John Goldney
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Sir John Tankerville Goldney (15 June 1846 – 11 April 1920) was a British barrister who rose to be
Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago The Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago is the highest judge of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and presides over its Supreme Court of Judicature. He is appointed by a common decision of the president, the prime minister and the leader of the m ...
, and was also
High Sheriff of Wiltshire This is a list of the Sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) High Sheriffs of Wiltshire. Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held ''ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Go ...
in 1910. He is also notable for introducing golf to Singapore in 1891.


Early life

Goldney was the third son of
Sir Gabriel Goldney, 1st Baronet Sir Gabriel Goldney, 1st Baronet (25 July 1813 – 8 May 1900) was a Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1885. He was created a baronet in May 1880. Ancestry and early life The Goldney family, from Bristol, becam ...
of Beechfield,
Corsham Corsham is a historic market town and civil parish in west Wiltshire, England. It is at the south-eastern edge of the Cotswolds, just off the A4 national route, southwest of Swindon, southeast of Bristol, northeast of Bath and southwest of ...
and Bradenstoke Abbey (both
Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
) and Mary Anne (née Alexander). He was born on 15 June 1846 and baptised at Corsham on 14 July. He attended Harrow School, studied at
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...
, and was called to the bar by
Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...
on 30 April 1869. On 9 February 1875 he married Jane MacGregor Laird, daughter of John Laird, Member of Parliament for
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
, where he lived for a while.


Legal career

In April 1880 he was appointed Attorney General of the Leeward Islands and translated to acting Chief Justice in 1881; in 1883 he was appointed a judge of the High Court of British Guiana, where he served until 1887. Goldney served as Chief Justice for the Straits Settlements from 1887 to 1892. It is believed that having brought golf clubs with him, Goldney noticed there was no course in Singapore where he could use them; accordingly, he proposed that part of the Singapore Sporting Club's land be used for golf; this was accepted and a nine-hole course was laid out. Goldney became the first president of the club, which he inaugurated by driving the first ball. In 1892, he was appointed
Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago The Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago is the highest judge of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and presides over its Supreme Court of Judicature. He is appointed by a common decision of the president, the prime minister and the leader of the m ...
and was honoured as a
Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...
in the following year. He resigned his office in 1899 and returned to England, where he was appointed
High Sheriff of Wiltshire This is a list of the Sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) High Sheriffs of Wiltshire. Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held ''ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Go ...
for 1910 and a Justice of the Peace for the same county. He died on 11 April 1920 and was buried at St Bartholomew's Church, Corsham alongside other members of his family.


See also

*
Goldney baronets The Goldney Baronetcy, of Beechfield in the Parish of Corsham and Bradenstoke Abbey in the Parish of Lyneham, both in the County of Wiltshire, was a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 11 May 1880 for Gabriel Gol ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goldney, John 1846 births 1920 deaths English justices of the peace People from Wiltshire People from Birkenhead People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Members of the Inner Temple British Trinidad and Tobago judges Chief justices of Trinidad and Tobago Knights Bachelor Lawyers awarded knighthoods Younger sons of baronets High Sheriffs of Wiltshire Attorneys General of the Leeward Islands
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...