Fielding Clarke

Sir Fielding Clarke
Sir Fielding Clarke, Chief Justice of Fiji, Hong Kong and Jamaica

6th Attorney General of Fiji
In office 1881–1885
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir William Des Vœux
Preceded by	Joseph Garrick
Succeeded by	Henry Spencer Berkeley
Acting Chief Judicial Commissioner for the Western Pacific
In office 1882–1883
Monarch	Victoria
High Commissioner	Sir William Des Vœux
Preceded by	Sir John Gorrie
Succeeded by	Sir Henry Wrenfordsley
Acting Chief Justice of Fiji
In office 1882–1883
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir William Des Vœux
Preceded by	Sir John Gorrie
Succeeded by	Sir Henry Wrenfordsley
Acting Chief Judicial Commissioner for the Western Pacific
In office 1884–1884
Monarch	Victoria
High Commissioner	Sir William Des Vœux
Preceded by	Sir Henry Wrenfordsley
Succeeded by	Himself As substantive Chief Judicial Commissioner
Acting Chief Justice of Fiji
In office 1884–1884
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir William Des Vœux
Preceded by	Sir Henry Wrenfordsley
Succeeded by	Himself As substantive Chief Justice
3rd Chief Judicial Commissioner for the Western Pacific
In office 1885–1889
Monarch	Victoria
High Commissioner	Sir John Thurston (acting) Sir Charles Mitchell Sir John Thurston
Preceded by	Himself As acting Chief Judicial Commissioner
Succeeded by	Sir Henry Spencer Berkeley
5th Chief Justice of Fiji
In office 1885–1889
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir John Thurston(acting) Sir Charles Mitchell Sir John Thurston
Preceded by	Himself As acting Chief Justice
Succeeded by	Sir Henry Spencer Berkeley
6th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong
In office 1892–1896
Monarch	Victoria
Governor	Sir William Robinson
Preceded by	Sir James Russell
Succeeded by	Sir John Carrington
9th Chief Justice of Jamaica
In office 1896–1911
Monarch	Victoria, Edward VII, George V
Governor	Sir Henry Norman
Preceded by	Henry Burford-Hancock
Succeeded by	Anthony Coll
Personal details
Born	1851
Died	30 July 1928(1928-07-30) (aged 76–77) Essex, England
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Mary (May) Milward Pierce
Alma mater	University of London Middle Temple

Sir Fielding Clarke (1851-1928) was a British colonial barrister, civil servant and jurist. He served as Chief Justice of Fiji, Hong Kong and Jamaica.

Early life

Clarke was the fourth son of Henry Booth Clarke and his wife Isabella. He married in 1888 Mary (May) Milward Pierce, the daughter of Mr Justice Timbrell Pierce D.L.^[1]

Education

Clarke was educated in Switzerland and then returned to England to attend King's College London and London University (LLB). On 12 November 1872 he was admitted to Middle Temple and in 1876 was called to the bar of the Middle Temple.

Career

After being called to the Bar, Clarke practised on the North Eastern Circuit.

In 1881, he embarked on career as a civil servant and jurist in various British colonies. In that year, he was appointed Attorney General of Fiji in 1881 and served in that position until 1885. He acted as Chief Justice of Fiji and Chief Judicial Commissioner, Western Pacific from 1882 to 1883 and in 1884. In 1885 he was appointed Chief Justice of Fiji & Chief Judicial Commissioner, Western Pacific. He served in that position until 1889.

In 1889, he was appointed Puisne Judge, of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong.

In 1892 he was appointed Chief Justice of Hong Kong succeeding Sir James Russell. On his appointment as Chief Justice, William Meigh Goodman the Attorney General of Hong Kong in a congratulatory speech said:

"As Her Majesty has appointed Your Lordship it must, indeed, be a source of satisfaction to you to know that the Colony considers the appointment to be the very best that could have possibly been made. It must be a satisfaction to Your Lordship to feel that the legal profession endorses most cordially the appointment. They feel that you have had simply given to you what you had a right to. If no alteration is necessary and Your Lordship continues on the Bench – and we hope Your Lordship will for many years preside over this court in the same able and upright manner in which Your Lordship has always presided – the Colony will be able to boast a very efficient Chief Justice."^[2]

Clarke was knighted in 1894 while Chief Justice of Hong Kong.

In 1896 he was appointed as Chief Justice of Jamaica and served in that position until 1911 when he retired. He moved to Southchurch, Essex and later lived in Stifford, Essex.^[3]

In retirement, he was appointed, in 1916, to the Appeal Tribunal for the County of Essex created under the Military Service Act 1916 which introduced conscription.^[4]

Death

Clarke died on 30 July 1928 in Essex, England.^[5]

The Daily Gleaner of Kingston, Jamaica on his death said that "Sir Fielding Clarke will be remembered as one of the ablest judges that ever sat on the bench in Jamaica."

Legal offices
Preceded by Joseph Garrick	Acting Attorney General of Fiji 1876 — 1882	Succeeded by Henry Spencer Berkeley
Preceded by Sir John Gorrie	Acting Chief Justice of Fiji 1882	Succeeded by Henry Wrenfordsley
Preceded by Sir John Gorrie	Acting Chief Judicial Commissioner for the Western Pacific 1882	Succeeded by Henry Wrenfordsley
Preceded by Sir Henry Wrenfordsley	Acting Chief Justice of Fiji 1884 — 1885	Succeeded by Himself As substantive Chief Justice
Preceded by Sir Henry Wrenfordsley	Acting Chief Judicial Commissioner for the Western Pacific 1884 — 1885	Succeeded by Himself As substantive Chief Judicial Commissioner
Preceded by Himself As acting Chief Justice	Chief Justice of Fiji 1885 — 1889	Succeeded by Henry Spencer Berkeley
Preceded by Himself As acting Chief Judicial Commissioner	Chief Judicial Commissioner for the Western Pacific 1885 — 1889	Succeeded by Henry Spencer Berkeley
Preceded by Sir James Russell	Chief Justice of Hong Kong 1892 — 1896	Succeeded by Sir John Carrington
Preceded by Henry Burford-Hancock	Chief Justice of Jamaica 1896 — 1911	Succeeded by Anthony Coll

References

↑ Walford, Edward The County Families of the United Kingdom: or, Royal manual of the titled and untitled aristocracy of Great Britain and Ireland and Daily Gleaner, 15 August 1928, p1.
↑ Norton-Kyshe, The History of the Laws and Courts of Hong Kong, Vol II, p440
↑ London Gazette, 10 March 1916, p2559 and 16 May 1924, p3994
↑ London Gazette, 10 March 1916, pp2558 to 2559
↑ The Daily Gleaner, 15 August 1928, p1

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