William Hugh Cornwallis Trousdell (1879-1915) was educated at Carlisle and Queen's College, Oxford (where he obtained his degree in Modern History in 1903). Trousdell was appointed a clerk in the Colonial Audit Department in June 11 1904. The following year he received an overseas posting, and assumed his duties as Assistant Auditor at Calabar on July 7 1905, making a journey up the Cross River in November and December. From January to July 1906 he was based at Bonny and sailed for England on his first leave aboard the S.S. 'Sekondi' on July 13.

Trousdell arrived at Bonny for his second tour of duty on January 3, 1907. He returned to Lagos as acting Local Auditor on February 17 1908, and was transferred to the Treasury as a Financial Assistant 2nd Grade on July 26 1908, promoted to 1st Grade January 1 1910. Prior to the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria on January 1 1914, Trousdell was appointed Chief Accountant of the combined Railway Department. While returning from England on leave his ship, the Elder Dempster steamer S.S. 'Falaba' was torpedoed by a German submarine in St. George's Channel on March 28 1915. Trousdell's was among the 104 lives lost.