Sir Gordon James Lethem,
KCMG KCMG may refer to
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(16 September 1886 – 14 August 1962)
was a British colonial administrator.
He was born in Leith, Scotland, the son of James Lethem and Marian Macintosh.
He was
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of
British Guiana
British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana.
The first European to encounter Guiana was S ...
from 7 November 1941 to 1946. He was acting Governor from 1946 to 12 April 1947. He also served in
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, the
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
, and the
Leeward Islands
french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent
, image_name =
, image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis.
, image_alt =
, locator_map =
, location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean
, coor ...
. Lethem's papers are held in
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...
at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
.
After retiring from the civil service he became involved in politics. He was a member of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
. In 1950 he was Vice-President of the Scottish Liberal Party. He stood as a Liberal candidate at the
United Kingdom general election of 1950 in the constituency of
Banffshire
Banffshire ; sco, Coontie o Banffshire; gd, Siorrachd Bhanbh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. It borders the Moray ...
. He finished third and did not stand for parliament again.
[British Parliamentary Election Results 1950-1973 by FWS Craig]
The city of
Lethem,
Guyana
Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...
is named after him.
References
Papers of Sir Gordon James Lethem Bodleian Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lethem, Gordon James
1886 births
1962 deaths
Governors of British Seychelles
Governors of British Guiana
British Guiana in World War II
Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Knights of the Order of St John
Members of Lincoln's Inn
Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
British people in British Nigeria