Sir Hugh Fort (1862 – 28 May 1919) was an English barrister-at-law who served on 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 ...

of the

Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements () were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under control of the ...

at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Early life and education

Hugh Fort was born in 1862, son of Richard Fort of Whalley,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, who was member of parliament for

Clitheroe Clitheroe () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for to ...

. He was educated at

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

and

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

, and in 1887 was called to the bar at 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 ...

, London.

Career

In 1887, he went to

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

for health reasons, and joined the firm of Donaldson and Burkinshaw, becoming its head in 1893 after being admitted to the local bar the same year. During his 18 years at the bar, he became one of its leading members and held in high esteem, being considered one of the "Big Four" of the legal profession in

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

at the end of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. He had a reputation as a formidable advocate, became head of the Singapore bar, and it was said he possessed the best brain of any man who had come to the Straits Settlements. In most large cases, he was usually instructed, including many high-profile cases such as the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company proceedings in London, the Tilleke jewel-robbery case in Bangkok where he secured the acquittal on appeal of A. Tilleke, proprietor of the ''Siam Observer'', and the application for a writ of ''habeas corpus'' to secure, unsuccessfully, the release of

José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is popularly considered a na ...

, Philippino nationalist, who was being held prisoner on a ship docked in Singapore on its return to Manila. From 1905 to 1910, he served as an unofficial member of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements where he advised and assisted the government with the introduction of many new laws, sitting on various commissions with the Attorney-General and the Chief Justice, which were established to consider and draft the new legislation. Fort retired to England in 1911, and died on 28 May 1919 in London.

Personal life

Fort played a prominent role in public life in Singapore. He was a keen sportsman, served as president of the

Singapore Cricket Club The Singapore Cricket Club (SCC) is one of the premier sports and social clubs in Singapore. Its clubhouse is located on Connaught Drive on the south end of the Padang in Singapore's central business district. History The SCC was establ ...

, presided over committee meetings of the Racing Club, and was a racehorse owner. He never married.

Honours

Fort received the honour of

Knighthood 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 1911, shortly after his retirement.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort, Hugh 1862 births 1919 deaths Alumni of New College, Oxford People educated at Winchester College English barristers 19th-century English lawyers Members of the Inner Temple Knights Bachelor People from Whalley, Lancashire