Spencer Harcourt Butler, formally known as Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, was appointed as the first Governor of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, which is now in Uttar Pradesh, India. He was born on 1 August 1869 and was the brother of Sir Montagu Sherard Dawes Butler. He received his education from Harrow School. Later he studied at Balliol College, University of Oxford. Eventually Spencer Harcourt Butler joined the British Indian Civil Service in the year 1890. The Indian Civil Service (ICS) was the civil service of the Government of India during the era of the rule of British Empire in India. The members of the civil service were appointed under Section XXXII of the Government of India Act, 1858 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. After the year 1886, the Indian Civil Service was officially known as Imperial Civil Service.
Career of Spencer Harcourt Butler
Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler was appointed as the Governor of United Provinces on 3 January 1921. He served in office till 21 December 1922 was succeeded by Sir William Sinclair Marris. Later Butler served as the Governor of Burma. He held the position from 2 January 1923 to 20 December 1927. He had also acted as the Lieutenant Governor of Burma from 28 October 1915 to 22 September 1917 and again from 21 December 1922 to 2 January 1923. Spencer Harcourt Butler, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ was also appointed as the first president of Delhi Gymkhana, which was established in the year 1913.
Honours of Spencer Harcourt Butler
Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler was knighted with the Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (CIE), Companion of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India (CSI), Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India (KCSI), Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) and as a Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India (GCSI). He was also honoured as Grade II Knights/Dames of Justice or Grace of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.
The engineering college under the Gautam Buddha Technical University, the Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, was founded in the year 1921 and was named after Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler. Further more, the Harcourt Butler Higher Secondary School, presently known as the Harcourt Butler Senior Secondary School, established in New Delhi in the year 1917, was also named after Butler. The institute was initially known as the Bengali Boys School.
Titles of Spencer Harcourt Butler
Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler held various titles through out his career which are mentioned as follows-
* Spencer Harcourt Butler (1869- 1901)
* Spencer Harcourt Butler, CIE (1901- 1909)
* Spencer Harcourt Butler, CSI, CIE (1909- 1911)
* Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler, KCSI, CIE (1911- 1913)
* Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler, KCSI, CIE, KStJ (1913- 1923)
* Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler, GCIE, KCSI, KStJ (1923- 1928)
* Sir Spencer Harcourt Butler, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ (1928- 1938)
