Steuart Bayley, officially known as Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley GCSI, CIE, was one of the most renowned Lieutenant Governors of Bengal Presidency from the year 1887 to 1890, in undivided India under the rule of the British East India Company. He also acted as a colonial administrator. Bayley also served as one of the members of the British Indian Civil Service, which 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.
Early Life of Steuart Bayley
Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley GCSI, CIE was born on 26 November 1836, to the parents William Butterworth Bayley and Anne Augusta Jackson. His father was the acting Governor General of British India. Bayley completed his education from the Eton College and later studied at the Haileybury College.
Career of Steuart Bayley
In the year 1856, Steuart Bayley joined the Bengal Civil Service. He was appointed as the Commissioner of the Patna Division and took office in 1873. Later he was made the Chief Commissioner of Assam in the year 1878. Later in 1878, Bayley also held the office of Chief Commissioner of Assam. Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley GCSI, CIE assigned as the Political Agent or British Resident of the state of Hyderabad in the year 1881. In the following year, he became a Member of the Council of Governor General.
Sir Steuart Bayley was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal Presidency in the year 1887. The Bengal Presidency originally comprised east and west Bengal and was a colonial region of the British Empire in India. The region included the territories of undivided Bengal like West Bengal, Tripura, Orissa, Meghalaya, Bihar, Assam and modern Bangladesh. Bayley was preceded by Sir Augustus Rivers Thompson KCSI CIE in the post of the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley GCSI, CIE served in office till the year 1890 and was succeeded by Sir Charles Alfred Elliott. Later in 1891, Bayley acted as the Secretary of the Political and Secret Department, India Office. Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley GCSI, CIE died in the year 3 June 1925.
Honours of Steuart Bayley
Sir Steuart Bayley was knighted with a Knight Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India (KCSI) in 1878 and was later promoted to Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India (GCSI). He was also invested as a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (CIE)
