James Lewis Farley (9 September 1823 – 12 November 1885), was an Irish banker, diplomat and writer on Eastern affairs.

Early life

Farley was the only son of Thomas Farley of Meiltran,

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is based on the hi ...

, was born at

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

on 9 September 1823. He was destined for the legal profession, and studied at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

. His attention, however, was early directed to Turkey and the East.

Banking career

After the conclusion of the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

and the signing of the peace of Paris in 1856, the

Ottoman Bank The Ottoman Bank (), known from 1863 to 1925 as the Imperial Ottoman Bank (, ) and correspondingly referred to by its French acronym BIO, was a bank that played a major role in the financial history of the Ottoman Empire. By the early 20th cent ...

was formed through the efforts of English capitalists. Farley accepted the post of chief accountant of the branch at

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

, which he assisted in successfully establishing. In 1860 Farley was appointed accountant-general of the state bank of Turkey at

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

, which subsequently became merged in the

Imperial Ottoman Bank The Ottoman Bank (), known from 1863 to 1925 as the Imperial Ottoman Bank (, ) and correspondingly referred to by its French acronym BIO, was a bank that played a major role in the financial history of the Ottoman Empire. By the early 20th cent ...

. From this time forward he was a close student of the Turkish empire, and gained a wide knowledge of its people and rulers, as well as of its trade and financial condition.

Writing

In 1858 he published a work on 'The Massacres in Syria,’ warmly defending the cause of the Christians. Farley wrote in 1861 an account of 'The Druses and the Maronites.' The following year he issued his work on 'The Resources of Turkey,’ which dealt especially with the question of the profitable investment of capital in the Ottoman Empire. The writer showed that the extension of British trade throughout the Turkish empire was mainly due to the energy and perseverance of the Greeks. 'Banking in Turkey' appeared in 1863, and 'Turkey; a Sketch of its Rise, Progress, and Present Position,’ in 1866. Farley issued a further work on 'Modern Turkey' in 1872, which was followed in 1875 by a brochure on 'The Decline of Turkey Financially and Politically,’ in which he warned Turkish bondholders of their impending dangers. Farley had been on intimate personal terms with Fuad and A'ali Pasha, but after their fall he severely condemned the misrule and oppression of their successors. In consequence of the breaking out of the Bulgarian massacres in 1876, Farley published his 'Turks and Christians: a Solution of the Eastern Question,’ which attracted much attention. The author suggested reforms which would combine administrative autonomy for the Christian populations with the maintenance of the authority of the sultan. Some of his suggestions were pressed upon the Porte by the great powers, and ultimately adopted. In 1878 Farley published a descriptive and historical work, entitled 'Egypt, Cyprus, and Asiatic Turkey.' On the formation of the new principality of

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

in 1880, he journeyed to

Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

in order to be present at the reception of the newly elected ruler, Prince Alexander I. On his return to England he published a monograph on the principality and its governor, under the title of 'New Bulgaria.'

Diplomatic career

Farley was in Egypt during the sultan's visit in 1863, and at Constantinople on the occasion of the royal and imperial visits to the Turkish capital in 1869. As some recognition of his literary services to the Ottoman Empire, he was appointed in March 1870 consul at Bristol for his imperial majesty the sultan, and this post he held until 1884. He wrote a series of 'Letters on Turkey' to a Bristol journal, and made considerable efforts to develop the trade between the port of Bristol and the Levant.

Personal

Farley was a fellow of the

Statistical Society of London The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) is an established statistical society. It has three main roles: a British learned society for statistics, a professional body for statisticians and a charity which promotes statistics for the public good. ...

, a corresponding member of the Institut Égyptien (founded by Napoleon I at Alexandria), and a privy councillor in the public works department of Bulgaria. His great knowledge of Bulgarian affairs caused him to be frequently referred to at the time the Bulgarian question agitated Europe. Farley died at Bayswater, London, on 12 November 1885.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Farley, James Lewis 1823 births 1885 deaths 19th-century Irish writers Diplomats from Dublin (city) Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Irish orientalists Irish bankers Diplomats of the Ottoman Empire 19th-century diplomats 19th-century Irish businesspeople Writers from Dublin (city)