Ernest Hamilton Sharp,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, KC (1861 – 9 February 1922) 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 Hong Kong.

Education

He was educated at Lincoln College of the

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

and was called to the Bar of the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1891. He practised in the Midland Circuit until he went to Hong Kong in 1894.

Hong Kong

He was appointed as the

King's Counsel A King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch (or their Viceroy, viceregal representative) of some Commonwealth realms as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarc ...

for the

colony of Hong Kong Hong Kong was under British rule from 1841 to 1997, except for a brief period of Japanese occupation during World War II from 1941 to 1945. It was a crown colony of the United Kingdom from 1841 to 1981, and a dependent territory from 1981 to ...

in July 1902. He had acted as the

Attorney General for Hong Kong The secretary for justice () is the head of the Hong Kong Department of Justice, the chief legal advisor to the chief executive of Hong Kong and the government, and the chief law enforcement officer of the Government of Hong Kong. Before th ...

during the departure of William Meigh Goodman in 1904. Sharp was later appointed as unofficial member of the Executive Council from 1916 to 1922. As a barrister he practised at the Hong Kong Supreme Court until 1906 and practised at home before the Privy Council from 1906 to 1914. He returned to Hong Kong in late 1913. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he was the chairman of the War Charities Executive Committee from 1915 to 1918, chairman of the Military Service Commission in 1918 and chairman of the General Military Service Tribunal in 1918. Sharp was honoured as the

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1918 for his government and war services. He was appointed chairman of the Commission of Inquiry into the finances of the

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of ...

in 1920. The recommendations of the commissions made some important changes and more satisfactory position of the university. He was rewarded the

Legum Doctor Legum is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Colin Legum (1919–2003), British anti-apartheid activist * Judd Legum (born 1978), American journalist, lawyer, and political staffer * Margaret Legum (1933–2007), Brit ...

honoris causa by the university in recognition of his service.

Personal life

Sharp married Sarah Cunliffe, daughter of Roger Cunliffe, of

Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells (formerly, until 1909, and still commonly Tunbridge Wells) is a town in Kent, England, southeast of Central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone ...

and had seven children. During his life in Hong Kong, he shared a residence with Colonial Secretary Dr.

Claud Severn Sir Claud Severn ( Chinese Translated Name: 施勳) (1869–1933) was a British colonial administrator. Severn joined the colonial civil service in British Malaya in 1894 and worked under the Governor of the Straits Settlements. In 1912, he bec ...

, and the deputy registrar of the Supreme Court C. A. D. Melbourne. Sharp was also a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

and a member of the

Apollo University Lodge Apollo University Lodge No 357 is a Masonic Lodge based at the University of Oxford aimed at past and present members of the university. It was consecrated in 1819, and its members have met continuously since then. University of Oxford Membersh ...

, Oxford. He was also one of the founders of the Hong Kong University Lodge at its consecration in 1913.

Death

Sharp died of chronic nephritis at the Peak Hospital on 9 February 1922. His funeral took place at the Hong Kong (Happy Valley) Cemetery, on the evening of the same day.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Ernest Hamilton 1861 births 1922 deaths Attorneys general of Hong Kong Barristers of Hong Kong Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford Alumni of the University of Hong Kong Members of the Inner Temple 20th-century King's Counsel Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from British Hong Kong Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England