Major James Francis Thomas (25 July 1861 â 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.
Education
He was educated at The King's School, Parramatta, and at the University of Sydney.
Law
He served as an articled clerk in a reputable Sydney law practice.
He was (unconditionally) admitted to practise as a solicitor on 28 May 1887.
Tenterfield Star
He was also the owner-operator of the Tenterfield Star newspaper for sixteen years, from 1898.
Death
He died on his property at Boonoo Boonoo, near Tenterfield, on Remembrance Day, 11 November 1942.
See also
Footnotes
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.
- Witton, G.R., Scapegoats of the Empire, Angus & Robertson, (Sydney), (1907).
- NAA: A1336, 227: Copyright Application by George Ramsdale Whitton for Scapegoats of the Empire, dated 7 August 1907, National Archives of Australia, (contains photographs of each of the book's 240 pages).
External links