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{{Short description|Irish civil servant (1844–1921)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sir James La Touche
| image = Digges_Latouche.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = James John Digges La Touche
| birth_date = {{birth date|1844|12|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Dublin]], Ireland
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1921|10|05|1844|12|16|df=yes}}
| death_place = Dublin, Ireland
| resting_place =
| other_names =
| known_for =
| relations =
| spouse = Julia Mary Rothwell
| alma_mater =
| occupation = Colonial administrator in [[British Raj|British India]]
}}

'''Sir James John Digges La Touche''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCSI}} (16 December 1844 – 5 October 1921) was an Irish civil servant in [[British Raj|British India]], where he spent most of his career in the [[North-Western Provinces]].

==Early life and education==
La Touche was born in [[Dublin]], the son of William Digges La Touche and Louisa L'Estrange. He was of [[French Huguenot]] ancestry.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Burke |first1=Bernard |title=A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland |date=1899 |publisher=Harrison & Sons |page=246 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ha0EAAAAIAAJ&dq=James+La+Touche+burke%27s+landed+gentry++William+Digges+La+Touche&pg=PA246 |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref> He was educated at [[Trinity College Dublin]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Buckland |first1=Charles Edward |title=Dictionary of Indian Biography |date=1906 |publisher=S. Sonnenschein |page=245 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wvMRAAAAYAAJ&dq=trinity+college+dublin+james+la+touche+son+of+wm+1844&pg=PA245 |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

==Career in India==
He joined the [[Indian Civil Service (British India)|Indian Civil Service]] in 1867, and spent four years in [[Ajmir Province]] and four years in [[British rule in Burma|Upper Burma]], before moving to the North-Western Provinces. In that province he served as a member of the Board of Revenue and Chief Secretary, and in 1897 acted as Lieutenant-Governor for six months, after the breakdown in health of [[Anthony Patrick MacDonnell|Sir Anthony MacDonnell]] following the combat with the famine that year.<ref name=TT09091901>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Indian Lieutenant-Governorships |date=9 September 1901 |page=2 |issue=36555}}</ref>

He was a Member of the [[Viceroy's Executive Council|Council of the Viceroy of India]], and was in November 1901 appointed [[List of Lieutenant-Governors of the North-Western Provinces and Chief Commissioners of Oudh|Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces and Chief Commissioner of Oudh]].<ref name=TT09091901 /> In March 1902 the province was renamed the [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]], and the former commissionership was abolished. La Touche continued as [[List of Lieutenant-Governors of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|Lieutenant-Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]] until December 1906.

The following year he was appointed a Member of the Council of the Secretary of State for India.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The New Members of the India Council |date=30 August 1907 |page=6 |issue=38425}}</ref>

La Touche was appointed a Companion of the [[Order of the Star of India]] (CSI) in the [[1896 New Year Honours|1896 New Year Honours list]] on 1 January 1896, and promoted to a Knight Commander (KCSI) in the [[1901 Birthday Honours]] list on 9 November 1901.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27374 |date=9 November 1901 |page=7287 |supp=y}}</ref>

[[Latouche Road, Kanpur|Latouche Road]] in [[Kanpur]] and [[Latouche Road, Lucknow|Latouche Road]] in [[Lucknow]] are named in his honour.

He retired in 1906 and returned to Ireland.<ref name="death">{{cite news |title=Death of Sir James La Touche |work=[[The Belfast News-Letter]] |publisher= |date=6 October 1921|page= 5}}</ref>

==Family==
La Touche married, in [[Bombay, India|Bombay]] in 1873, Julia Mary Rothwell, daughter of Thomas Wade Rothwell.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, the Privy Council, Knightage, and Companionage |date=1913 |publisher=Harrison & Sons |page=2347 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GBhBAQAAMAAJ&dq=Sir+James+John+Digges+La+Touche,+KCSI+(16+December+1844&pg=PA2347 |access-date=29 September 2024 |language=en}}</ref> They had one child, Louisa France "Lola" Digges La Touche (1879 – 31 March 1884), who died age 5 on the steamship ''Assam'' returning from India.<ref>{{cite news |title=Deaths. |work=Dublin Daily Express |date=10 April 1884 |page=1}}</ref>

He died at his home, 53 [[Raglan Road, Dublin]], aged 77.<ref name="death"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-gov}}
{{Succession box| title=[[List of Lieutenant-Governors of the North-Western Provinces and Chief Commissioners of Oudh|Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces and Chief Commissioner of Oudh]] | before=[[Anthony Patrick MacDonnell|Sir Anthony Patrick MacDonnell]] | after=Office abolished | years=1901-1902}}
{{Succession box| title=[[List of Lieutenant-Governors of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|Lieutenant-Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh]] | before=New office | after=[[John Prescott Hewett|Sir John Prescott Hewett]] | years=1902-1906}}
{{end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:La Touche, James}}
[[Category:1844 births]]
[[Category:1921 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Civil Service (British India) officers]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Irish colonial officials]]
[[Category:La Touche family|James]]

James La Touche - Revision history

ChanteKates at 20:43, 5 March 2026