Rosslyn Koch
{{Short description|Ceylonese businessman, company director and politician}}
{{use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = Hon.
|name = Theodore Hugh Rosslyn Koch
|native_name =
|native_name_lang =
|honorific-suffix = OBE
|image = Rosslyn Koch.jpg
|imagesize = 150px
|smallimage =
|alt =
|caption =
|constituency_MP = Burgher Community (appointed member)
|parliament = Ceylon
|term_start = April 1948
|term_end = October 1959
|predecessor = Edward Frederick Noel Gratiaen
|successor = Eric Brohier
|order3 =
|office3 =
|term_start3 =
|term_end3 =
|predecessor3 =
|successor3 =
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1886|12|21|df=y}}
|birth_place = Colombo, Sri Lanka
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1961|04|24|1886|12|21|df=y}}
|death_place = Colombo, Sri Lanka
|restingplace =
|restingplacecoordinates =
|birthname =
|citizenship =
|nationality =
|party =
|otherparty =
|spouse = Florence Lilian née Kriekenbeek
|partner =
|relations =
|children = 4
|residence =
|alma_mater =
|occupation =
|profession =
|cabinet =
|committees =
|portfolio =
|religion =
|signature =
|signature_alt =
|website =
}}
Theodore Hugh Rosslyn Koch (21 December 1886 - 24 April 1961) was a Ceylonese businessman,{{cite book|title=People of Sri Lanka|publisher=Ministry of National Coexistence, Dialogue and Official Languages|date=March 2017|page=189|isbn=978-955-7537-03-0}} company director and politician.{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.lk/en/members-of-parliament/directory-of-past-members/viewMember/2414|title=Hon. Koch, Rosslyn, M.P.|publisher=Parliament of Sri Lanka|access-date=7 November 2017}}
Life and career
Koch was born on 21 December 1886, the sixth child and fourth son of Cecil Theodore (1852-1890) and Evelyn Harriet (née Foenander) (1855-1919).{{cite journal|url=http://thedutchburgherunion.org/genealogy/ancestry-k/JDBU%201918%20Vol%2010%20No%204%20p128-135%20-%20Koch%20Ancestry(1).pdf|title=Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon|publisher=Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon|date=1918|volume=XVII| issue = 4|page=134}} Koch married Florence Lilian Kriekenbeek (born 1891) on 7 April 1915; they had four children.
In 1938, Koch became a founding director of the Ceylon Insurance Company, going on to serve as its chairman from 1942 to 1960.{{cite book|title=The Economy of Sri Lanka, 1948-1975|author=Wijesinghe, Mallory E.|date=1976|publisher=Ranco|page=29}}{{cite news|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120923/plus/ceylinco-a-story-that-took-off-with-bus-drivers-and-mill-owners-13211.html|title=Ceylinco: A story that took off with bus drivers and mill owners|first=Smriti|last=Daniel|newspaper=Sunday Times|date=23 September 2012|access-date=7 November 2017}} In April 1948, he was appointed as the Burgher Member of the Ceylon House of Representatives, following the resignation of Edward Frederick Noel Gratiaen, who had been appointed as Justice of the Supreme Court.{{cite journal|title=Cultural minorities of Sri Lanka: their growth, achievements, and relevance today|publisher= International Centre for Ethnic Studies|author=Vijayalakshmi, E|page=43|date=2005}}{{cite journal|url=http://thedutchburgherunion.org/journals/vol_31_40/JDBU%20Vol%2038%20No%203%20-%201948(1).pdf|title=Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon|publisher=Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon|date=July 1948|volume=XXXVIII|page=111}} He was one of six members appointed by the governor-general to represent important interests which were not represented or inadequately represented in the House.{{cite news|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2010/02/04/supstory.asp?id=s43|title=62nd Anniversary of Independence|newspaper=Daily News|date=4 February 2010|access-date=24 October 2017}} Koch served in three successive parliaments until he resigned in October 1959, wbeing succeeded by Dr. Eric Brohier. During his tenure, Koch served as the chair of the Public Accounts Committee.{{cite journal|title=Parliamentary Debates|volume=37|page=xix|publisher=Ceylon House of Representatives|date=1959}}{{cite web|url= http://www.parliament.lk/en/component/committees/commitee/showCommittee?id=161|title=Committee on Public Accounts|publisher=Parliament of Sri Lanka|access-date=7 November 2017}}
In the 1952 New Year Honours, Koch was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) for his services to the export trade.Ceylon list: {{London Gazette |issue=39424 |date= 28 December 1951 |pages=45–46 |supp=y}}
From 1952 until 1956 Koch served as the chairman of the Employers' Federation of Ceylon.{{cite book|title=The Employers' Federation of Ceylon, 1929-1994|author=Amerasinghe, E. F. G.|publisher=The Employers' Federation of Ceylon|page=255|date=1994}}
Koch died in 1961, aged 74.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of the 2nd Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{Members of the 3rd Parliament of Ceylon}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koch, Rosslyn}}
Category:Date of death missing
Category:Sri Lankan people of German descent
Category:Members of the 1st Parliament of Ceylon
Category:Members of the 2nd Parliament of Ceylon
Category:Members of the 3rd Parliament of Ceylon
Category:Ceylonese Officers of the Order of the British Empire