Charles William Warner facts for kids

Charles William Warner (born October 19, 1805 – died February 26 or 28, 1887) was an important lawyer from Trinidad. He worked as the Attorney General of Trinidad from 1845 to 1870. This job made him one of the most powerful people in the colony, second only to the governor. Warner wanted to make Trinidad more like England. He helped change the old Spanish laws to English laws and also shaped how education worked on the island.

Early Life and School

Charles Warner was born at sea near St. Vincent on October 19, 1805. He was the oldest son of Edward Warner, an army officer and sugar planter. His family moved to Trinidad in 1806.

The Warners were English Creoles, meaning they were of English descent but born in the Caribbean. Their family was connected to Sir Thomas Warner, who helped the English settle St. Kitts in the 1600s. Charles Warner's uncle, Ashton Warner, was once the Chief Justice of Trinidad.

Charles Warner went to school in England at Eton College, a famous school.

Starting His Career

Warner came back to Trinidad in 1829 and worked as a lawyer. He then went back to England to finish his legal training. After that, he returned to Trinidad to work as a barrister (a type of lawyer). He was one of the first lawyers in Trinidad to have studied law in England.

He served as the acting Solicitor General (another legal role) several times between 1832 and 1834. From 1834 to 1840, he was a legal advisor for the local government in Port of Spain. In 1839, he became the official Solicitor General. He held this position until 1845, when he was appointed Attorney General of Trinidad. He stayed in this powerful role until 1870.

His Role in Politics

Warner was a leader of the pro-English Protestant group in Trinidad. This group wanted to make Trinidad not just a British colony, but truly "British" in its culture and laws. Warner played a big part in making Trinidad more English. He helped create policies about immigration, education, and changing the laws from Spanish to English.

As Attorney General from 1845 to 1870, Warner helped shape almost all the laws passed during that time. Many people saw him as the most powerful person after the governor. Some governors during this period were not very strong leaders. Because Warner was always there and connected to the rich planters and business owners, many people thought he was the "real governor."

One of his main opponents was Sir Louis de Verteuil, the Catholic mayor of Port of Spain. They often disagreed on important issues.

Changing Laws to English Law

The British took control of Trinidad from the Spanish in 1797. When the Spanish surrendered, the British agreed to keep the Spanish laws.

However, over time, the British slowly started to change things. In 1814, Governor Ralph Woodford made English the official language for court proceedings and records. In 1831, the Council of Government was created. This council started making new laws that slowly replaced the old Spanish ones.

Between 1838 and 1848, many new laws were passed that changed Spanish law to English law. As Attorney General, Charles Warner was in charge of this important process.

Education Policies

Warner strongly believed in setting up schools in Trinidad that were open to everyone, regardless of their religion. At that time, most schools were linked to churches. Warner did not want the government to fund religious schools, especially since most people in Trinidad were Catholic. He thought government-funded religious schools would mostly be Catholic and teach in French or Spanish.

In 1838, Warner suggested that the government support the Lady Mico Charity. This charity aimed to create non-religious schools. Even though the Lieutenant Governor at the time disagreed, Warner convinced the council to support the charity after the governor's death.

Warner hoped that both Catholic and Protestant children would attend these schools. He saw them as a way to bring people together and spread English culture. However, without enough money, the Mico schools failed. The government then went back to supporting Catholic and Anglican church schools.

When Sir Henry McLeod became governor in 1840, Warner tried again to create non-religious schools. A plan was approved in 1846, but there wasn't enough money. The next governor, Lord Harris, successfully created a system of government-funded non-religious schools. He divided the island into areas called "wards," and local taxes in each ward helped pay for the schools.

After these ward schools were set up, Warner worked to create good schools for upper-class children in Trinidad. These families often sent their children to Britain or France for schooling. In 1859, the Government College was opened. Teachers from the University of Cambridge taught there. Each year, the top two students could get scholarships to study at Cambridge.

Later Years

Governor Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, who became governor in 1866, had a different approach. He was less against Catholics than previous governors. This led to more disagreements between Warner and the new governor.

In 1870, Warner had to resign as Attorney General because of a financial issue. He had borrowed money from an estate he was managing and did not repay it as promised. When one of the heirs asked for the money back, Warner was forced to resign and pay back the loan.

After leaving his job as Attorney General, Warner continued to work as a lawyer. He passed away in 1887.