Arthur Nonus Birch
Encyclopedia
Arthur Nonus Birch was Lieutenant
Governor of Ceylon
, Colonial Secretary
for Ceylon and acting Lieutenant Governor of Penang
and Province Wellesley (1871-1872).
The son of H.W.R. Birch, he joined the colonial service as clerk in the Office of the Secretary of State for the Colonies
in February 1855, served as Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton's assistant private secretary in 1858, and Chichester Fortescue's
private secretary from September 1859 to February 1864 when he accepted the post of colonial secretary of British Columbia
. He served in that capacity and for a time as administrator of the government until 1866 when he returned to England to resume his duties in the Colonial Office. He remained with the Colonial Office, serving as acting Lieutenant Governor of Penang
and Province Wellesley
, colonial secretary of Ceylon and Lieutenant Governor of Ceylon, until his retirement from the service in June 1878. After his resignation from the Colonial Office Birch joined the Bank of England where he remained until retirement in 1913.
near Lillooet, British Columbia
, Canada
, is named for him.
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
Governor of Ceylon
Governor of Ceylon
The British Governor of Ceylon was an official who ruled Ceylon during the British colonial period between 1798 and 1948....
, Colonial Secretary
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
for Ceylon and acting Lieutenant Governor of Penang
Governor of Penang
This is the list of people who have held the highest political office in Penang and its previous entities. Penang is a state in Malaysia.Until the 18th century, the island of Penang was part of the Sultanate of Kedah. In 1786, the island was leased by the Sultan of Kedah to an officer from the East...
and Province Wellesley (1871-1872).
The son of H.W.R. Birch, he joined the colonial service as clerk in the Office of the Secretary of State for the Colonies
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....
in February 1855, served as Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton's assistant private secretary in 1858, and Chichester Fortescue's
Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford
Chichester Samuel Parkinson-Fortescue, 2nd Baron Clermont and 1st Baron Carlingford KP, PC , known as Chichester Fortescue until 1863 and as Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue between 1863 and 1874, Lord Carlingford from 1874 to 1887 and Lord Clermont after 1887, was a British statesman and Liberal...
private secretary from September 1859 to February 1864 when he accepted the post of colonial secretary of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. He served in that capacity and for a time as administrator of the government until 1866 when he returned to England to resume his duties in the Colonial Office. He remained with the Colonial Office, serving as acting Lieutenant Governor of Penang
Governor of Penang
This is the list of people who have held the highest political office in Penang and its previous entities. Penang is a state in Malaysia.Until the 18th century, the island of Penang was part of the Sultanate of Kedah. In 1786, the island was leased by the Sultan of Kedah to an officer from the East...
and Province Wellesley
Seberang Perai
Seberang Perai / Beseran Darul Hidayah, formerly Province Wellesley, is a narrow hinterland opposite Penang island on the Malay Peninsula, which together with the island forms the Malaysian state of Penang. Its principal town is Butterworth...
, colonial secretary of Ceylon and Lieutenant Governor of Ceylon, until his retirement from the service in June 1878. After his resignation from the Colonial Office Birch joined the Bank of England where he remained until retirement in 1913.
Legacy
Mount Birch, in the central Camelsfoot RangeCamelsfoot Range
The Camelsfoot Range is a sub-range of the Chilcotin Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia.* The range is c...
near Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, is named for him.