Rosslyn Koch

Hon.
Theodore Hugh Rosslyn Koch
OBE
Member of the Ceylon Parliament
for Burgher Community (appointed member)
In office
April 1948 – October 1959
Preceded byEdward Frederick Noel Gratiaen
Succeeded byEric Brohier
Personal details
Born(1886-12-21)21 December 1886
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Died24 April 1961(1961-04-24) (aged 74)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
SpouseFlorence Lilian née Kriekenbeek
Children
  • Kathleen Frances Theodora
  • Henry Templar Rosslyn
  • Pamela
  • Wilhelm Louis

Theodore Hugh Rosslyn Koch OBE (21 December 1886 - 24 April 1961) was a Ceylonese businessman,[1] company director and politician.[2]

Koch was born on 21 December 1886, the sixth child and fourth son of Cecil Theodore (1852-1890) and Evelyn Harriet (née Foenander) (1855-1919).[3] Koch married Florence Lilian Kriekenbeek (1891-?) on 7 April 1915; they had four children: Kathleen Frances Theodora (b.1916); Henry Templar Rosslyn (b.1918); Pamela (b.1926); and Wilhelm Louis (b.1948).[citation needed]

In 1938, he became a founding director of the Ceylon Insurance Company, going on to serve as its chairman from 1942 to 1960.[4][5] In April 1948 Koch was appointed as the Burgher Member of the Ceylon House of Representatives, following the resignation of Edward Frederick Noel Gratiaen, who had been appointed as Justice of the Supreme Court.[6][7] He was one of six members appointed by the Governor-General to represent important interests which were not represented or inadequately represented in the House.[8] Koch served in three successive parliaments until he resigned in October 1959, wbeing succeeded by Dr. Eric Brohier. During his tenure, Koch served as the chair of the Public Accounts Committee.[9][10]

In the 1952 New Year Honours, Koch was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) for his services to the export trade.[11]

From 1952 until 1956 Koch served as the chairman of the Employers' Federation of Ceylon.[12]

  1. ^ People of Sri Lanka. Ministry of National Coexistence, Dialogue and Official Languages. March 2017. p. 189. ISBN 978-955-7537-03-0.
  2. ^ "Hon. Koch, Rosslyn, M.P." Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon" (PDF). XVII (4). Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon. 1918: 134. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ Wijesinghe, Mallory E. (1976). The Economy of Sri Lanka, 1948-1975. Ranco. p. 29.
  5. ^ Daniel, Smriti (23 September 2012). "Ceylinco: A story that took off with bus drivers and mill owners". Sunday Times. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  6. ^ Vijayalakshmi, E (2005). "Cultural minorities of Sri Lanka: their growth, achievements, and relevance today". International Centre for Ethnic Studies: 43. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ "Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon" (PDF). XXXVIII. Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon. July 1948: 111. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ "62nd Anniversary of Independence". Daily News. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  9. ^ "Parliamentary Debates". 37. Ceylon House of Representatives. 1959: xix. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ "Committee on Public Accounts". Parliament of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  11. ^ Ceylon list: "No. 39424". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1951. pp. 45–46.
  12. ^ Amerasinghe, E. F. G. (1994). The Employers' Federation of Ceylon, 1929-1994. The Employers' Federation of Ceylon. p. 255.