Thomas Prout Webb (22 January 1845 – 22 November 1916) was an Australian barrister and judge. Webb was the fourth son of Robert Saunders Webb, the first collector of customs at Port Phillip, by his wife Ann, daughter of Lieutenant Fisher, R.N., was born at Newtown (now called

Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. Mr. Webb was educated at the Church of England Grammar School, Melbourne, and at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

(B.A., 1867) where he studied under professor

William Hearn William Hearn may refer to: * William Hearn (legal academic) (1826–1888), Australian university professor and politician * William Hearn (umpire) (1849–1904), English cricketer and Test umpire * William Hearn (rower) (1850–?), New Zealand scu ...

. He then studied at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

, entered at Lincoln's Inn in November 1867, and was called to the Bar in June 1870, having won the Inns of Court Exhibition in Constitutional Law and Legal History in the previous year. Webb was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1872, and practised on the equity side of the Supreme Court until 1884, when he was appointed assistant chief clerk under the Judicature Act, the rules of which he assisted in drafting. In October 1884 he succeeded Mr. Wilkinson as Master in Equity and Master in Lunacy. He acted as Deputy Commissioner of Titles during Mr. Bunny's illness, and in 1885, on Mr. Bunny's death, he was Commissioner of Titles for some months concurrently with his other offices. In March 1890 he inaugurated the new procedure in and reorganised the Patents Office, and in March 1891 he also undertook the cognate subject of trademarks under the new legislation then introduced. Webb published in 1872 a successful work on the Imperial law in force in the colony. In 1874 he assisted Mr. J. B. Box in preparing and editing the "''Compendium of the Imperial Law and Statutes in Force in the Colony of Victoria''" and in 1884 he himself prepared and edited a supplementary volume. Webb was Dr. Ream's principal assistant in the preparation of the former's monumental code. Webb was commissioner of taxes (1895) and registrar of land tax (1903); in 1901 he was president of the Old Melburnians' Society. Webb married, on 29 July 1876, Kate, third daughter of Hon. John T. Smith. Webb died on 22 November 1916 of heart disease, he was survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. He was buried in the Anglican section of

Melbourne General Cemetery The Melbourne General Cemetery is a large (43 hectare) necropolis located north of the city of Melbourne in the suburb of Carlton North. The cemetery is notably the resting place of four Prime Ministers of Australia, more than any other nec ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Thomas Prout 1845 births 1916 deaths Alumni of King's College London Burials in Victoria (Australia) Judges from Melbourne