In 1824 the governor of the important southern Siamese
city of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, and of the large
region which fell under Nakhon's jurisdiction, was
chao phraya Nakhon (Noi). He
ruled the city from 1811–39 and was a man of
extraordinary character, a vigorous and determined
ruler who was reputed to be the son of a former king
of Siam, Taksin. This attribution of royal birth was
current in his own lifetime, and was recorded by
Henry Burney in 1826, and by Lieutenant James Low a
little later (Munro-Hay, in press). At that time the
British, at war with Burma, Siam's western
neighbour, were concerned by developments relating
to the Rangoon expedition, and it was determined to
send an envoy from the Government of India on a
mission to the Siamese governor to discuss
outstanding problems and possible co-operation.