Sir Clement Athelston Arrindell (19 April 1931 – 27 March 2011) was the first governor-general of Saint Kitts and Nevis, serving from 1983 to 1995, and also served as the country's final

colonial governor Governors and administrators of colonies In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of th ...

, from 1981 to 1983. Arrindell was born in

Basseterre Basseterre (; Saint Kitts Creole: ''Basterre'') is the capital and largest city of Saint Kitts and Nevis with an estimated population of 14,000 in 2018. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitt ...

Saint Kitts Saint Kitts, officially the Saint Christopher Island, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis con ...

, and educated at the St. Kitts–Nevis Grammar School, where he was top of his class in his final year. He left to study in England in 1954, and was called to the bar in June 1958, as a member of Lincoln's Inn. Arrindell returned to Saint Kitts in December 1958. He initially worked in private practice, but was eventually made a

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a ''magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

. From 1972 to 1978, he served as a senior magistrate, both in Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla (as the colony was then known) and in the

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Bri ...

. In July 1978, Arrindell was made a judge of the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court (now known as the

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is a superior court of record for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), including six independent states: Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nev ...

). He served in the position until November 1981, when he succeeded Sir Probyn Inniss as Governor of Saint Kitts and Nevis (an

Associated State An associated state is the minor partner in a formal, free relationship between a political territory (some dependent, most fully sovereign states) and a major party—usually a larger nation. The details of such free association are containe ...

of the United Kingdom at the time). On independence in September 1983, he was appointed governor-general, and remained in the position until his retirement in December 1995. Arrindell was created a

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are t ...

in June 1982, and was also later made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in February 1984 and a

Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, ...

(GCVO) in October 1985. He died in March 2011, after a short illness, and was awarded a

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

.(5 April 2011)
"State Funeral for Sir Clement"
– ''Kittivisian Life''. Retrieved 24 April 2016.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arrindell, Clement 1931 births 2011 deaths Governors-General of Saint Kitts and Nevis Knights Bachelor Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Members of Lincoln's Inn People from Basseterre Saint Kitts and Nevis expatriates in the United Kingdom Saint Kitts and Nevis judges 20th-century Saint Kitts and Nevis lawyers Governors of British Saint Christopher and Nevis