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 BIRCH, RICHARD JAMES HOLWELL (1803–1875), general, came of a well-known Anglo–Indian family, and was the son of Richard Comyns Birch, of the Bengal civil service, and afterwards of Writtle, Essex, who was a grandson of John Zephaniah Holwell, of the Bengal civil service, author of the famous account of his sufferings in the Black Hole of Calcutta. Birch was born in 1803, and received a commission as an ensign in the Bengal infantry in 1821. His numerous circle of relations in India insured his rapid promotion and almost continuous service on the staff, and after acting as deputy-judge advocate-general at Meerut, and as assistant secretary in the military department at Calcutta, he was appointed judge-advocate-general to the forces in Bengal in 1841. In the same capacity he accompanied the army in the first Sikh war (1845–6), was mentioned in despatches, and was promoted lieutenant-colonel for his services. In the second Sikh war (1849) he was appointed to the temporary command of a brigade after the battle of Chillianwallah. He distinguished himself at the battle of Goojerat, and was made a C.B. in 1849, and continued to serve as brigadier-general in Sir Colin Campbell's campaign in the Kohat pass in 1850. He then reverted to his appointment at headquarters, and in 1852 received the still more important post of secretary to the Indian government in the military department. He was promoted colonel in 1854, major-general in 1858, and still held the secretaryship when the Indian mutiny broke out in 1857. His services at this time were most valuable, though he never left Calcutta, for his thorough knowledge of the routine duties of his office and his long official experience enabled him to give valuable advice to Lord Canning, the governor-general, and to Sir Colin Campbell when he arrived to take up the command in chief. These services were recognised by his being made a K.C.B. in 1860, and in 1861 he left India. In the following year he was promoted lieutenant-general and retired on full pay and on 25 Feb. 1875 he died at Venice, aged 72.

 BIRCH, SAMUEL (1757–1841), dramatist and pastrycook, was born in London 8 Nov. 1757. He was the son of Lucas Birch, who carried on the business of a pastrycook and confectioner at 16 Cornhill. This shop, though the upper portion of the house had been rebuilt, still (1885) retains its old-fashioned front, and is probably the oldest shop of the kind in the city. The business was established in the reign of George I by a Mr. Horton, the immediate predecessor of Lucas Birch. Samuel was educated at a private school kept by Mr. Crawford at Newington Butts, and upon leaving school was apprenticed to his father. Early in life, in 1778, he married the daughter of Dr. John Fordyce, by whom he had a family of thirteen children. He was elected one of the common council on 21 Dec. 1781, and in 1789 became deputy of the Cornhill ward. In May 1807 he was elected alderman of the Candlewick ward in the place of Alderman Hankey. When young he devoted much of his leisure time to the cultivation of his mental powers and the improvement of his literary taste; he was a frequent attendant of a debating society which met in one of the large rooms formerly belonging to the King's Arms Tavern, Cornhill, and there, in the winter of 1778, he made his first essay in public speaking. In politics he was a strenuous supporter of Pitt's administration, though he vigorously opposed the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts. He became a frequent speaker at the common council meetings. When he first proposed the formation of volunteer regiments at the outbreak of the French revolution, not a single common councilman supported him. Subsequently, when the measure was adopted, he became the lieutenant-colonel commandant of the 1st regiment of Loyal London volunteers. The speech which he delivered in the Guildhall on 5 March 1805 against the Roman catholic petition was severely criticised in an article entitled 'Deputy Birch and others on the Catholic Claims, which appeared in the 'Edinburgh Review' (x. 124–36). It was, however, highly commended by the king, and the freedom of the city of Dublin was twice voted him at the midsummer quarter assembly of the corporation of that city on 19 July 1805 and 18 July 1806, for his advocacy of the protestant ascendency in Ireland, In 1811 he was appointed one of the sheriffs of London, and on 9 Nov. 1814 Birch entered on his duties as lord mayor. Tory though he was, he opposed the Corn Bill of 1815, and presided at a meeting of the livery in common hall on 23 Feb. 1815, when he made a