Major James Francis Thomas (25 July 1861 – 11 November 1942), was a solicitor from

Tenterfield, New South Wales Tenterfield is a regional town in New South Wales, Australia. At the , Tenterfield had a population of 4,066. Tenterfield's proximity to many regional centres and its position on the route between Sydney and Brisbane led to its development as a ...

. As Major Thomas, he defended Lieutenants Peter Joseph Handcock, George Ramsdale Witton, and Harry "Breaker" Morant, of the Bushveldt Carbineers (BVC) of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, in their trial for the murder of nine Boer prisoners-of-war during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

Education

He was educated at

The King's School, Parramatta , motto_translation = "Bravely and Faithfully" , streetaddress = 87–129 Pennant Hills Road , city = North Parramatta, Sydney , state = New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinat ...

, and at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...

Law

He served as an

articled clerk Articled clerk is a title used in Commonwealth countries for one who is studying to be an accountant or a lawyer. In doing so, they are put under the supervision of someone already in the profession, now usually for two years, but previously three ...

in a reputable Sydney law practice. He was (unconditionally) admitted to practise as a solicitor on 28 May 1887.

''Tenterfield Star''

He was also the owner-operator of the ''Tenterfield Star'' newspaper for sixteen years, from 1898.

Death

He died on his property at Boonoo Boonoo, near

Tenterfield Tenterfield is a regional town in New South Wales, Australia. At the , Tenterfield had a population of 4,066. Tenterfield's proximity to many regional centres and its position on the route between Sydney and Brisbane led to its development as a ...

, on

Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in t ...

, 11 November 1942.Murphy, Damien, "Breaker Morant Relics Found on Rubbish Tip", ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 22 April 2016.
/ref>

Footnotes

References

New State of Provinces?, '' The Richmond River Express and Casino Kyogle Advertiser'', (Wednesday, 27 August 1924), p.3.

N. S. Wales Doubting Thomas: Life Struggles of Spirited Lawyer: Man Who Fought Kitchener" Thentefield Solicitor Remains in Gaol on Principle, ''Smith's Weekly'', (Saturday, 11 June 1927), p.11.

Struck off the Rolls, '' Casino and Kyogle Courier and North Coast Advertiser'', (Wednesday, 14 Mar 1928), p.3.

Tenterfield's Fighting Solicitor, ''Smith's Weekly'', (Saturday, 8 September 1928), p.4.
* Unkles, James, ''Ready, Aim, Fire : Major James Francis Thomas, the Fourth Victim in the Execution of Lieutenant Harry "Breaker" Morant'', Sid Harta Publishers, (Glen Waverley), 2018. * Witton, G.R., ''Scapegoats of the Empire'', Angus & Robertson, (Sydney), (1907).
NAA: A1336, 227: Copyright Application by George Ramsdale Whitton for ''Scapegoats of the Empire'', dated 7 August 1907, ''National Archives of Australia'', (contains photographs of each of the book's 240 pages).

External links

*
James Francis Thomas – The Man Who Defended Breaker Morant, ''The Australian Light Horse Association''.

Major James Thomas, ''The Australian Boer War Memorial, Anzac Parade Canberra''.

Boer War Nominal Roll: James Francis Thomas

''Opinion of the Hon. Isaac A. Isaacs, K.C., M.P., re the case of Lieutenant Witton''
1902, Melbourne : .n./nowiki> {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, James Francis 1861 births 1942 deaths Australian Army officers Australian military personnel of the Second Boer War 19th-century Australian lawyers Australian newspaper publishers (people) 20th-century Australian lawyers