Sir Herbert Cecil Sloley, KCMG (4 February 1855 – 22 September 1937) was a British colonial policeman and administrator. He was Resident Commissioner for Basutoland from circa 1900 to 1916.
Sloley was born in Calcutta, to Robert Hugh Sloley and Marian Farrell.[1] He was educated at Greenwich Propriety School.[1] After school, he had a brief career in banking at the London and Westminster Bank in 1873.[2] [3]
Sloley arrived in South Africa in 1877, joining the Cape Mounted Riflemen.[4] During the Basuto Gun War, between 1880 and 1881, he was appointed as a Captain commanding a native contingent.[1] In 1883, he transferred to the Cape police as a Sub-Inspector which he held until 1884 and then the same role with Basutoland Mounted Police until 1886.[4] [1] He held a position with the latter as inspector from 1886 until 1889.[1] Sloley was appointed assistant commissioner to Basutoland in 1889.[4] By 1898 he was its Government Secretary and the Resident Commissioner in 1901 which he held until 1916.[4] In 1908, he established a National Council of Basutos.[5]
Sloley married Charlotte Dick in 1886 in the Cape Colony.[1]
Retiring in 1916, he died in Cape Town in 1937.[2]
Sloley was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1905.[3] In 1911 he was appointed Knight Commander to the latter order.[3]