West Ridgeway

Colonel Sir West Ridgeway GCB, GCMG, KCSI ( born May 16, 1844 in High Roding, Essex, † April 16, 1930 in London) was a British civil servant, colonial governor and manager of the North Borneo Chartered Company.

Life

Joseph West Ridgeway was born in High Roding, Essex. After finishing school in London's St Paul 's School Ridgeway suggested in 1860 an officer's career in the infantry of the Bengal Army. During his time in India he married in 1881 Ellen Carolina " Lina " Bewicke. His only child, daughter Violet Aline Ridgeway, was born in 1882.

After his military and political career in India and Ceylon, he settled in London. He won high reputation as a longtime chairman of the board of the North Borneo Chartered Company. In addition, he was twice - for elections to the British House of Commons in the constituencies City of London and London University - but without success.

Ridgeway died on 14 April 1930 in London.

Military career

Ridgeway joined the army on 4 December 1860. In 1862 he attained the rank of lieutenant. In 1864 he was with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel Sir Peter Stark Lumsden, KCB displaced, who was entrusted with the border security of the North West Frontier Province on the border with Afghanistan.

In 1869 he retired with the rank of Captain from the active infantry service and received a civil post alsTinder Secretary to the Government of India in the Foreign Department in Shimla, British India.

In December 1880 he was appointed Major and receives in March 1881 in recognition of his services against the Naga tribes in the mountains the honorary rank Major and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel. The promotion to the "real" Lieutenant - Colonel he receives in December 1886.

His official departure from the British military service was announced on 27 August 1889.

British Colonial Service

On October 15, 1885 Ridgeway was put in charge of the Indian section of a Russian-British commission to define the northern border of Afghanistan between Heri -Rud and the river Oxus. In 1886, he was Chief Commissioner with the powers and functions of a provincial governor.

In 1887 he was appointed Under-Secretary for Ireland, so the head of the British administration in Ireland, appointed, a post which he held from 1887 to 1892. After that, he was vice- governor of the Isle of Man from 1893 to 1895.

From February 1896 to November 1903 he was Governor of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. In this role he was involved in the prosecution of sodomy and child abuse against Hector Archibald MacDonald, the commander of the British troops in Ceylon. Ridgeway ordered the return MacDonalds to London, anxious to avoid the anticipated huge scandal: "Some, actually, most of his victims ... are the sons of the chief men of the colony, the British as well as locals ," he wrote and recorded that he was able to convince the local press them to keep still, so that " not more dirt comes to light ."

North Borneo Chartered Company

Sir West Ridgeway was elected in 1906 to the Supervisory Board of the North Borneo Chartered Company and took over in 1910 in succession to the late William Clarke Cowie, the Office of the General Board. Until his retirement in 1926, he ordered the administrative North Borneo again. He succeeded to improve the hitherto stagnant immigration of workers as much needed Chinese and he laid the foundation for improving the country's infrastructure by opening up new roads. His liberal believes in the use of funds of the Company - he invested the profits best in new, economically little thought out projects - met with the shareholders, however, with little enthusiasm. As Montstuart Elphinstone, one of the directors, finally revealed the true extent of the waste of money, had to Ridgeway in 1926 his post for Major General Sir Neill Malcolm rooms.

From 1920 he also perceived tasks of the Supervisory Board of the British Borneo Timber Company.

Awards

After his transfer to the Afghan Boundary Commission Colonel Ridgeway was born on July 20, 1885 raised in the British Empire Medal "Order of the Star of India " to the " Knight Commander" and was allowed henceforth bear the title of Sir before his name.

On September 30, 1887, was admitted as an ordinary member of the Bath Order. On January 13, 1891, he was promoted in the hierarchy of the Order " Knights Commander".

On January 1, 1900, he was finally taken with the rank of " Knights Grand Cross" in the Order of St Michael and St George.