Arthur Frederick Clarence Webber

Arthur Frederick Clarence Webber was born in Georgetown in British Guiana (now Guyana), on 12 March 1873, son of Arthur Weber.[1] He attended Queen's College in British Guiana and then studied at Merton College, Oxford in England. In 1896 he became a barrister of the Inner Temple. He practiced at the bar in British Guiana, then in 1900 became a magistrate. In 1901 he Married Kathleen Mary Kennard. They had three sons and two daughters.[2]

After nine years Webber was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.[2] He was involved in a 1916 dispute between the Ibeno and Eket peoples over ownership of the sea shore and adjacent swamp, in which he ruled that both should be allowed to use the land.[3] In 1919 Webber was listed as one of three puisne judges in Nigeria under Chief Justice R. M. Combe. The position paid £1,000 annually, plus £200 duty pay.[4] In the 1920s he was based in Calabar, where he had to deal with problems related to migrant Hausas from the north.[5] Another issue was his recognition of the Olu of Jekri as overlord over all Itsekiri lands, which was convenient for the administration but disputed by the people.[6] The judgement was later overturned after appeals by the Itsekiri lawyers Godwin Boyo and Arthur Prest.[7]

Webber left Nigeria in 1933 to become Chief Justice of Sierra Leone.[2] On 23 June 1936 it was announced that the King of England on his birthday had conferred the honor of knighthood on Webber.[8] He retired in 1937 and returned to England.[2] He died on 19 December 1952.[1]