Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 2.djvu/485

 able to announce to the public that the situation was saved.

The bank, supported by the chief joint-stock banks, discount houses, and a few leading firms, undertook the liquidation of Messrs. Baring's affairs by means of a committee to last for three (eventually extended to four) years, during which it was hoped that the whole of the firm's assets would be satisfactorily realised. In his dealing with the inevitable difficulties of the liquidation, Lidderdale, by his firm action, still further increased the confidence of the City in his financial leadership. At the close of this alarming crisis, which the country had hardly time to realise before it disappeared, the services of Lidderdale and his fellow directors received marked public recognition. On 30 Dec. 1890 a committee from the Stock Exchange presented the governor and directors with an appreciative address. On 27 Feb. 1891 Lidderdale was presented with the honorary freedom of the Grocers' Company. On 6 May he was admitted to the honorary freedom of the City of London; at the banquet in his honour which followed at the Mansion House, Lidderdale insisted that the maintenance of a sufficient reserve for national wants was the concern not only of the Bank of England, but of all the banks of the country. He was made a privy councillor on 30 May 1891.

Lidderdale was continued in office as governor for a year beyond the usual term, so that he might bring to a conclusion negotiations with the government for changes in the management of the bank, which eventually took shape in the Bank Act of 27 June 1892. To his personal investigation of the details was largely due the judgment of the House of Lords on 6 March 1891 (reversing the decision of the lower courts), in the intricate case, Vagliano Bros, versus the Bank of England. Thereby the bank was finally relieved, after three years' litigation, of a claim to pay the plaintiffs a sum of 71,500l. which a clerk of theirs had fraudulently drawn from the firm's account at the Bank of England in 1888. The result was warmly welcomed by the banking interest.

Lidderdale, who became a commissioner of the Patriotic Fund in 1893, and held (among other financial offices) the presidency of the council of the Corporation of Foreign Bondholders, died on 26 June 1902 at 55 Montagu Square, London, W., and was buried at Winkfield, near Windsor. He married in 1868 Mary Martha, elder daughter of Wadsworth Dawson Busk of Winkfield. Berkshire (formerly of 8t Petersburg), by his wife Elizabeth Thielcke ; of hill eight children four Aona and three daughtent survived him.

 LINDSAY, JAMES GAVIN (1835–1903), colonel R.E., born on 21 Oct. 1835, was younger son of Colonel Martin Lindsay, C.B. of Dowhill, CO. Londonderry, who commanded the 78th highlanders.

Educated at Addiscombe from 1862 to 1854, he obtained a commission in the Madras engineers, becoming second lieutenant on 9 Dec. 1854 and lieutenant on 27 April 1858. He served in the Indian Mutiny campaign in 1858 under Sir George Whitlock, and was present at the affairs of Jheejung and Kabrai, the battle of Banda, and the relief of Kirwi. He was in the reserve at the storming of the heights of Punwarree and received the medal and clasp. He was made second captain on 29 June 1863. Subsequently he entered the railway department as deputy consulting engineer, and in April 1870 he was appointed executive engineer of the first grade for the railway survey of Mysore. In 1872 he undertook as engineer-in-chief the construction of the Northern Bengal railway. His administrative capacity was seen to advantage during the Bengal famine of 1873-4, when he employed on public works large numbers who were out of work owing to the failure of the crops. He was promoted captain on 30 July 1871 ; major on 6 July 1872 ; lieut.-colonel on 31 Dec. 1878 ; and colonel on 31 Dec. 1882. During the second Afghan war in 1870-1880 he showed his organising power by building for military purposes the Sokkor-Sibi railway, of which he was engineer-in-chief. It was constructed in three months and opened for traffic on 27 Jan. 1880. He also started the Hamai and Gulistan-Karez sections of the Kandahar railway. Afterwards he took part in the march from Quetta to the relief of Kandahar with the force under Major-general Sir Robert Phayre [q. v. Suppl. I] and in the destruction of the towers of Abu Saiad Khan's fort (cf. Lond. Gaz. 25 Jan. 1881). He again received the medal.

Returning from the frontier at the close 