James David Sifton

Sir James David Sifton, KCSI, KCIE (17 April 1878 – 1952) was a British civil servant who was the Governor of Bihar and Orissa from 7 April 1932 to 31 March 1936 and then Governor of Bihar from 1 April 1936 to 10 March 1937. He was the first Governor of Bihar after division of province from Orissa. He was a member of the Imperial Civil Service appointed in 1902 and served in Bengal and later in Bihar and Orissa Province.

Sir James David Sifton KCSI, KCIE
Governor of Bihar and Orissa
In office 7 April 1932 – 31 March 1936
Preceded by	Sir Hugh Lansdown Stephenson
Succeeded by	Position Abolished
Governor of Bihar
In office 1 April 1936 – 10 March 1937[1]
Preceded by	Position Created
Succeeded by	Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett
Personal details
Born	17 April 1878 (1878-04-17)[2] London
Died	24 January 1952(1952-01-24) (aged 73) Sussex
Nationality	British
Spouse	Harriet May ​ (m. 1907)​ [2]
Alma mater	St Paul's School, London, Magdalen College, Oxford[3]
Occupation	Administrator

Early life and education

Sifton was born to Thomas Elgood Sifton and Susanna Sifton on 17 April 1878 in London. The family resided at 53 Shepherd's Bush Green, Shepherd's Bush, London.^[4] His father was a clerk in savings bank in Marylebone, Middlesex.^[5] He received his early education at St Paul's School, London and went on to complete his higher education from Magdalen College, Oxford. He was a Demy scholar at the college and graduated B.A. in 1901.^[2]

Civil Service Career

Sifton joined the Indian Civil Service (ICS) in 1902 and served in Bengal and later in Bihar and Orissa Province when the province was separated from Bengal presidency. His civil service career spanned from 1902 to 1937. During this span he held several positions including Financial Secretary to the Government of Bihar and Orissa.^[6][7]

Governor of Bihar and Orissa

Sifton was appointed Governor of Bihar and Orissa in November 1931 and held the position from 7 April 1932. He was the last Governor of undivided Bihar and Orissa. In 1936, the province was divided into Bihar Province and Orissa Province. After division, he continued on his post of Governor of Bihar, making him the inaugural holder of the office of Governor of Bihar. His salary as Governor was Rs. 8,333.5.7 per month.^[8]

Other Positions held

Sifton was appointed a member of the Executive Council of the Governor of Bihar and Orissa in 1927.^[9]

Awards and honours

Sir James Sifton was awarded Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1921, Companion of the Order of the Star of India (CSI) in 1929, Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) in 1931 and Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) in 1932.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Personal life

Sir James married Harriet May, daughter of E. Shettle of Eye, Suffolk, on 14 August 1907.^[2] His grave lies in Eye Cemetery.

References

1. "Governor of Bihar". governor.bih.nic.in. Archived from the original on 4 February 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
2. Magdalen College (University of Oxford) (1922). The Magdalen College Record. Gerstein – University of Toronto. London, J. Murray.
3. The India List and India Office List. Harrison. 1819. p. 613. james sifton.
4. Robert Barlow Gardiner (1906). The Admission Registers of St. Paul's School from 1876 to 1905. Harvard University. Bell.
5. Commons, Great Britain Parliament House of (1857). Accounts and Papers of the House of Commons. Ordered to be printed.
6. "Introduction". gypsyscholar.com. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
7. "The London Gazette" (PDF). The London Gazette.
8. Epstein, M. (23 December 2016). The Statesman's Year-Book: Statistical and Historical Annual of the States of the World for the Year 1932. Springer. ISBN 9780230270619.
9. "The London Gazette" (PDF). The London Gazette.
10. "The London Gazette" (PDF). The London Gazette.
11. "The London Gazette" (PDF). The London Gazette.
12. "The London Gazette" (PDF). The London Gazette.
13. "The London Gazette" (PDF). The London Gazette.

External links

• Archives relating to Sir James David Sifton at The National Archives

Government offices
Preceded by Sir Hugh Lansdown Stephenson	Governor of Bihar and Orissa 1932–1936	Succeeded by Position Abolished
Preceded by Position Created	Governor of Bihar 1936–1937	Succeeded by Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett