Sir Theodore Thomas Ford (25 September 1830''England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975'' – 23 May 1920) was a British lawyer and judge. He served as

Chief Justice of the Straits Settlements The chief justice of Singapore is the presiding member of the Supreme Court of Singapore. It is the highest post in the judicial system of Singapore, appointed by the president, chosen from the candidates recommended by the prime minister. The in ...

in the 19th century.

Early life

Ford was born in

Sandgate, Kent Sandgate is a village in the Folkestone and Hythe Urban Area in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. It had a population of 4,225 at the 2001 census.George Samuel Ford George Samuel Ford (1790–1868) was a bill discounter (money lender) and solicitor who took interest in the financial affairs of many gentlemen of the period including the Lords Lichfield, Chesterfield, Suffield and the Count d'Orsay. A passi ...

, an English solicitor and money lender, and his wife, Hannah Bramah, daughter of civil engineer

Joseph Bramah Joseph Bramah (13 April 1748 – 9 December 1814), born Stainborough Lane Farm, Stainborough, in Barnsley, Yorkshire, was an English inventor and locksmith. He is best known for having improved the flush toilet and inventing the hydraulic pr ...

. He was called to the Bar at the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

in 1866, and for three years worked on the staff of the Weekly Reporter in the Chancery Courts. In 1868, he joined the Western Circuit. He married Ellen Elizabeth Watson, daughter of George Watson in 1859.

Legal appointments

He was appointed a

Puisne Judge A puisne judge or puisne justice (; from french: puisné or ; , 'since, later' + , 'born', i.e. 'junior') is a dated term for an ordinary judge or a judge of lesser rank of a particular court. Use The term is used almost exclusively in common law ...

of the Supreme Court of the

Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore for more than a century, it was originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Comp ...

in 1874 and became Chief Justice in 1886. He was knighted in 1888.

Retirement and death

Ford retired to

Upper Norwood Upper Norwood is an area of south London, England, within the London Boroughs of Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth and Southwark. It is north of Croydon and the eastern part of it is better known as the Crystal Palace area. Upper Norwood is situated ...

in England in 1896. He died in 1920 at the age of 91.

Street name

Ford Street (between North

Boat Quay Boat Quay is a historical quay in Singapore which is situated upstream from the mouth of the Singapore River on its southern bank. It spans from the shophouses near UOB Plaza, stretching along one bank of the Singapore River, all the way till El ...

and High Street) in Singapore was named after Ford. The street no longer exists and has been replaced by the High Street Centre.''Singapore Street Names: A Study of Toponymics'', p. 126.

References

External links

Profile of Ford in One Hundred Years of Singapore
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Theodore 1829 births 1920 deaths Chief Justices of the Straits Settlements Knights Bachelor Straits Settlements judges