Harry Ord
Encyclopedia
Major-General Sir Harry St. George Ord GCMG, CB
, RE
, was born on 4 August 1819 in North Cray
, Kent
, England. He was the son of Henry Gough Ord and grandson of Craven Ord (1756–1832) of Greenstead Hall, Essex
, a prominent antiquarian.
, (1835–1837). He served in the Royal Engineers
, (1837–1856), principally in the West Indies, West Africa, and the Anglo-French expedition to the Baltic
, (1854). He held many important colonial posts, such as:
appointed as the Governor of the Straits Settlements, was at first given no instructions regarding the Colony's relations with the Malay States. He was unpopular in the Straits Settlements
, but was an ambitious and energetic man, who was ready to do what he could to restore order and promote trade in the Peninsula. Conditions in Malaya
at that time were extremely unsettled. The quarrels of the Malays were intensified by feuds between competing groups of Chinese miners, and the links of the Chinese with the British
settlements threatened to involve these too in the trouble. After some experience of negotiating with Malays and Siamese
, Ord worked out a policy under which he proposed to share the supervision of the Peninsula between Britain
and Siam. This policy was disapproved by the Colonial Office
, and Ord was directed to abstain from all interference in the affairs of the Malay States.
daughter of Admiral James Carpenterin in 1846 by whom he had three sons. Sir Harry Ord died on 20 August 1885 from heart attack.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, RE
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, was born on 4 August 1819 in North Cray
North Cray
North Cray is a place in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London, England, east southeast of Charing Cross. It lies on the River Cray and is in the Cray Meadows electoral ward which also includes Foots Cray...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England. He was the son of Henry Gough Ord and grandson of Craven Ord (1756–1832) of Greenstead Hall, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, a prominent antiquarian.
Education and career
Harry Ord was educated at the Royal Military Academy at WoolwichWoolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, (1835–1837). He served in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, (1837–1856), principally in the West Indies, West Africa, and the Anglo-French expedition to the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, (1854). He held many important colonial posts, such as:
- Commissioner of the Gold Coast, (1855–1856)
- Commissioner at the Courts of Paris and the Hague, (1856–1857)
- Governor of Dominica, (1857–1861)
- Governor of BermudaGovernor of BermudaThe Governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government...
, (1861–1864)
- Special Commissioner to West Africa, (1864–1867)
- Governor of Straits Settlements, (1867–1873)
- Governor of Western AustraliaGovernor of Western AustraliaThe Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
, (1877–1880)
Governor of Straits Settlements
Sir Harry Ord, was the first Colonial OfficeColonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
appointed as the Governor of the Straits Settlements, was at first given no instructions regarding the Colony's relations with the Malay States. He was unpopular in the Straits Settlements
Straits Settlements
The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...
, but was an ambitious and energetic man, who was ready to do what he could to restore order and promote trade in the Peninsula. Conditions in Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
at that time were extremely unsettled. The quarrels of the Malays were intensified by feuds between competing groups of Chinese miners, and the links of the Chinese with the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
settlements threatened to involve these too in the trouble. After some experience of negotiating with Malays and Siamese
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
, Ord worked out a policy under which he proposed to share the supervision of the Peninsula between Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and Siam. This policy was disapproved by the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
, and Ord was directed to abstain from all interference in the affairs of the Malay States.
Life
He married Julia Graham of ExmouthExmouth
Exmouth is a town in Devon. It may also refer to:Places*Exmouth Peninsula in Southern Chile*Exmouth, Western AustraliaPeople*Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth , a British naval officerShips...
daughter of Admiral James Carpenterin in 1846 by whom he had three sons. Sir Harry Ord died on 20 August 1885 from heart attack.
External links
- Sir Harry Ord Biography from Australian Dictionary of Biography online
- Sir Harry Ord Biography from Constitutional Centre of WA online