Arthur Nonus Birch was born in 1836 in Yoxford, Suffolk. In 1855, Birch was appointed
to the position of Private Secretary to Sir
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and subsequently to the Duke of
Newcastle and
Chichester Fortescue. Birch travelled with newly appointed Governor
Frederick Seymour to
British Columbia as his personal secretary in 1863. In 1864, he was promoted to the position of resident colonial secretary of
British Columbia. Then, from 1866 to 1867, Birch was made acting Governor of
British Columbia in
Frederick Seymour's absence. However, Birch was unable to deal effectively with the economic issues
the colony faced, and by some accounts aggravated them. Birch then held a position on the Executive Council of
Victoria until 1871. Birch then relocated to Penang where he became Lieutenant Governor in 1871. Finally,
in 1873 he was made colonial secretary of Ceylon colony.
Birch married Josephine Watts-Russell, and received a knighthood before his political
retirement in 1876. And by 1891, Birch had moved to the private sector where he worked
for the Bank of England. Birch died in 1914.