Sir Robert William Hamilton (26 August 1867 – 5 July 1944) was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

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politician and Chief Justice of the

East Africa Protectorate East Africa Protectorate (also known as British East Africa) was an area in the African Great Lakes occupying roughly the same terrain as present-day Kenya from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west. Controlled by Britai ...

Background

Hamilton was the second son of Sir Robert G. C. Hamilton who was Governor of Tasmania. He was educated at St Paul's School and

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is the fifth-oldest surviving college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by ...

, and was

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. He was knighted in 1918. In 1925 he married Gertrude Williamson of Kirkwall, Orkney.

Professional career

Hamilton was appointed an Assistant Judge of the High Court of East Africa in 1902. Three years later, he was in 1905 appointed Principal Judge and Chief Justice of the

. He was appointed as Chairman of the Civil Service Commission in 1918. He retired from the civil service in 1920.

Political career

Hamilton was selected as Liberal candidate for the island constituency of Orkney and Shetland at the 1922 general election. The seat was a safe Liberal seat, where at the previous election Sir Malcolm Smith had been returned unopposed. Smith declared himself a supporter of Lloyd George's Coalition Government and sought re-election in 1922 as a National Liberal Party candidate. The two Liberal factions went head to head and Hamilton won the seat; He was re-elected at the general election a year later, this time against a Unionist challenger; In 1924 he was returned at the general election unopposed. At the 1929 General election he was re-elected with a bigger majority; He served as a Parliamentary delegate to

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in 1924, to

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in 1928 and to

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in 1930. From 1930 to 1931 he was a member of the first

Round Table Conference The three Round Table Conferences of 1930–1932 were a series of peace conferences organized by the British Government and Indian political personalities to discuss constitutional reforms in India. These started in November 1930 and ended in Dec ...

formed to discuss plans for Indian independence. In 1931 he served on the Joint

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.The Times House of Commons, 1935 When the Liberal Party split in late 1931, Hamilton followed the group led by Sir Herbert Samuel and the official Liberal Party, in support of the National Government. He became Parliamentary

Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a Minister of State. Under-Secretaries of State for the Col ...

in the

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in September 1931, working under the Conservative Philip Cunliffe-Lister. At the October general election he was returned unopposed. In 1932 he was replaced as Under-Secretary by the Conservative

Ivor Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth Ivor Miles Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth GCStJ, PC (4 February 1889 – 1 October 1943) was an English nobleman and Conservative Party politician. Early life Ivor was born on 4 February 1889. He was the second, and only surviving, son of ...

. When the Liberal Party decided to leave the National Government in 1933, he followed Samuel across to the opposition benches. He was appointed Scottish Liberal

Whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

in 1934. He lost his seat at the 1935 general election, to the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

candidate. He retired from politics and did not stand again.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Robert 1867 births 1944 deaths Scottish Liberal Party MPs Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Orkney and Shetland UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs 1931–1935 Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Chief justices of Kenya East Africa Protectorate judges British Kenya people