Herbert Mills Birdwood

Herbert Mills Birdwood, CSI, LL.D. (1837–1907) was the Acting governor of Bombay (now known as Mumbai) during the British Raj from 16 February 1895 to 18 February 1895.

Early life

Birdwood was born in 1837 in Belgaum, India, the third son of General Christopher Birdwood. He was educated at Plymouth Grammar School, at Exeter, at Edinburgh University and at Peterhouse, Cambridge.^[1] He was a Bye-Fellow of Peterhouse, and gained the degree (LL.D.). In October 1901 he was elected an Honorary Fellow of Peterhouse.^[2]

Birdwood passes an open examination in 1858 to enter the Haileybury, the training college for the Indian Civil Service. On joining the judicial branch of the Indian Civil Service his first post in the Konkani district of Ratnagari. In 1881 he became Judicial Commissioner and Judge of the Sadar Court in Sind. He was an acting Judge of the Bombay High Court, in 1885 he was granted a permanent position which he held until being appointed Judicial Member of the Bombay Government in 1892.

Birdwood moved to Bombay, and became a Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bombay. He was a Member of the Council of the Governor of Bombay, and briefly acted as Governor in 1895.

He married Edith Marion Sidonie Impey the daughter of Sergeant-Major Elijah George Halhed Impey. They had six children including Halhed Brodrick Birdwood, who eventually held the rank of Brigadier General in the British military and William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood, who held the rank of Field Marshal.

References

Bibliography

• Great Britain. India Office (1819). The India List and India Office List. Harrison. Retrieved 2015-11-09. 
• "Herbert Mills Birdwood" at The Peerage