Sir Thomas Joseph Strangman QC (7 January 1873 – 8 October 1971) was a British

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 ...

who spent much of his career in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Strangman was educated at

Charterhouse School Charterhouse is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Godalming, Surrey, England. Founded by Thomas Sutton in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian monastery in Charter ...

and

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

and 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 ...

by the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

in 1896. He practised in

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

, twice served as

Advocate-General of Bombay The Advocate-General of Bombay was charged with advising the Government of the British administered Bombay Presidency on legal matters. The Presidency existed from 1668 to 1947. Prior to 1858, when it was administered by the East India Company, t ...

(1908–1915 and 1916–1922), and as such was an ''ex officio'' member of the Bombay Legislative Council. As Advocate-General he was the first lawyer to successfully prosecute

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...

. He was

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 1920 New Year Honours. In 1922 he returned to England and attempted to enter politics for the Conservative Party, unsuccessfully contesting

Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120. ...

in 1923 and Wolverhampton East in 1924. He then returned to practise in Bombay. In about 1929 he returned to England permanently and specialised in Indian appeals before the

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 August ...

. He was highly successful in this practice and

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

in 1938. He became a

bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

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 1944. He was also at various times chairman of the

Eastern Bank Eastern Bank is a bank based in Boston, Massachusetts. Before Demutualization, de-mutualizing in 2020, it was the oldest and largest Mutual savings bank, mutual bank in the United States and the largest community bank in Massachusetts. With 95 b ...

, the Banque Belge pour l'Etranger, the Shanghai Electric Corporation and the

Singapore Traction Company The Singapore Traction Company (STC) was a tram, trolleybus and motor bus operator in Singapore from 1925 to 1971. Established as a result of the Traction Ordinance in 1925, it was initially owned by the Shanghai Electric Company. The company too ...

. In January 1928 Strangman's younger daughter, Josephine, married

Kenelm Lee Guinness Kenelm Edward Lee Guinness MBE (14 August 1887 – 10 April 1937) was a British racing driver of the 1910s and 1920s mostly associated with Sunbeam racing cars. He set a new Land Speed Record in 1922. Also an automotive engineer, he invented ...

of the Guinness brewing family. The marriage was dissolved in 1936.

Footnotes

References

*Obituary, ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', 12 October 1971 {{DEFAULTSORT:Strangman, Thomas 1873 births 1971 deaths People educated at Charterhouse School Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Members of the Middle Temple Members of Lincoln's Inn British King's Counsel Indian barristers British businesspeople Knights Bachelor Lawyers awarded knighthoods British barristers 20th-century King's Counsel Conservative Party (UK) parliamentary candidates