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Henry Torrens

1823 – 1889

British Army general

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About Henry Torrens

Lived 1823 – 1889 (aged 66). Henry Torrens was a British military personnel, colonial administrator and military officer.

Lieutenant-General Sir Henry D'Oyley Torrens (24 February 1833 – 1 December 1889) was a British Army officer and colonial governor. He was born in Meerut, India, the son of Henry Whitelock Torrens and Eliza Mary Roberts and died in London.

Military career Torrens was commissioned as a second Lieutenant in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in 1849. His rise through the ranks was very rapid, reaching the rank of colonel in 1864.

He served in the Crimean War at the major battles, for which he was awarded the Légion d'honneur, followed by service in India during the Indian Mutiny in 1857.

In 1862, he published a book, Travels in Ladâk, Tartary, and Kashmir, about his summer holiday the previous year.

He was promoted to Major-General in 1869 and finally to Lieutenant-General while serving as General Officer Commanding Cork District in Ireland in 1884.

He went on to be was Governor of Cape Colony in 1886 and Governor of Malta in 1888. He was a keen golfer founding both Royal Cape Golf Club in 1886 and Royal Malta Golf Club in 1888.

Personal life In 1876, Torrens married Georgina Frances De Butts in Kensington, London. She was born in 1852, the daughter of Augustus De Butts Jr (1806–1867) and his wife, Hannah Georgeina Elizabeth Inglefield, and granddaughter of General Sir Augustus De Butts. She died in 1918.

He died on 1 December 1889 and the beneficiary of his will was his wife, Georgina Frances Torrens. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London. Georgina died in 1918.

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Important facts

Birth century
Positions held
Governor of Malta
Awards
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath; Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Also known as
Sir Henry Torrens, Henry D'Oyley Torrens

People in Henry Torrens's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Henry Torrens's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Henry Torrens?

British Army general (1833–1889)

When was Henry Torrens born?

Henry Torrens was born on 24 February 1823 in Meerut.

When did Henry Torrens die?

Henry Torrens died on 1 December 1889 in London.

What was Henry Torrens's occupation?

Henry Torrens was a military personnel, colonial administrator and military officer.

What nationality was Henry Torrens?

Henry Torrens was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Henry Torrens

· Wikidata: Q1607313

· DBpedia: Henry Torrens (British Army officer, born 1833)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry Torrens. https://biography.guide/henry-torrens/

MLA: "Henry Torrens." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-torrens/.

Chicago: "Henry Torrens." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-torrens/.

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