Sir Samuel Brownlow Gray (27 April 1823
– 20 January 1910) was a
barrister
A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...
in
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest.
Bermuda is an ...
.
Life
Gray was born in
St. George's,
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest.
Bermuda is an ...
, the son of Benjamin Charles Thomas Gray and Elizabeth Brownlow of Bermuda.
He was
called to the bar
The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...
at
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...
in 1847. He was Inspector of schools in Bermuda from 1848, and was in May 1861 appointed
Attorney-General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
of Bermuda.
In May 1900, he was appointed
Chief Justice of Bermuda, and he served as President of the
Legislative Council
A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...
. He stepped down from both positions in 1905.
Honours
He was appointed a Companion of the
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...
(CMG) in January 1888, and
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
in the
King's Birthday Honours
The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning monarch's official birthday in each realm by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are ...
November 1901.
Personal life and death
A keen
tennis
Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
player, he helped introduce the game to Bermuda.
Gray married, in 1851, Eliza Anne Trimingham, daughter of Hon. James H. Trimingham. They had two sons and three daughters (one died young). The eldest son,
Sir Reginald Gray (1851-1935), was also a barrister and a politician in Bermuda. Elder daughter, Bessie Eliza Brownlow Gray (1854-1925), was an accomplished watercolourist and poet.
Sir Samuel died in
Hamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton is the capital city of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and the main settlement of Pembroke Parish. A port city, Hamilton is Bermuda's financial and commercial centre, and a popular tourist destination. Its population of ...
on 20 January 1910.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Samuel Brownlow
1823 births
1910 deaths
Members of Lincoln's Inn
19th-century Bermudian lawyers
Attorneys general of Bermuda
Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Knights Bachelor
Chief justices of Bermuda