Robert Torrens was born in Herveyhill, County Londonderry. He served in the Royal Marines in the Dutch campaign and as a colonel of a Spanish legion in the Peninsular War. He was member of parliament for Ashburton and Bolton and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He owned and edited The Globe and The Traveller and wrote many works on economics, among which are An Essay on the External Corn Trade and An Essay on the Production of Wealth. He was also the author of two novels, Celebia Choosing a Husband and The Victim of Intolerance,or the Hermit of Killarney: A Catholic Tale. He was appointed chairman of the crown commissioners to establish the colonisation of South Australia, and Lake Torrens and the River Torrens on which Adelaide stands are named after him. He died in London,

Born:	c.1780
Died:	27 May 1864