Ernest Woodford Birch

Sir Ernest Charles James Woodford Birch ( born April 29, 1857 in Trincomalee, Ceylon, † December 17, 1929 in Battle, Sussex, England), ICS, KCMG was the eighth British Resident of Perak and the eldest son of James Wheeler Woodford Birch.

Private life

Although he was born in April 1857 in Trincomalee, Ceylon, his parents sent him at the age of 10 years to England in the care of his grandfather, Rev. James Woodford Birch, vicar of the church of All Saints, Hertford. In 1882 he married Margaret, eldest daughter of Lawrence Niven, director of the botanical garden in Singapore. Sir Ernest and Lady Margaret had two sons and four daughters. Their eldest son drowned in 1890 but at the age of only seven years in Tanjung Kling, Malacca. The other son, Patrick, joined the footsteps of his father and served in the Indian Civil Service.

Education and Qualifications

Ernest Woodford Birch's education began at the Hertford Grammar School. More stations to 1874 were Sidney College, University of Bath, Elstree School and Harrow School. To prepare for his studies, he went to Oxford and initially took a year of private lectures, before enrolling at the University and then served in the Indian Civil Service. His studies ended abruptly when his father was assassinated in Pasir Salak. The government gave him then in January 1876 generously donated a spot in the Colonial Office in Downing Street, where worked until 1878 and then entered as a contender in the administrative service of the Straits Settlements.

Career

After arriving in Singapore he initially got a job in the Secretariat under Sir Cecil Clementi Smith who was all his life a loyal friend. In 1881 he worked for several months for the real estate office in Malacca and later, in July 1881, in the same position in Singapore. In May 1882 he became acting Second Assistant Colonial Secretary. In 1885 he made ​​his first official visit to the Cocos Islands, and after his return from home leave in 1887, he was confirmed in Second Assistant Colonial Secretary and got the supervision of a commission to the murder of WA Should examine Pickering.

In January 1888 Sir Ernest was transferred to Malacca to enforce there in a double role as the administrative and financial official land policy of Sir William Maxwell. At the same time he was District Officer in Alor Gajah and Jasin. Although many had not thought it possible, he succeeded by a deep understanding of the conditions to implement the new system and to increase yields during his four- year stay clear. Perhaps it was this success that Sir William Maxwell moved to appoint him in 1890 to explore the Land Systems after Selangor.

In 1892 he was acting for a period of eight months, the British Resident of Selangor and in January 1893 he was elevated to the rank of state secretary of the governor of Perak. His outstanding performance in this position was the introduction of a new land survey system in Perak and pressing ahead with plans for an irrigation system in the district of Kerian. In May 1894 he was granted an extended furlough, from which he returned in August 1895. During the holiday season by Sir Frank Swettenham, he represented him as Acting British Resident of Perak.

During the period as Acting British Resident of Perak, he convened the first meeting of the State Council. The date he chose November 2, 1895 - the 20th anniversary of the murder of his father. Birch took over the presidency and made the Sultan and the assembled chiefs express notice of the date and the event. In June of the following year he returned to his original post as Secretary of State. From February 1897 he took over in Negeri Sembilan representation of Martin Lister as Acting British Resident. After his death, he was confirmed as British Resident and filled this office until May 1900. During his short tenure, he managed to increase the income of the State of Negeri Sembilan from $ 552,000 to $ 1,085,000, to introduce a new land survey system and to improve public administration.

In recognition of his services he was raised in 1900 by Queen Victoria in Windsor to knighthood and included in the Order of St Michael and St George. He was Vice President of North Borneo Chartered Company and Governor of North Borneo in 1901. During the two years and eight months he spent in North Borneo, he devoted himself assiduously to the welfare of the country. He returned in December 1903 returned to England and was appointed in February 1904 to the British Resident in Perak. He succeeded where he successfully carry out an administrative reform and enriched social life through the introduction of various clubs and of several sports.

He died on 17 December 1929 in Battle, Sussex.