Charles Cochrane Baillie was formally known as Sir Charles Wallace Alexander Napier Cochrane Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, GCMG, GCIE. He served as one of the Governors of Bombay Presidency from the year 1903 to 1907, in former undivided India under the rule of the British East India Company. He was also a well known a colonial administrator and a British politician. Baillie was also appointed as the Governor of Queensland in the year 1896. He served in office till 1901. Charles Cochrane Baillie was also known as The Right Honourable The Lord Lamington GCMG, GCIE.
Early Life of Charles Cochrane Baillie
Charles Cochrane Baillie was born as Charles Wallace Alexander Napier Cochrane Baillie on 29 July 1860 in London, England, as the only son of Alexander Baillie Cochrane, the 1st Baron Lamington. He received his education from Eton College and later completed his graduation from Christ Church in Oxford in the year 1883, with a degree in Bachelor of Arts. He succeeded as the 2nd Baron Lamington, after the death of his father in the year 1890.
Career of Charles Cochrane Baillie
In the year 1885, Charles Cochrane Baillie was assigned as the assistant private secretary to Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC (Lord Salisbury), the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In the 1885 election for the borough constituency of St Pancras North, Cochrane Baillie was defeated; but he managed to win the consequent election in 1886, and took his seat in the British House of Commons for the Conservative Party.
On 9 April 1896, Sir Charles Cochrane Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, GCMG, GCIE took office as the Governor of Queensland by succeeding Sir Henry Norman. He was a very politically conservative governor. During his tenure, he expressed a concern about the Federation of Australia which led to unrestricted socialism. Cochrane Baillie also worked with Sir Samuel Griffith, the first Premier of Queensland, in order to insure that the role of state governors was not decreased after Federation of Australia. Lord Baillie Lamington served in office as governor for 5 years until 19 December 1901. He was knighted with Knight Grand Cross of The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG) and Knight Grand Commander of The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) in 1903.
Sir Charles Wallace Alexander Napier Cochrane Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, GCMG, GCIE was appointed as the Governor of Bombay Presidency on 12 December 1903 and was preceded by Sir James Monteath CIE, who retired as the Governor of Bombay in December 1903. Bombay Presidency was one of the Presidencies and provinces of British India. It was first founded in the 17th century at Surat as a trading post for the British East India Company. The Presidency included the territories of modern states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, regions of Konkan, Kandesh and Desh and northwestern Karnataka state. Charles Cochrane Baillie served in office till 27 July 1907 and was succeeded by John William Muir Mackenzie.
Personal Life of Charles Cochrane Baillie
Charles Cochrane Baillie was married with Mary Houghton Hozier on 13 June 1895 at St Michael`s Church in Pimlico. The couple had 2 children, a daughter and a son. He died on 16 September 1940 at the age of 80 years at Lamington House, in Lanarkshire, Scotland.
