those who in those early days of the war joined up for the great adventure.

For long a magistrate and sitting very frequently on the Cheltenham Bench, he was one of those before whom the first batch of local Passive Registers appeared on September 14, 1903. In 1905 he was elected by Quarter Sessions on the Committee under the Licensing Act, 1904, and served till 1908, when he resigned.

Throughout life Mr, Brandt was distinguished by his good looks and fine stature, and even in great old age retained these qualities in a very exceptional degree. With them were coupled a charming urbanity and old-world courtesy and kindness of heart which made him much loved by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. Politically he was a strong Conservative; and was the first president of the Cheltenham branch of the Tariff Reform League. A man of a very benevolent disposition, he was connected with the managing bodies of various local charitable institutions.

The only surviving son is Mr. Cecil Brandt, solicitor, of Calcutta, and there are two daughters, Mrs. Shaw and Collins (wife of Dr. J. R. Collins, of Cheltenham).

▶Moved to Pittville from:      Moved from Pittville to: 13 Lypiatt Terrace, Cheltenham

▶Date of death: 17 July 1925 Place of death: 13 Lypiatt Terrace, Cheltenham

▶Date of burial: His remains were cremated in Birmingham on Monday 25 July 1925. At the same time a memorial service was held in the Chapel at Cheltenham College.     Place of burial: His cremated remains were laid to rest in Cheltenham Cemetery on Tuesday 26 July 1925

▶Notes:   ID: 10563

Contributor(s): David Drinkwater