William Goode (colonial administrator)

Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode GCMG KStJ (8 June 1907 – 15 September 1986) was a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of Singapore from 1957 to 1959, and Governor of North Borneo from 1960 to 1963.

Sir William Goode
GCMG KStJ
23rd Governor of North Borneo
In office
21 April 1960[1] – 15 September 1963
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded byRoland Turnbull
Succeeded byOffice abolished
1st Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore
In office
3 June 1959 – 2 December 1959[2]
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterLee Kuan Yew
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byYusof Ishak
4th Governor of Singapore
In office
9 December 1957 – 2 June 1959
MonarchElizabeth II
Chief MinisterLim Yew Hock
Preceded byRobin Black
Succeeded byOffice abolished
1st Chief Secretary of Singapore
In office
February 1955 – 9 December 1957
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byEdgeworth Beresford David
3rd Colonial Secretary of Singapore
In office
30 July 1953 – February 1955
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded byWilfred Lawson Blythe
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born(1907-06-08)8 June 1907
Twickenham, Middlesex, England
Died15 September 1986(1986-09-15) (aged 79)
Goring-on-Thames, South Oxfordshire, England
Spouses
Mary Harding
​
​
(m. 1938; died 1947)​
    Ena Mary McLaren
    ​
    (m. 1950)​
    Children1

    Early life

    Goode was born in Twickenham, Middlesex, and attended Oakham School and Worcester College, Oxford.[3]

    Career

    Goode joined the Malayan Civil Service in 1931, studying law in his spare time.[3] He was admitted to the bar by Gray's Inn in 1936. From 1936 to 1939 he served as district officer, Raub, and thereafter as assistant financial secretary of Singapore in 1939.[3] He was appointed assistant commissioner for civil defence, Singapore in 1940, serving in the Singapore Volunteer Corps as a lance corporal during the Second World War. After the colony's capitulation in 1942, he was taken prisoner by the Japanese and sent to work in Siam on the Burma Railway from 1943 to 1945. He remained in Malaya after the war, and in 1948 became deputy economic secretary to the Federation. In 1949 he was posted to Aden as chief secretary, where he also acted as governor from 1950 to 1951. He returned to Singapore as colonial secretary in 1953 and became the colony's last British governor in 1957.[4] In 1959, as part of transitional arrangements, he was made Yang di-Pertuan Negara of the State of Singapore from June to December, and United Kingdom Commissioner.[5] From 1960 to 1963 he was the last governor and Commander-in-Chief of North Borneo.[6]

    Awards and honours

    He was invested with Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1952 New Year Honours[7] and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1957.[8]

    He was knighted with Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (KStJ) in 1958.[9]

    He was made Grand Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 1963 New Year Honours[10] shortly before his retirement to Berkshire, England.

    Personal life

    In 1938, Goode married Mary Harding. She died in 1947 and three years later he married Ena Mary McLaren.[3]

    Goode died in Goring-on-Thames in 1986, aged 79.

    References
    1. "Sir William is sworn in". The Straits Times. 22 April 1960. p. 9.
    2. "Farewell in the rain for Goode". The Straits Times. 3 December 1959. p. 12.
    3. Rahman, Nor. "William A. C. Goode". NLB Infopedia.
    4. "No. 41231". The London Gazette. 19 November 1957. p. 6727.
    5. "No. 41726". The London Gazette. 5 June 1959. p. 3629.
    6. "No. 41986". The London Gazette. 18 March 1960. p. 2032.
    7. "No. 39421". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1951. p. 5.
    8. "No. 41219". The London Gazette. 5 November 1957. p. 6415.
    9. "No. 41437". The London Gazette. 4 July 1958. p. 4210.
    10. "No. 42870". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1962. p. 4.
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