Loch, Henry, 1827-1900 (1st Baron Loch, Scottish soldier and colonial administrator)
Dates
- Existence: 1827 - 1900
Biography
Henry Brougham Loch was born in Midlothian, Scotland, the son of James Loch, Member of Parliament. He served two years in the Royal Navy and joined the British East India Company's military service. He obtained a commission in the Bengal Light Cavalry in 1842 and was appointed on the staff of Sir Hugh Gough in the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845-46. He commanded a Bulgarian cavalry in the Crimean War in 1854. He was appointed attaché to Lord Elgin's mission to East Asia in 1857. In 1860 he accompanied Lord Elgin to China as secretary of an embassy sent to secure treaty engagements with the Qing Empire. During this time, he was taken prisoner and incarcerated in the Ministry of Justice in Beijing.
Upon his release and return to the United Kingdom, Loch was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath. He served as private secretary to Sir George Grey and at the Home Office. He was appointed Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man in 1863. In 1882 Loch was made Governor of the colony of Victoria in Australia, and in 1889 became Governor of Cape Colony and High Commissioner for Southern Africa.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Letter from Henry Loch to Lady Shimwell, 30 January 1862
Letter in English from Henry Loch to Lady Shimwell on the subject of James Lorimer's application for Chair of Public Law at the University of Edinburgh, dated 30 January 1862.