Captain Turner Macan (1792-1836) of Carriff, Co. Armagh, was Persian Interpreter to the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in India. His edition of the Shahnameh was the first ever printed in Europe. The text was prepared from seventeen complete manuscripts and four fragments, most of which were written in Persia, lent to Macan by various British army officers and civil servants as well as local nawabs. One of these mauscripts (Rylands Persian MS 932, University of Machester) was presented to the translator by Nasir-ud-Din Haidar, the King of Oudh.
Richard Macan was with Turner Macan when he died in Calcutta in 1836 and took charge of his affairs.
The main item in these papers is the Letter Book, complied by Richard Macan concerned with the sale of the estate of the late Major Turner Macan. There is also a note written by Richard Macan and some modern research notes on the Letter Book and Turner Macan's biography.
The Papers were catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2019.
The Letter Book was compiled by Richard Macan to document his dealings with the estate of Turner Macan to be presented to the executors of Turner Macan's estate, Major Thomas Macan and Mr Graham Johnston.
It is unknown how this material came into the possession of the Society.
Within our Library Collections we have copies of Turner Macan's translations of the Shah nameh and the The Alif laila or Book of the thousand nights and one night. We also have Macan's Kitāb-i Shāhnāmah (كتاب شاهنامه) / taṣnīf-i Abū al-Qāsim Ṭūsī mutakhalliṣ bi-Firdawsī kih bi-saʿy va ihtimām-i Tirnir Makān, and a biography of Macan written by Keith Haines. Further details can be found on our
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"Letter Book connected with the Estate of the late Major Turner Macan". Handwritten and handbound notebook containing the copies of the letters which Richard Macan had written in sorting the Estate of Turner Macan. The front cover bears the title and the "Memorandum. This has been read by Mrs Harriet Macan and Mr William Whitbread and it is then to be sent to Major Thomas Macan and Mr Graham Johnston [ ]. R Macan" and "Seen by Major Macan & Graham Johnston - August Green Mount". It is dated 1 August 1838. Inside the book are letters dealing with matters such as the sale of Macan's possessions at auction, sale of his books, the investment of the proceeds and payment for the grave.
Note from Richard Macan to state tha,t "This letter Book is for the perusal of Graham Johnston Esq. and Major Thomas Macan two of the Executors to the Will of the late Turner Macan. R Macan. Liverpool. 1 August 1838".
Two sheets of research notes in a modern hand and written in biro. The first bears notes on the Letter Book, giving page numbers of some of the salient details. The second has some biographical notes for Turner Macan. The author of these, and when they were written, is unknown.