Percy McElwaine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Sir Percy Alexander McElwaine KC
McElwaine in 1933
13th Attorney General of Fiji
In office 1927–1931
Monarch	George V
Governor	Sir Eyre Hutson Sir Arthur Fletcher
Preceded by	Sir Kenneth MacKenzie
Succeeded by	Charles Gough Howell
11th Attorney-General of Singapore
In office 21 April 1933 – 10 August 1936
Monarch	George V Edward VIII
Governor	Sir Cecil Clementi Sir Shenton Thomas
Preceded by	Walter Clarance Huggard
Succeeded by	Newnham Arthur Worley
13th Chief Justice of the Straits Settlements
In office 1936–1946
Monarch	Edward VIII George VI
Governor	Sir Shenton Thomas
Preceded by	Walter Clarance Huggard
Succeeded by	Cecil William Victor Carey As Chief Justice of Singapore
Personal details
Born	21 September 1884 Roscommon, Ireland
Died	24 October 1969(1969-10-24) (aged 85) Devon, England
Spouses	1. Evelyn Annie Forsaith Macnaught 2. Margaret McElwaine
Children	2 sons, 1 daughter
Education	Trinity College, Dublin
Military service
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	Royal Irish Rifles

Sir Percy Alexander McElwaine was an important lawyer and judge. He worked for the British Empire in several different countries. During his career, he served as the Attorney General of Fiji. Later, he became the Chief Justice of the Straits Settlements. He spent many years helping to run legal systems and courts across the world.

Early Life and Education

Percy McElwaine was born on 21 September 1884 in Roscommon, Ireland. When he was a boy, he attended Campbell College in Belfast. After finishing school, he went to Trinity College Dublin for his higher education. There, he studied law and prepared to become a legal expert.

McElwaine became a qualified lawyer by joining the Irish bar in 1908. He wanted to see more of the world, so he also joined the legal bar in Alberta, Canada, in 1913. When the First World War began, he stepped forward to serve his country. He became a temporary lieutenant in the Fourteenth Royal Irish Rifles.

In his personal life, McElwaine married Evelyn Annie Forsaith Macnaught in London in 1914. Sadly, she passed away during the 1918 influenza epidemic. McElwaine later married his second wife, Margaret. They had two sons, David Eric and Ian Douglas, an a daughter named Ruth.

A Global Legal Career

Working in Africa and the Pacific

After the war, McElwaine traveled to Africa to help run courts. In October 1925, he became the acting Solicitor General of Kenya. Soon after, he joined the Legislative Council of Kenya to help make laws. In 1926, he was chosen as a Senior Crown Counsel in British Kenya. He worked hard alongside other officials, such as Frederic Gordon Smith and Thomas Dundas Hope Bruce.

A few years later, McElwaine received a new assignment far across the ocean. He became the Attorney General of Fiji from 1927 until 1931. During this time, he advised colonial leaders like Governor Sir Eyre Hutson and Sir Arthur Fletcher. His job was to give legal advice and make sure the laws were followed properly.

Leadership in Southeast Asia

In 1930, McElwaine moved to Singapore to work as a public prosecutor. Singapore was an important port city. He quickly earned more responsibility. On 21 April 1933, he was named Attorney General of the Straits Settlements. He served in this role until August 1936.

Next, McElwaine became the Chief Justice of the Straits Settlements. The Straits Settlements included places like Penang, Malacca, and Singapore. As chief justice, he was the top judge in the entire region. He held this important leadership role from 1936 to 1946. Because of his long service, he received a knighthood from the British monarch in 1939. His photograph was even placed on display inside the historic Supreme Court of Singapore.

During the 1930s, however, McElwaine held views common among colonial rulers of his time that treated people unfairly. He did not support naming local Asians to high court jobs, believing only British officials should hold top roles. Views like his were later rejected as unfair as places gained independence.

During the Second World War, enemy soldiers captured the region. McElwaine was held as a prisoner of war for several years. He was first kept in Changi Prison in Singapore. Later, he was moved to camps in Taiwan and Mukden in Manchuria. While he was held captive, he wrote notes about his daily life and adventures. Today, these historical notes are carefully preserved at the famous Imperial War Museum in London.

Later Life and Legacy

After the war ended, McElwaine finally returned home to live peacefully. He retired after decades of working in courts and governments across three different continents. He passed away on 24 October 1969 in Devon, England, at the age of 85. Historians study his life to learn about early legal history and how courts operated during the twentieth century.