McWelling "Mac" Todman, (25 December 1923 - 7 March 1996) was a

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

and

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

from the

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

who played an important role in the early political history of the Territory.

Early life

Mac Todman was born on

Christmas day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

1923 in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Like many successful Caribbean nationals, he began life as a teacher. In 1952 he married Audrey Creque, to whom he remained married for life. Together they had three children, one of whom predeceased him. Todman was also a regular lay preacher at the Road Town Methodist Church.

Politics

After he left teaching Mac Todman held various administrative posts during the colonial administration in the British Virgin Islands before the introduction of self-rule in 1967. This role took him first to Antigua, and later in 1957 to Barbados as part of the doomed

Federation of the West Indies A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governing ...

. Todman played in active role in supporting the right of the British Virgin Islands for political self-determination. He famously described the constitutional reforms which led to the 1950 general election as "an instrument minimal in its intent and its effect". He was also a longstanding member of BVI Public Service Commission, serving from 1970 until 1994, just two years before his death. For his services to Government he was awarded an OBE in 1970, and promoted to be a CBE in 1988.

Law

In 1967 he travelled to London and trained as a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

, becoming the first

Belonger Belonger status is a legal classification normally associated with British Overseas Territories. It refers to people who have close ties to a specific territory, normally by birth or ancestry. The requirements for belonger status, and the right ...

from the British Virgin Islands to be called as a lawyer. In 1980 he was elevated to

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...

. He was the first, and still one of the very few, native-born lawyers from the British Virgin Islands to be so honoured. He founded his own practice, McW Todman & Co, which continues in existence today. He has been described as a lawyer of "exceptional ability." In 1981 in the early days of the British Virgin Islands financial services industry, other than the

Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands The Premier of the Virgin Islands is the head of government for the British Virgin Islands. As a British Overseas Territory, the Premier is appointed by the Governor on behalf of the British monarch, currently King Charles III. Until 2007, the ...

Lavity Stoutt Hamilton Lavity Stoutt (7 March 1929 – 14 May 1995) was a British Virgin Islander politician and the first and longest serving Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands. He won five general elections (1967, 1979, 1986, 1991 and 1995) ...

, Mac Todman was the only native-born member of the delegation sent by the Territory to negotiate with the United States in relation to the proposed cancellation of the double tax treaty between the two countries. He memorably described the process as one of "plea-gotiation" rather than "negotiation".

Death

On 7 March 1996 he died peacefully of natural causes. In his memory the

BVI Bar Association The BVI Bar Association is a voluntary association, voluntary membership organisation for members of the legal profession in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The Association was founded on 8 May 1976. Of the eight founder members, half would g ...

instituted an annual lecture series in his name.

Footnotes

20th-century British Virgin Islands lawyers 1923 births 1996 deaths British Virgin Islands Queen's Counsel Commanders of the Order of the British Empire {{BritishVirginIslands-bio-stub