Robert Montgomery (colonial administrator)


Sir Robert Montgomery, GCSI, KCB, was a British administrator in India.

Biography

Early life

Montgomery was born at the family seat at New Park in Moville, a small town in Inishowen in the north of County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland. He was educated at Foyle College, Derry; Wraxall Hall School, Wiltshire; and, from 1823 to 1825, at Addiscombe Military Seminary, Croydon, Surrey.

Career

In 1827 he was appointed to the Indian Civil Service. His first notable position was as a commissioner in Cawnpore.
In 1849, Montgomery was made a Commissioner at Lahore. The following year he replaced Charles Grenville Mansel on the Board of Administration, the body responsible for governing the Punjab. His two colleagues in the Board of Administration, Henry Lawrence and John Lawrence were both, like Montgomery, alumni of Foyle College. Following a re-organisation in 1853, the Board of Administration was replaced with John Lawrence as Chief Commissioner, and Montgomery was made both his Deputy and Judicial Commissioner. Over the next four years, he was the Chief Judge of Appeal in the Punjab, head of the police force, superintendent of roads, controller of local and municipal funds and responsible for education.
In May 1857, at the start of the Indian Rebellion, he was in Lahore. He immediately had the native garrison disarmed, which prevented them from taking any action in the rebellion. He was awarded with a knighthood for this action. During the period of 3 April 1858 to 15 February 1859, he was Chief Commissioner of Oudh.
He returned to the Punjab in 1859 to succeed John Lawrence as Lieutenant-Governor. He was made a K.C.B. on 19 May 1859. On 1 March 1862 he opened the first section of the Punjab Railway, connecting Lahore with Amritsar, to much fanfare. His tenure as Lieutenant-Governor ended in 1865 and he was succeeded by his son-in-law Donald Friell McLeod. On 20 February 1866 he was made a G.C.S.I.

Death

He died on 28 December 1887 in London of bronchitis, aged 79, and was interred in the family vault in St Columb's Cathedral, Londonderry on 3 January 1888.

Family

He married Frances Thomason, a sister of James Thomason whilst in India; she died of smallpox at Allahabad in 1842. His second son was Henry Hutchinson Montgomery, father of Field Marshal The 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. Henry inherited the family estate in Ireland after his father's death.

Eponyms