Sir William Bock Ayling (30 August 1867 – 25 September 1946) was a British civil servant and judge who served on the bench of the

Madras High Court The High Court of Judicature at Madras is a High Courts of India, High Court located in Chennai, India. It has appellate jurisdiction over the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry. It is one of ...

from 1912 to 1924.

Early life

Ayling was born at Weymouth in

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

on 30 August 1867 to Frederick William and Maria Ayling; his father was described as a lodging house keeper in 1871. 1871 Census of Weymouth, RG10/2001, Folio 60, Page 30, William Bock Ayling, 1 Augusta Place, Melcombe Regis. Ayling was educated at

Weymouth College Weymouth College is a further education college located in Weymouth, England. The college has over 4,000 students, studying on a wide range of practical and academic courses in many subjects. The college is part of The University of Plymouth ...

and

Magdalene College Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...

. He joined the

Indian civil service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British Raj, British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 3 ...

in 1886 and arrived in India on 30 January 1889 on completion of his training.

Career

Ayling served as Assistant Collector and magistrate and was appointed as Sub-Collector in January 1900. From 1903 he served as a district and sessions judge"Sir William Ayling." Times ondon, England26 Sept. 1946: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 24 June 2012. and in 1912. He served as the Principal District Judge of Salem District of Madras Presidency during March 1907 to February 1908, and from January 1909 to June 1910. (Refer Salem District E-court). Ayling was appointed judge of the Madras High Court and served till 1924. He also officiated as Chief Justice for a short period in 1921. As Chief Justice, Ayling headed the three-member committee appointed to investigate the 1921 Buckingham and Carnatic Mills Strike. Apart from Ayling, the committee consisted of two Indians - a

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

and a non-Brahmin. The committee submitted its report in a short while blaming the striking workers for indulging in violence against

Dalits Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for Untouchability, untouchables and Outcast (person), outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called ...

Death

Ayling died at his house at

Berkhamsted Berkhamsted ( ) is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, in the River Bulbourne, Bulbourne valley, north-west of London. The town is a Civil parishes in England, civil parish with a town council within the borough of Dacorum which ...

on 25 September 1946. He was seventy nine at the time of his death. Ayling married Emma Annie Graham in 1901. Emma died in 1912. Ayling was made 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 Order of chivalry, orders of chivalry; it is a part of the Orders, decorations, and medals ...

in 1915.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayling, William 1867 births 1946 deaths Knights Bachelor Alumni of Magdalene College, Cambridge Chief justices of the Madras High Court People educated at Weymouth College (public school) British India judges British people in colonial India People from the Madras Presidency Lawyers awarded knighthoods