Horace Byatt
Encyclopedia
Horace Archer Byatt was a British colonial governor. In the early part of his career he served in Nyasaland
, British Somaliland
, Gibraltar
and Malta
. Later, he served in British East Africa, becoming the first governor of the British mandate of Tanganyika
. He was then the governor of Trinidad and Tobago
.
, Middlesex to school teacher Horace Byatt and Laura (née Archer). He attended Lincoln College, Oxford
, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1898. Following university, he began a career in the Colonial Service
. In 1898 he began working in Nyasaland (what is now Malawi), and in 1905, he went to British Somaliland. He was appointed commissioner and commander-in-chief of British Somaliland in 1911, serving until 1914, when he became Colonial Secretary
in Gibraltar. From 1914 to 1916 he was lieutenant-governor and Colonial Secretary of Malta.
From 1916 he was an administrator in British East Africa, and in 1920 he became the first governor of the new British mandate
of Tanganyika
. In Tanganyika he was responsible for the transfer of power between the Germans and the British, following World War I. Byatt was noted as a liberal governor with sympathies towards African interests. He was governor and commander in chief of Trinidad and Tobago between 1924 and 1929.
in 1924 and they had three sons, Hugh (born 1927), Ronald (born 1930) and David (born 1932). Ronald (Robin) Archer Campbell Byatt, was a British diplomatist. Horace Byatt died 8 April 1933 in London, aged 58.
Byatt's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus vexillarius var. byatti), a rodent endemic to Tanzania, was named after Byatt.
Nyasaland
Nyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....
, British Somaliland
British Somaliland
British Somaliland was a British protectorate in the northern part of present-day Somalia. For much of its existence, British Somaliland was bordered by French Somaliland, Ethiopia, and Italian Somaliland. From 1940 to 1941, it was occupied by the Italians and was part of Italian East Africa...
, Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. Later, he served in British East Africa, becoming the first governor of the British mandate of Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
. He was then the governor of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
.
Biography
Byatt was born 22 March 1875 in TottenhamTottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
, Middlesex to school teacher Horace Byatt and Laura (née Archer). He attended Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1898. Following university, he began a career in the Colonial Service
Colonial Service
The Colonial Service was the British government service which administered Britain's colonies and protectorates, under the authority of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Colonial Office in London....
. In 1898 he began working in Nyasaland (what is now Malawi), and in 1905, he went to British Somaliland. He was appointed commissioner and commander-in-chief of British Somaliland in 1911, serving until 1914, when he became Colonial Secretary
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...
in Gibraltar. From 1914 to 1916 he was lieutenant-governor and Colonial Secretary of Malta.
From 1916 he was an administrator in British East Africa, and in 1920 he became the first governor of the new British mandate
League of Nations mandate
A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administering the territory on behalf of the League...
of Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
. In Tanganyika he was responsible for the transfer of power between the Germans and the British, following World War I. Byatt was noted as a liberal governor with sympathies towards African interests. He was governor and commander in chief of Trinidad and Tobago between 1924 and 1929.
Personal life
He married Olga Margaret Campbell of ArgyllArgyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
in 1924 and they had three sons, Hugh (born 1927), Ronald (born 1930) and David (born 1932). Ronald (Robin) Archer Campbell Byatt, was a British diplomatist. Horace Byatt died 8 April 1933 in London, aged 58.
Byatt's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus vexillarius var. byatti), a rodent endemic to Tanzania, was named after Byatt.