BIRCH, JOHN FRANCIS. Second lieut. R.A. 18 Sep. 1793; second lieut. R.E. 1 Jany. 1794, colonel R.E. 29 July 1825, colonel commandant 19 Oct. 1847 to death; C.B. 26 Sep. 1831; general 20 June 1854; served in Flanders, Holland, Egypt and Spain. _d._ Folkestone 29 May 1856 aged 79. BIRCH, SIR RICHARD JAMES HOLWELL (_son of Richard Comyns Birch, of Bengal civil service_). _b._ Calcutta 1803; entered Bengal army 1821; studied at Trin. coll. Cam. 1823–24; judge advocate general to the forces in Bengal 1841–52; military secretary to government of India 1854 to 31 Dec. 1861 when he retired; M.G. 4 May 1858; C.B. 5 June 1849, K.C.B. 18 May 1860. _d._ Venice 25 Feb. 1875. _I.L.N. lxvi_, 259 (1875). BIRCH, ROBERT HENRY. _b._ 1771; second lieut. R.A. 9 March 1795; colonel 10 Jany. 1837 to 9 Nov. 1846, col. commandant 12 Aug. 1849 to death; M.G. 9 Nov. 1846. _d._ Dublin 29 June 1851. BIRCH, SAMUEL (_eld. son of Rev. Samuel Birch, R. of St. Mary Woolnoth, City of London who d. 1848_). _b._ London 3 Nov. 1813; ed. at Merchant Taylors’ school 1826–31; employed in Public record office 1834; assistant in department of Antiquities of British Museum Jany. 1836, assistant keeper 1844; keeper of the Oriental Mediæval and British antiquities and Ethnographical collections 1861 to death; corresponding member of Archæological Institute of Rome 1839, of Berlin Academy 1851, of Academy of inscriptions of French Institute 1861; LLD. St. Andrews 1862; determined the ancient Cypriote to be a Greek language 1872; presided over Congress of Orientalists held in London 14 Sep. 1874; received German order of the Crown Nov. 1874; Rede lecturer Univ. of Cam. for 1876; LLD. Cam. 1875; hon. fellow of Queen’s coll. Ox. 1875; D.C.L. Ox. 1876; author of _Gallery of antiquities_ 1842; _Introduction to the study of hieroglyphics_ 1857; _History of ancient pottery_ 1857, _2 ed._ 1873; edited _Records of the past 12 vols._ 1873–77; _The manners and customs of the ancient Egyptians by Sir J. G. Wilkinson_, _new ed. 3 vols._ 1878. _d._ 64 Caversham road, Kentish Town, London 27 Dec. 1885. _Times 29 Dec. 1885 p._ 8, _col._ 3; _Athenæum 2 Jany. 1886 pp._ 34–35; _Dublin Univ. Mag. xc_, 53–60 (1877), _portrait_; _I.L.N. lxxxviii_, 64 (1886), _portrait_. BIRCH, SYLVESTER DOUGLAS. A writer in Madras civil service 1830; secretary and treasurer of Bank of Madras 1843; accountant general at Bombay, pres. of the mint committee and government director of Bank of Bombay 1859 to 28 Feb. 1865 when he retired on an annuity. _d._ San Remo, Italy 4 Feb. 1881. BIRCH, SIR THOMAS BERNARD, 2 Baronet. _b._ 18 March 1791; succeeded 22 Aug. 1833; sheriff of Lancs. 1841; M.P. for Liverpool 30 July 1847 to 1 July 1852. _d._ The Hazles Prescot near Liverpool 3 March 1880.