Thomas Hart-Davies
Encyclopedia
Thomas Hart-Davies was a British
colonial administrator and Liberal
politician.
He was the son of the Venerable Thomas Hart-Davies, vicar of Christchurch, Ramsgate
, Kent
and former Archdeacon of Melbourne
, Australia
. Following education at Marlborough College
and Pembroke College, Oxford
, he passed the Indian Civil Service examinations in 1867.
He served for twenty-eight years in the Bombay Presidency
, mainly in the Sind Division
. Over his career he was an educational inspector, manager of encumbered estates, district magistrate, judge of the Karachi
District and acting Judicial Commissioner. He was viewed as a progressive administrator, joining the British Committee of the Indian National Congress
and supporting the Morley-Minto Reforms.
He returned to the United Kingdom, and became involved in Liberal politics. In 1900
he unsuccessfully stood as parliamentary candidate for the Rotherhithe constituency
. He was re-selected as prospective Liberal candidate, but in 1903 he resigned the candidacy due to an eye condition. By 1905 he had recovered sufficiently to be the Liberal candidate at Hackney North
. At the general election in 1906
he won the seat, but was defeated at the ensuing general election in January 1910.
Hart-Davies was a very experienced traveller: visiting Siberia
, Persia and much of South America
. He was estimated to have gone around the world eight times. He wrote short stories, translated a number of works from Russian
to English, and was a musician and conjuror.
He died on Jersey
in January 1920, aged 73.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial administrator and Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
He was the son of the Venerable Thomas Hart-Davies, vicar of Christchurch, Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
, 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...
and former Archdeacon of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Following education at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
and Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
, he passed the Indian Civil Service examinations in 1867.
He served for twenty-eight years in the Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
, mainly in the Sind Division
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
. Over his career he was an educational inspector, manager of encumbered estates, district magistrate, judge of the Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
District and acting Judicial Commissioner. He was viewed as a progressive administrator, joining the British Committee of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and supporting the Morley-Minto Reforms.
He returned to the United Kingdom, and became involved in Liberal politics. In 1900
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
he unsuccessfully stood as parliamentary candidate for the Rotherhithe constituency
Rotherhithe (UK Parliament constituency)
Rotherhithe was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rotherhithe district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
. He was re-selected as prospective Liberal candidate, but in 1903 he resigned the candidacy due to an eye condition. By 1905 he had recovered sufficiently to be the Liberal candidate at Hackney North
Hackney North (UK Parliament constituency)
Hackney North was a parliamentary constituency in the "The Metropolis" . It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- History :...
. At the general election in 1906
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
he won the seat, but was defeated at the ensuing general election in January 1910.
Hart-Davies was a very experienced traveller: visiting Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Persia and much of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. He was estimated to have gone around the world eight times. He wrote short stories, translated a number of works from Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
to English, and was a musician and conjuror.
He died on Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
in January 1920, aged 73.