Henry Edward Colvin Cowie (December 17, 1872 – 1963) was a British-Indian military officer and engineer. Cowie was born in Calcutta, the son of Henry George Cowie, an official in the Indian Finance Department. Cowie was sent to England where he studied at the Shrewsbury School and the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, graduating in 1893 with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Cowie returned to India in 1895 where he worked as a deputy engineer at the Indian Public Works Department. When the Boxer Rebellion (1899 – 1901) laid siege to the Beijing Legation Quarter, Cowie was sent with the British contingent of the China Relief Expedition to lift the siege. There he was tasked to create an accurate map of the British Legation showing the events of the siege – which is today the most important map of that event. Cowie remained in China until 1903, where his engineering expertise helped to rebuild British infrastructure damaged during the rebellion. He returned to India after 1903 where worked with the Indian State Railways before committing to a military service from 1914 – 1920. In 1920, Cowie returned to his civilian career at the India State Railways, this time as Chief Engineer, a position he held until his retirement in 1927. Leaving India forever, Cowie settled in Stockport, Cheshire, England, where he remained until his death 35 years later. His son, Henry John Cowie, was an important Hong Kong businessman after World War II.



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