Henry Loch, 1st Baron Loch
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The Right Honourable The Lord Loch GCB GCMG PC |
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| Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man | |
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In office 1863–1882 |
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| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Preceded by | Francis Conant |
| Succeeded by | Spencer Walpole |
| Governor of Victoria | |
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In office 1884–1889 |
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| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Preceded by | Marquess of Normanby |
| Succeeded by | Earl of Hopetoun |
| High Commissioner for Southern Africa | |
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In office 1889–1895 |
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| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | Sir Hercules Robinson |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Rosmead |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Henry Brougham Loch 23 May 1827 |
| Died |
20 June 1900 (aged 73) London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Villiers |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | British East India Company |
| Battles/wars |
First Anglo-Sikh War Crimean War Second Opium War |
Henry Brougham Loch, 1st Baron Loch GCB GCMG PC (23 May 1827 – 20 June 1900) was a Scottish soldier and colonial administrator.
Henry Loch was the son of James Loch, Member of Parliament, of Drylaw, Midlothian. He entered the Royal Navy, but at the end of two years quit it for the British East India Company's military service, and in 1842 obtained a commission in the Bengal Light Cavalry. In the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845–1846 he was given an appointment on the staff of Sir Hugh Gough, and served throughout the Sutlej campaign. In 1852 he became adjutant of Skinner's Horse.
At the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854, Loch severed his connection with India, and obtained leave to raise a body of irregular Bulgarian cavalry, which he commanded throughout the war. In 1857 he was appointed attaché to Lord Elgin's mission to East Asia, was present at the taking of Canton (Guangzhou) during the Second Opium War, and in 1858 brought home the Treaty of Yedo.
In April 1860, Loch accompanied Lord Elgin to China again, as secretary of the new embassy sent to secure the execution by the Chinese Qing Empire of its treaty engagements. The embassy was backed up by an allied Anglo-French force. With Harry Smith Parkes he negotiated the surrender of the Taku Forts (Dagu Forts). During the advance on the Qing capital, Peking (Beijing), Loch was chosen with Parkes to complete the preliminary negotiations for peace at Tungchow (present-day Tongzhou District, Beijing). They were accompanied by a small party of officers and Sikhs. It having been discovered that the Chinese were planning an attack on the British force, Loch rode back and warned the outposts. He then returned to Parkes and his party under a flag of truce in the hope of securing their safety. However, they were all taken prisoner by the Qing general Sengge Rinchen and incarcerated in the Ministry of Justice (or Board of Punishments) in Beijing, where the majority of the group died from torture or disease. Parkes and Loch were treated more leniently after Prince Gong intervened. After three weeks, the negotiations for their release were successful, but they had only been liberated ten minutes when orders were received from the Xianfeng Emperor, who was then taking shelter in the Chengde Summer Palace, for their immediate execution.
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Wikipedia