Henry D'Oyley Torrens

Lieutenant General Sir Henry D'Oyley Torrens KCB KCMG (24 February 1823 - 1 December 1889) was a British army officer and colonial governor. He was born in Meerut, India, the son of Henry Whitelock Torrens and Eliza Mary Roberts and died in London. Torrens was commissioned as a second Lieutenant in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in 1849.[1] His rise through the ranks was very rapid, reaching the rank of Colonel in 1864.[2]

He served in the Crimean War at the major battles, for which he was awarded the Legion d'honneur,[3] followed by service in India during the Indian Mutiny in 1857. In 1862 he published a book, Travels in Ladak, Tartary, and Kashmir, about his summer holiday the previous year.[4]

He was promoted to Major-General in 1869 and finally to Lieutenant-General while serving as General Officer Commanding Cork District in Ireland in 1884.[5] He went on to be was Governor of Cape Colony in 1886 and Governor of Malta in 1888. He was a keen golfer founding both Royal Cape Golf Club in 1886 and Royal Malta Golf Club in 1888.

He died on 1 December 1889 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery in London.

References:

[1] "No. 21020". The London Gazette. 18 September 1849. p. 2854.

[2] "No. 22873". The London Gazette. 12 July 1864. p. 3503.

[3] "No. 21996". The London Gazette. 1 May 1857. p. 1574.

[4] Torrens, Henry D'Oyley (1862). Travels in Ladâk, Tartary, and Kashmir. Cornell University Library: Saunders, Otley & Co. (London). pp. Preface.

[5] "No. 25314". The London Gazette. 1 February 1884. p. 488.

Books & Publications

Book Title	Date
Travels in Ladak, Tartary, and Kashmir	1862