Name Robert Montgomery Resigned January 10, 1865 Education Harrow School | Died 1887 Role Colonial administrator Children Henry Montgomery | |
Grandchildren Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein Great grandchildren David Montgomery, 2nd Viscount Montgomery of Alamein | ||
Sir Robert Montgomery, GCSI, KCB (2 December 1809 – 28 December 1887), was a British colonial administrator in India.
Contents
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. In 1827 he was appointed to the Indian Civil Service.
He married in India and brought up a family. 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.
His first notable position was as a commissioner in Cawnpore. In May 1857, at the start of the Indian Mutiny, he was in Lahore in the Punjab, where he was Judicial Commissioner (and in-charge of Chief Commissioner at Lahore) of the province. 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 was then the second Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab from 1859 to 1865, preceded by Sir John Lawrence and succeeded by Sir Donald McLeod. He served as Lieutenant-Governor up to an advanced age.
He was made a civil K.C.B. on 19 May 1859. 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; she died of smallpox at Allahabad in 1842.