William Allmond Codrington Goode

Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode GCMG KStJ (8 June 1907 – 15 September 1986) was a British colonial officer who served as governor and colonial secretary to various Far Eastern colonies in the twentieth century. Goode was the last governor of the Crown Colony of Singapore, and the British protectorate of North Borneo.

Sir William Goode

GCMG KStJ
3rd Colonial Secretary of Singapore
In office
30 July 1953  1955
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded byWilfred Lawson Blythe
Succeeded bytitle abolished
First Chief Secretary of Singapore
In office
1955  9 December 1957
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded bynew title
Succeeded byEdgeworth Beresford David
4th Governor of Singapore
In office
9 December 1957  2 June 1959
Chief MinisterDavid Marshall
Lim Yew Hock
Preceded bySir Robin Black
Succeeded byNone (Office dissolved)
1st Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore
In office
3 June 1959  1 December 1959
Prime MinisterLee Kuan Yew
Preceded byNewly created post
Succeeded byYusof Ishak
Governor of North Borneo
In office
1 December 1959  15 September 1963
Preceded bySir Roland Turnbull
Succeeded byNone (office dissolved)
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
Spouse(s)
Mary Harding
(m. 1938; died 1947)

Ena Mary McLaren
(m. 19501986)
ChildrenOne daughter

Biography

Goode was born in Twickenham, Middlesex, and attended Oakham School and Worcester College, Oxford.[1]

Malaya, Singapore and Borneo

Goode joined the Malayan Civil Service in 1931, studying law in his spare time.[1] 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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3] From 1959 to 1963 he was the last governor and Commander-in-Chief of North Borneo.[4]

Awards and honours

He was invested with Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1952 New Year Honours[5] and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1957.[6]

He was knighted with Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (KStJ) in 1958.[7]

He was made Grand Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 1963 New Year Honours[8] 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.[1]

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

Offices held

  • Chief Secretary of Aden (1949–1953)
  • Acting Governor of Aden (1950–1951)
  • Acting Governor of Singapore (1955)
  • Colonial Secretary (1953–1957) [position renamed to Chief Secretary in 1955]
  • Last Governor of Singapore (1957–59)
  • First Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Head of State) of Singapore (1959)
  • Last Governor of British North Borneo (1959–1963)

Bibliography

  • Justin Corfield (2010). Historical Dictionary of Singapore. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 081087184X.

References

  1. Rahman, Nor. "William A. C. Goode". NLB Infopedia.
  2. "No. 41231". The London Gazette. 19 November 1957. p. 6727.
  3. "No. 41726". The London Gazette. 5 June 1959. p. 3629.
  4. "No. 41986". The London Gazette. 18 March 1960. p. 2032.
  5. "No. 39421". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1951. p. 5.
  6. "No. 41219". The London Gazette. 5 November 1957. p. 6415.
  7. "No. 41437". The London Gazette. 4 July 1958. p. 4210.
  8. "No. 42870". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1962. p. 4.
Government offices
Preceded by
Wilfred Lawson Blythe
Colonial Secretary of Singapore
1953-1955
title abolished
New title Chief Secretary of Singapore
1955-1957
Succeeded by
Edgeworth Beresford David
Preceded by
Sir Robin Black
Governor of Singapore
1957–1959
Last governor
Political offices
New title Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore
1959
Succeeded by
Yusof Ishak
Government offices
Preceded by
Sir Roland Turnbull
Governor of North Borneo
1959–1963
Last governor
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