Thomas Martland Ainscough

Sir Thomas Martland Ainscough OBE CBE (12 August 1886 – 15 October 1976) was a British Senior Trade Commissioner in India, Burma and Ceylon from 1918 to 1944.

Early life and education Ainscough was born on 12 August 1886, the eldest son of James Ainscough of Parbold, Lancashire. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School, in Switzerland, and at Manchester University.

Career Ainscough began his career in business working for an export firm in Manchester. In 1906, he went to China to represent the firm, and continued to travel extensively in western China while returning from time to time to report to his firm. In 1912, he left the business to take up the appointment of Special Commissioner to the Board of Trade in China, on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Intelligence, to inquire into the conditions and prospects of British trade in China. From 1916–17, he served as Secretary to the Board of Trade of the Textile Committee, and the Empire Cotton Weaving Committee.

In 1920, Ainscough was briefly attached to the Persian Tariff Commission, and in 1932, was a member of the British delegation at the Imperial Economic Conference in Ottawa, Canada when preferential tariffs were negotiated. In 1942, he was appointed British Representative of the Ministry of War Transport, and organised the war department at Delhi. He retired from public service in 1944.