Sir Thomas Sydney Beckwith, KCB acted as one of the Governors of Bombay Presidency from the year 1830 to 1831. He was an officiating governor in earlier undivided India which was under the administrative control of the British East India Company. Beckwith was also one of the renowned a colonial administrators. He was an officer of the British army and acted as quartermaster general of the British forces in Canada during the 1812 War. Later he was posted as a commander-in-chief at the province of Bombay (now Mumbai) during the rule of British Empire in India. Thomas Sydney Beckwith greatly contributed to the growth and command of the 95th Rifles.
Early Life of Thomas Sydney Beckwith
Beckwith was born in the year 1772 to father Major General John Beckwith, who commanded the 20th Regiment of Foot. He had 3 siblings, namely Brigadier General Ferdinand Beckwith, Sir George Beckwith and Captain John Beckwith. Captain John Beckwith joined the British Army in the year 1791 and became a member of the 71st (Highland) Regiment of Foot. He was positioned in British India.
Career of Thomas Sydney Beckwith
Sir Thomas Sydney Beckwith assigned to command a company in Experimental Corps of Riflemen of Colonel Coote Manningham in 1800. This was later known as the 95th Regiment and consequently designated the Rifle Brigade. In the year 1802, he was promoted to the rank of Major within the Corps. In the following year, Beckwith was made Lieutenant Colonel and commanded the 1st Battalion. In the year 1812, Thomas Sydney Beckwith was allotted Assistant Quartermaster General to the British Army in North America. In 1813 he took command of the troops sent to Chesapeake Bay.
Beckwith was promoted to the rank of Major General in 1814 and appointed Quartermaster General to the troops in Canada under Sir George Prevost. Sir Thomas Sydney Beckwith, KCB was honoured with a Knight Bachelor in the year 1812. Moreover he was knighted with a Knight Commander of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath in 1815. He became Colonel Commandant of his old corps, the Rifle Brigade in 1827. He became Commander in Chief of the Bombay Presidency Army under the British East India Company in 1829. The following year Beckwith was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in 1830.
Thomas Sydney Beckwith as Governor of Bombay Presidency
Sir Thomas Sydney Beckwith, KCB was appointed as the Governor of Bombay Presidency on 1 December 1830. He was preceded by Major General Sir John Malcolm who served as the Governor of Madras Province from 1 November 1827 to 1 December 1830. 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.
Beckwith served as the Governor of Bombay (now Mumbai) until 15 January 1831. He was succeeded by John Romer as the Governor of Madras Presidency. Sir Thomas Sydney Beckwith died on 15 January 1831 at Mahableshwar, British India.
