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Name: HAMILTON, Robert William BL, MA, FRGS, Sir

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Nee: bro of Frederick Geary Hamilton

Birth Date: 26 Aug 1867 Mortlake, Surrey

Death Date: 15 July 1944 London

Nationality: British

First Date: 1897

Last Date: 1922

Profession: DC Lagos 1895-97; Registrar EAP 1897, Town Magist. 1899, Chief Justice EA 1905/20. Pres. Mombasa Sports Club & member of Yacht Club.

Area: Mombasa

Married: In Bitton, Glos. 17 Aug 1925 Gertrude Mary Sutherland Williamson b. 21 May 1881 Kirwall, Orkney, d. 15 Aug 1964 Edinburgh

Book Reference: Gillett, HBEA, Cuckoo, Leys, Police, Sorrenson, Debrett, EAHB 1905, EAS, North, Colonial, Playne, EA Diary 1903, Drumkey, EAS, EAHB 1906, Gazette, Medals, EA Diary 1902, EAHB 1904, EAHB 1907, Leader14, Red Book 1912, Web, Red 19

School: Dulwich College; St Paul's School, London & Trinity Hall Cambridge, Classical Scholar. Called to Bar 1895

General Information:

Knighted 1918
Police - Magistrate in Mombasa in 1900 - later a Judge and Chief Justice, and on retirement elected Liberal MP for the Shetlands and Orkneys.  
Sorrenson - In 1905 a Land Committee was set up by Sir Donald Stewart - Judge Cator, Judge Hamilton and the Crown Advocate, J.W. Barth together with Lord Delamere and Frank Watkins. Cator was posted to the High Court at Zanzibar before the committee began work and Lord Delamere became Chairman.   
Debrett - Bar Inner Temple 1895; Sec. of Commn. Inquiry Dominica 1893-4; appointed Dist. Commr., Lagos 1895; Registrar H.M.'s Court for East Africa 1897, Town Magistrate, Mombasa 1899, Assist. Judge and Administrator-Gen. EA 1900, a Judge of High Court of EA 1902, and Principal Judge 1905; was Ch. Justice and Senior Member of Court of Appeal for EA 1912-20; elected MP for Orkney and Zetland (L) Nov. 1922, Dec. 1923 and Oct. 1924   
EAHB 1905 - H.M. Judge and Administrator General, Mombasa. Secretary, Commission of Inquiry, Dominica, 1893-94; Student, Inner Temple, 1893; called to Bar 1895; District Commissioner, Lagos, 1895-97; Registrar, EAP, 1897; Acting Judicial Officer, April to Nov. 1898; Town Magistrate, 1899; Assistant Judge and Administrator-General, 1900; Acting Judge, June, 1901 to March 1902; Acting Assistant Judge, Zanzibar, July 1902; A Judge of the High Court of EA, Aug 11th 1902.
The African Standard - 26-2-1903 - Invited to the wedding of H.R. Phelips & Miss Jacquette Edith Lambe in Mombasa
Playne - The Principal Judge of the EAP is an old Pauline and classical scholar of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was born on April 26, 1867. The year he was called to the Bar (1895) he became District Commissioner, Lagos, a post he held until 1907. His appointments in EA have been as follows: Registrar, EAP, 1897; Acting Judicial Officer, April to November 1898; Town Magistrate 1899; Assistant Judge and Administrator-General 1900; Acting Judge, June 1900 to March 1902; Acting Asst. Judge, Zanzibar July 1902; a Judge of the High Court of EA, Aug. 11 1902; appointed to serve on Land Commission, Oct. 31, 1904; Principal Judge, EAP, Feb 28, 1905. Judge Hamilton is also President, Mombasa Public Library; Mombasa Treasurer, EA Nursing Assoc.; Vice-President Mombasa Sports Club.
Drumkey - Visiting Justice of HM Principal Prison at Mombasa
Drumkey 1909 - Judicial Department - Principal Judge
Drumkey 1909 - Vice-President, The Caledonian Society of BEA
Drumkey 1909 - Vice President, Mombasa Sports Club
EAS - 15/1/1903 - Judge Hamilton, Mr Barth, Mr Tonks and Mr Mead left by up-mixed train on Tuesday
Gazette - played in a football match for Mombasa against HMS Terpsichore on 4/7/1902 - Linesman
Medals - Mombasa Defence Force - No. 9266, Private
North - arr. Mombasa from England 19-1-1898; Judicial Officer 1898; At Lamu 30-8-1898; at Mombasa 6-9-1898; engaged to Miss Gibbons 22-2-1905 EA Diary 1902 - Listed as Assistant Judge EA Diary 1903 - Secretary, Committee of Inquiry Dominica 1893-94; student Inner Temple 1893; Called to Bar 1895; District Commissioner Lagos 1895-97; Registrar, EA Protectorate 1897; Acting Judicial Officer April to Nov. 1898; Town Magistrate 1899; Assistant Judge and Administrator-General 1900; Acting Judge June 1901 to March 1902; Acting Assistant Judge Zanzibar July 1902
Red Book 1912 - R.W. Hamilton - Mombasa
Red Book 1912 - Judicial Dept. - Judge of the High Court
Red Book 1919 - Mombasa Club - President and Mombasa Sports Club - President
Red Book 1919 - Mombasa Yacht Club - Commodore
Leys - Speech in Parliament re alignment of railway line from Nakuru to Eldoret.
Blue Book 1913-14 appt. Chief Justice 1 Apr 1905
President of Mombasa Club 1903, 1906, 1913

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