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
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Wilfred Lawson Blythe
Succeeded by	title abolished
First Chief Secretary of Singapore
In office 1955 – 9 December 1957
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	new title
Succeeded by	Edgeworth Beresford David
4th Governor of Singapore
In office 9 December 1957 – 2 June 1959
Chief Minister	David Marshall Lim Yew Hock
Preceded by	Sir Robin Black
Succeeded by	None (Office dissolved)
1st Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore
In office 3 June 1959 – 1 December 1959
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew
Preceded by	Newly created post
Succeeded by	Yusof Ishak
Governor of North Borneo
In office 1 December 1959 – 15 September 1963
Preceded by	Sir Roland Turnbull
Succeeded by	None (office dissolved)
Personal details
Born	8 June 1907 Twickenham, Middlesex, England
Died	15 September 1986 (aged 79) Goring-on-Thames, South Oxfordshire, England
Spouse(s)	Mary Harding ​ ​ (m. 1938; died 1947)​ Ena Mary McLaren ​ ​ (m. 1950⁠–⁠1986)​
Children	One 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.

External links

• "William A.C. Goode". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board Singapore. 2005. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
• Gullick, J.M. "Goode, Sir William Allmond Codrington (1907–1986)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/64116. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)