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 The governor of Bihar is a nominal head and representative of the President of India in the state of Bihar. The Governor is appointed by the President for a term of 5 years. Phagu Chauhan is the current governor of Bihar. Former President Zaki ...

from 1 April 1936 to 10 March 1937. He was the first Governor of Bihar after division of province from

Orissa Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of S ...

. He was a member of the Imperial Civil Service appointed in 1902 and served in

Bengal Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...

and later in Bihar and Orissa Province.

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. His father was a clerk in savings bank in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropolitan borough, it me ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

. 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. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in 1901.

Civil Service Career

Sifton joined the

Indian Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 300 million p ...

(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.

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 Bihar Province was a province of British India, created in 1936 by the partition of the Bihar and Orissa Province. History In 1756, Bihar was part of Bengal. On 14 October 1803, Orissa was occupied by the British Raj. On 22 March 1912, both Biha ...

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.

Other Positions held

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

Awards and honours

Sir James Sifton was awarded

Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander (GCIE) #Knight Commander ( KCIE) #Companion ( CIE) No appoi ...

(CIE) in 1921,

Companion of the Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander (GCSI) # Knight Commander ( KCSI) # Companion ( CSI) No appointments ...

(CSI) in 1929,

Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander (GCIE) #Knight Commander ( KCIE) #Companion ( CIE) No appoi ...

(KCIE) in 1931 and

Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander (GCSI) # Knight Commander ( KCSI) # Companion ( CSI) No appointments ...

(KCSI) in 1932.

Personal life

Sir James married Harriet May, daughter of E. Shettle of

Eye, Suffolk Eye () is a market town and civil parish in the north of the English county of Suffolk, about south of Diss, Norfolk, Diss, north of Ipswich and south-west of Norwich. The population in the 2011 Census of 2,154 was estimated to be 2,361 in 2 ...

, on 14 August 1907. His grave lies in Eye Cemetery.

References

External links

Archives relating to Sir James David Sifton
at

The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sifton, James 1878 births 1952 deaths Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Companions of the Order of the Star of India Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire Indian Civil Service (British India) officers Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford