William Grey-Wilson
Sir William Grey-Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Governor of the Falkland Islands | |
| In office 1897–1904 | |
| Monarchs | Queen Victoria Edward VII |
| Preceded by | Sir Roger Tuckfield Goldsworthy |
| Succeeded by | Sir William Lamond Allardyce |
| Governor of the Bahamas | |
| In office 1904–1912 | |
| Monarchs | Edward VII George V |
| Preceded by | Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter |
| Succeeded by | Sir George Basil Haddon-Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 April 1852 Kent, UK |
| Died | 14 February 1926 (aged 73) |
| Spouse | Margaret G. Brown |
Sir William Grey-Wilson KCMG, KBE (7 April 1852 – 14 February 1926)[1] was a British colonial administrator. He served as Governor of St Helena from 1887 to 1897, Governor of the Falkland Islands from 1897 to 1904 and Governor of the Bahamas from 1904 to 1912. He was made a Knight of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1904 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1918.
Early life and education
He was born William Wilson, the son of Andrew Wilson,[2] Inspector-General of Hospitals,[3] Honorable East India Company and his wife Catherine Grey. Through his mother, Wilson was the grandson of Edward Grey, Bishop of Hereford and the great-grandson of Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey.[4] Wilson was educated at Cheltenham College.
Career
In 1874, Wilson became private secretary to his maternal uncle, Sir William Grey, the Governor of Jamaica.[4] In 1877, he became the private secretary to Sir Frederick Palgrave Barlee, Lieutenant Governor of British Honduras. In 1878 Grey-Wilson was appointed Clerk of the Executive and Legislative Councils of British Honduras, and in 1884 Assistant Colonial Secretary of the Gold Coast.[3]
In 1886, he served as Colonial Secretary of St Helena and, from 1887 to 1897, as Governor of St Helena. In 1891, he was made a companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.[5] From 1897[6][7] to 1904, he served as Governor of the Falkland Islands.
Grey-Wilson was appointed Governor of the Bahamas on 7 May 1904.[8] He served in the role until 1912.[9] He was knighted KCMG in 1904[10] and KBE in 1918.[11][12] At the time of the latter appointment, he was serving as the Chairman of the Central Committee for Patriotic Organisations.[12] In 1922, he was the chair of the executive committee of the Institute of Patentees.[13]
Awards and honours
In 1891, Grey-Wilson was made a companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.[5]
He was knighted KCMG in 1904[10] and also made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1918.[12]
He was made a commander of the Order of the Star of Romania by the King of Romania in honour of his war service and, in 1922, the King of England gave permission for him to wear the corresponding decoration.[14]
In late 1926, a prize for inventors was named in his honour and awarded to the best inventor at the International Exhibition of Inventors at the Westminster.[15]
Personal life and death
Grey-Wilson was known for his home inventions, including a contraption to allow chickens to let themselves into a coop[16] and an automatic door system to remotely admit guests to his house.[15]
Grey-Wilson died on 14 February 1926[17] in Ospedaletti, Italy while on a trip to San Remo with Sir John Bromhead Matthews.[18] He was 73.[18] A funeral was held in San Remo with a memorial service in London.[19][20]
Grey-Wilson was survived by his wife, Margaret, the only daughter of Robert Glasgow Brown, whom he had married in 1884[3] and the couple's two sons and a daughter.[2] One of his granddaughters was crowned Miss British Honduras.[21]
References
- ^ "Sir William Grey-Wilson". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Local Wills: A Distinguished Cheltonian: Sir William Grey-Wilson". The Citizen. Gloucester, England. 18 June 1926. p. 8. Retrieved 24 November 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "The Latest News: The Court &c". Liverpool Mercury. 22 July 1884. p. 5. Retrieved 24 November 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Johnson, Simon; Hall, Harriet (2019). "Grey-Wilson, Sir William 1852-1926". Dictionary of Falklands Biography. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Appointments". The London Gazette. No. 26167. 30 May 1891. p. 2923.
- ^ "Governor Appointment". The London Gazette. No. 26829. 5 March 1897. p. 1333.
- ^ Routledge, Edmund (1898). Book of the Year 1897: a Chronicle of the Times and a Record of Events. London: Routledge.
Tuesday, March 2 (Shrove Tuesday): Colonial: William Grey Wilson, C.M.G., was appointed Governor of the Falkland Islands.
- ^ "Governor appointment". The London Gazette. No. 27675. 10 May 1904. p. 3001.
- ^ "The unveiling of the statue of Queen Victoria on Empire Day by His Excellency Sir Wm Grey-Wilson". Retrieved 18 June 2012.
- ^ a b "KCMG appointments". The London Gazette (27732). 8 November 1904. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
- ^ Walford, Edward (11 February 1871). The County Families of the United Kingdom.
- ^ a b c "Governor Appointment". The London Gazette. No. 30460. 4 January 1918. p. 366.
- ^ "Imperial Patent Law". The Daily Telegraph. 11 March 1922. p. 5. Retrieved 23 November 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Decorations Conferred by His Majesty the King of Roumania". The London Gazette. No. 32609. 14 February 1922. p. 1292.
- ^ a b "World Inventors Medal Contest: Grey-Wilson Award for Genius Due in October". The Daily Sun-Times. Owen Sound, Ontario. 10 September 1926. p. 9. Retrieved 25 November 2025 – via newspapers.com.
The medal has been struck to commemorate the great work of Sir William Grey-Wilson and the assistance he gave during his lifetime to the Institute of Patentees, of which he had been a president. The prize will go to the designer of the best invention in the exhibition. Sir William Grey-Wilson was a man of great ingenuity. A few years ago,... [he] invented an ingenious device for opening a street door without leaving his upper room. The door automatically closed after the caller.
- ^ "Prizes Show Inventive Capacity of the British". The Stephenson Farmer. Lena, Illinois. 11 March 1926. p. 4. Retrieved 26 November 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Probate notice for the estate of Sir William Grey-Wilson". The London Gazette. No. 33175. 25 June 1926. p. 4156.
- ^ a b "Death notice for Sir William Grey-Wilson". Sevenoaks Chronicle. 19 February 1926. p. 8. Retrieved 23 November 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Funeral notice for Sir William Grey-Wilson". Sevenoaks Chronicle. 26 February 1926. p. 8. Retrieved 23 November 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Funeral mention". Tunbridge Wells Courier. 19 February 1926. p. 9. Retrieved 23 November 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Belizean Brought Back For Eternal Rest. Family Searches for Mother's Roots". Ambergris Today. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2025.