James La Touche
{{Short description|Irish civil servant}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sir James La Touche
| image = Digges_Latouche.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = James John Digges La Touche
| birth_date = {{birth date|1844|12|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = Dublin, Ireland
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1921|10|05|1844|12|16|df=yes}}
| death_place = Dublin, Ireland
| resting_place =
| nationality = Irish
| other_names =
| known_for =
| relations =
| spouse = Julia Mary Rothwell
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Colonial administrator in British India
}}
Sir James John Digges La Touche, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCSI}} (16 December 1844 – 5 October 1921) was an Irish civil servant in British India, where he spent most of his career in the North-Western Provinces.
Early life and education
La Touche was born in Dublin, the son of William Digges La Touche and Louisa L'Estrange. He was of French Huguenot ancestry.{{cite book |last1=Burke |first1=Bernard |title=A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland |date=1899 |publisher=Harrison & Sons |page=246 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ha0EAAAAIAAJ&dq=James+La+Touche+burke%27s+landed+gentry++William+Digges+La+Touche&pg=PA246 |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=en}} He was educated at Trinity College Dublin.{{cite book |last1=Buckland |first1=Charles Edward |title=Dictionary of Indian Biography |date=1906 |publisher=S. Sonnenschein |page=245 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wvMRAAAAYAAJ&dq=trinity+college+dublin+james+la+touche+son+of+wm+1844&pg=PA245 |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=en}}
Career in India
He joined the Indian Civil Service in 1867, and spent four years in Ajmir Province and four years in Upper Burma, before moving to the North-Western Provinces. In that province he served as a member of the Board of Revenue and Chief Secretary, and in 1897 acted as Lieutenant-Governor for six months, after the breakdown in health of Sir Anthony MacDonnell following the combat with the famine that year.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Indian Lieutenant-Governorships |date=9 September 1901 |page=2 |issue=36555}}
He was a Member of the Council of the Viceroy of India, and was in November 1901 appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces and Chief Commissioner of Oudh. In March 1902 the province was renamed the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, and the former commissionership was abolished. La Touche continued as Lieutenant-Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh until December 1906.
The following year he was appointed a Member of the Council of the Secretary of State for India.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The New Members of the India Council |date=30 August 1907 |page=6 |issue=38425}}
La Touche was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Star of India (CSI) in the 1896 New Year Honours list on 1 January 1896, and promoted to a Knight Commander (KCSI) in the 1901 Birthday Honours list on 9 November 1901.{{London Gazette |issue=27374 |date=9 November 1901 |page=7287 |supp=y}}
Latouche Road in Kanpur and Latouche Road in Lucknow are named in his honour.
He retired in 1906 and returned to Ireland.{{cite news |title=Death of Sir James La Touche |work=The Belfast News-Letter |publisher= |date=6 October 1921|page= 5}}
Family
La Touche married, in Bombay in 1873, Julia Mary Rothwell, daughter of Thomas Wade Rothwell.{{cite book |title=A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, the Privy Council, Knightage, and Companionage |date=1913 |publisher=Harrison & Sons |page=2347 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GBhBAQAAMAAJ&dq=Sir+James+John+Digges+La+Touche,+KCSI+(16+December+1844&pg=PA2347 |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=en}} They had one child, Louisa France "Lola" Digges La Touche (1879 – 31 March 1884), who died age 5 on the steamship Assam returning from India.{{cite news |title=Deaths. |work=Dublin Daily Express |date=10 April 1884 |page=1}}
He died at his home, 53 Raglan Road, Dublin, aged 77.
References
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{{Succession box| title=Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces and Chief Commissioner of Oudh | before=Sir Anthony Patrick MacDonnell | after=Office abolished | years=1901-1902}}
{{Succession box| title=Lieutenant-Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh | before=New office | after=Sir John Prescott Hewett | years=1902-1906}}
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{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:La Touche, James}}
Category:Indian Civil Service (British India) officers
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India