John Vincent Cowgill
John Vincent Cowgill | |
|---|---|
 Cowgill in 1939 | |
| British Resident of Negeri Sembilan | |
| In office 1939 – 1942 (Japanese prisoner) | |
| Preceded by | Gordon Lupton Ham |
| Succeeded by | William Alexander Gordon-Hall (1946) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 July 1888 |
| Died | 16 October 1959 (aged 71) Harrogate |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | All Souls College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Colonial administrator |
John Vincent Cowgill (19 July 1888 – 16 October 1959) was a British colonial administrator who was British Resident of Negeri Sembilan, Federated Malay States, from 1939 to 1942.
Early life and education
[edit]Cowgill was born on 19 July 1888, the son of Rev Harry Cowgill. He was educated at Durham School and All Souls College, Oxford.[1]
Career
[edit]Cowgill joined the Malayan Civil Service in 1911 as a cadet and was attached to the Chinese Protectorate.[2] In 1915, he enlisted and served in the war in Europe as a brigade signalling officer and rose to the rank of lieutenant. He was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Military Cross.[1][3]
After the war he returned to Malaya and served in various posts including: Revenue Auditor (1919);[4] acting District Officer, Temerloh (1920);[5] officer in the Chinese Protectorate in Kuala Lumpur where he served as chairman of the relief Committee assisting the destitute (1921);[6] adviser in Terengganu (1923);[7] Collector of Land Revenue, Kuala Lumpur (1927);[8] Commissioner of Lands (1928);[9] acting District Officer, Klang (1929);[10] District Officer, Kinta District (1930);[11] Secretary to the Resident, Perak (1932);[12] Chairman of the Sanitary Board, Kuala Lumpur (1934–35);[13] Director General of Posts and Telegraphs (1935–1939).[1][14][15]
In 1939, he was appointed British Resident of Negeri Sembilan.[16] During the Japanese occupation he was interned in Singapore from 1942 to 1945. After the war he returned to Malaya where from 1948 to 1949 he served as officer at the Joint Salaries Commission, Singapore and chairman of the Special Salaries Committee before he retired.[1][17]
Personal life and death
[edit]Cowgill married Lillian Bonehill in 1934. She died in 1941 aboard the S.S.Kuala during the evacuation of Singapore.[18] They had no children.[1]
Cowgill died on 16 October 1959 in Harrogate, aged 71.[19]
Honours
[edit]During the First World War Cowgill was awarded the Military Cross (MC).[1] In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal,[20] and in 1937, the King George VI Coronation Medal.[21] He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1946 New Year Honours.[22]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Who Was Who 1951-1960. Internet Archive. Adam & Charles Black. 1961. p. 248.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 27 January 1915. p. 7.
- ^ "The roll of honour". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 7 August 1917. p. 3.
- ^ "F.MS. Government Appointments". The Straits Times. 1 September 1919. p. 9.
- ^ "Promotions in F.M.S. Civil Service". The Straits Budget. 23 January 1920. p. 9.
- ^ "Chinese relief". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 20 August 1921. p. 7.
- ^ "F.M.S. Appointments". The Straits Times. 23 October 1923. p. 8.
- ^ "Social and personal". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 13 December 1927. p. 7.
- ^ "F.M.S. appointments". The Straits Budget. 22 March 1928. p. 7.
- ^ "F.M.S. appointments". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 29 May 1929. p. 3.
- ^ "Untitled". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. 14 July 1930. p. 5.
- ^ "Social and personal". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 29 March 1932. p. 6.
- ^ "K.L. Sanitary Board". The Straits Times. 5 April 1935. p. 16.
- ^ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 19 July 1935. p. 12.
- ^ "Appointment of Hon. Mr. S. W. Jones as Colonial Secretary". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 7 November 1939. p. 7.
- ^ "Malayan Civil Service Changes". The Straits Times. 7 November 1939. p. 11.
- ^ "Salaries Commission". The Straits Times. 11 August 1948. p. 7.
- ^ "J. V. Cowgill Scholarship". The Straits Times. 6 July 1946. p. 3.
- ^ "Former British Resident dead". The Straits Budget. 28 October 1959. p. 7.
- ^ "Recipients Of The Kings Jubilee Medal". Malaya Tribune. 24 May 1935. p. 12.
- ^ "Coronation medals for Malaya". Morning Tribune. 26 May 1937. p. 23.
- ^ "Page 9 | Issue 37407, 28 December 1945 | London Gazette | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-05-28.