Thomas Southorn

Thomas Southorn

Sir Wilfrid Thomas Southorn, KCMG KBE (1879–1957) (Chinese Translated Name: 修頓, Old Translated Name:蕭敦), known as Tom, was a British colonial administrator, spending the large part of career in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He was the Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1925–1936 and served as Acting Administrator of the colony from February to March 1930 and from May to September 1935, and then in November the same year, basically at either end of the tenure of Sir William Peel as Governor. His official (summer) residence was Mountain Lodge.

In 1921 he married author Bella Sidney Woolf (1877–1960), whom he met through her (later) more famous brother Leonard Woolf, when the two men were colleagues in Ceylon. In 1904, then a humble 'Office Assistant', Southorn had met Leonard Woolf on his arrival in Ceylon from England.

In 1936, he was made Governor of The Gambia, notably describing the colony as "a geographical and economic absurdity".

Places named after him

Southorn Playground in Wan Chai, Hong Kong was named for him in 1934, while he was Colonial Secretary. Also bearing his name are the associated Southorn Stadium and adjacent Southorn Centre.

References

Government offices
Preceded by Sir Claud Severn	Colonial Secreaty of Hong Kong 1925–1936	Succeeded by Norman Lockhart Smith
Preceded by Sir Cecil Clementi	Acting Administrator of Hong Kong 1930	Succeeded by Sir William Peel
Preceded by Sir William Peel	Acting Administrator of Hong Kong 1935	Succeeded by Acting Administrator Norman Smith
Preceded by Acting Administrator Norman Smith	Acting Administrator of Hong Kong 1935	Succeeded by Sir Andrew Caldecott
Preceded by Sir Arthur Frederick Richards	Governor of The Gambia 1936–1942	Succeeded by Hilary Rudolph Robert Blood