[1] He began service in the East India Company in 1778 at the age of 16, before becoming First Assistant to the Collector of Murshidabad, Sir John D’Oyly.

On 12 March 1816[1][5] by the last advice from Batavia, John relieved a sickly Sir Stamford Raffles as Lieutenant-Governor of Java, an island which is now a part of the Republic of Indonesia.

Upon his arrival, Fendall was faced with significant administrative arrears and a treasury that was almost depleted, challenges he began to address immediately.

[6] Thomas Otho Travers, an aide-de-camp to Raffles, noted Fendall’s character, describing him as having ‘a mild, placid temper’.

[6] In the process of transferring Java back to Dutch control, Fendall faced diplomatic challenges, notably regarding the status of Banjarmasin in Borneo.

[7] Faced with the limitations of slow communication and the absence of situation-specific guidance from the British government,[7] Fendall endeavoured to buy time.

[7] Fendall leveraged historical records from Java, showing Marshal Herman Willem Daendels’ complete withdrawal from southern Borneo in 1809 and his relinquishment of Dutch claims there.

He identified that Banjarmasin was not included among the territories ceded to the British in 1811 by General Jan Willem Janssens, but was instead acquired following the Dutch desertion.

This stance, asserting the finality of Daendels’ actions and their recognition by the Sultan of Banjarmasin, significantly weakened the Dutch negotiating position.

Consequently, the Dutch Commissioners-General abandoned this argument, yet they persisted in their demand that Banjarmasin was returned to them without delay, in accordance with the 1814 treaty.

[1] Fendall returned to Calcutta in 1818 and took his seat on the Bench of the Sadr Diwani Adalat (the predecessor of the High Court), becoming Chief Judge in 1819.