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James Francis Thomas
James Francis Thomas (1899)
Born (1861-07-25 ) 25 July 1861Died 11 November 1942(1942-11-11) (aged 81) Occupation(s) Solicitor, newspaper proprietor, soldier
Major James Francis Thomas (25 July 1861 – 11 November 1942), was a
solicitor from
Tenterfield, New South Wales .
As Major Thomas, he defended Lieutenants
Peter Joseph Handcock ,
George Ramsdale Witton , and
Harry "Breaker" Morant , of the
Bushveldt Carbineers (BVC) of the
British Army , in their trial for the murder of nine Boer prisoners-of-war during the
Second Boer War .
[1]
Major Thomas, standing behind the joint grave of Handcock and Morant (1902)
Education
He was educated at
The King's School, Parramatta ,
[2] and at the
University of Sydney .
Law
He served as an
articled clerk in a reputable Sydney law practice.
[3]
He was (unconditionally) admitted to practise as a solicitor on 28 May 1887.
[4]
Tenterfield Star
He was also the owner-operator of the Tenterfield Star newspaper for sixteen years, from 1898.
[5]
Death
He died on his property at
Boonoo Boonoo , near
Tenterfield , on
Remembrance Day , 11 November 1942.
[6]
See also
^
"Major Thomas Defended Breaker Morant" . Australians at War .
Department of Veterans' Affairs (Australia) . 2001. Retrieved 6 February 2015 .
^
Captain J. F. Thomas, The Daily Telegraph , (Wednesday, 21 February 1900), p.7.
^
Public Notices: James Francis Thomas, The Sydney Morning Herald , (Thursday, 26 May 1887), p.2 ;
Public Notices: James Francis Thomas, The Sydney Morning Herald , (Friday, 27 May 1887), p.2 ;
^
Supreme Court Proceedings: Admission of Attorneys, Australian Town and Country Journal , (Saturday, 4 June 1887), p.14 ;
Law Report: Supreme Court: Saturday, 28 May: Admission of Attorneys, The Sydney Morning Herald , (Monday, 30 May 1887), p.4.
^
Brief Mention, The Richmond River Herald and Northern Districts Advertiser , (Friday, 23 Sep 1898), p.4.
^
Murphy, Damien, "Breaker Morant Relics Found on Rubbish Tip", The Sydney Morning Herald , 22 April 2016.
References
New State of Provinces?, The Richmond River Express and Casino Kyogle Advertiser , (Wednesday, 27 August 1924), p.3.
N. S. Wales Doubting Thomas: Life Struggles of Spirited Lawyer: Man Who Fought Kitchener" Thentefield Solicitor Remains in Gaol on Principle, Smith's Weekly , (Saturday, 11 June 1927), p.11.
Struck off the Rolls, Casino and Kyogle Courier and North Coast Advertiser , (Wednesday, 14 Mar 1928), p.3.
Tenterfield's Fighting Solicitor, Smith's Weekly , (Saturday, 8 September 1928), p.4.
Unkles, James, Ready, Aim, Fire : Major James Francis Thomas, the Fourth Victim in the Execution of Lieutenant Harry "Breaker" Morant , Sid Harta Publishers, (Glen Waverley), 2018.
ISBN
978-1-9252-3050-5
Witton, G.R. , Scapegoats of the Empire , Angus & Robertson, (Sydney), (1907).
External links