OFFER, COMMISSIONER AND CHAIRMAIN OF QUARTER SESSIONS WESTERN AUSTRALIA, ARCHIBALD PAULL BURT

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Eyre, Edward John

1860

Overview

Certified handwritten copy of offer of Civil Commissioner and Chairman of Quarter Sessions in Western Australia to Archibald Paull Burt. Dated 3 April 1860. Letter written by Lieut. Governor Eyre of Antigua on behalf of the Secretary of State, London to Lieut. Governor Pine of St Christopher [St Kitts].
Sheets of cream paper with vertical bi-folds, joined together by a green ribbon. Text in black ink covers five pages. There are five numbered paragraphs providing details of the offer, a brief description of the situation in Western Australia and a request for a response from Burt as soon as possible.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-46-1976.40

Item type

Material

Width

205 mm

Height or length

325 mm

Inscriptions and markings

Notation at the bottom of the final text page, "A true copy / UN (?) Hardman / Private Secretary"

Contextual Information

This document is the offer of appointment to Archibald Paull Burt for Chairman of Quarter Sessions in Western Australia from the Secretary of Colonies, the Duke of Newcastle. This is significant to Western Australia's legal history and the formation of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court Ordinance was passed five months after Burt's arrival in the Colony. Subsequently, Archibald Paull Burt commenced as Western Australia's first Chief Justice in June 1861. Archibald Paull Burt (born 1810, in St Christopher) was provisionally appointed Chief Justice in St Christopher in 1856 but was disqualified from being permanently instated as Chief Justice as local barristers were not permitted to hold or be elevated to this position. This prompted Burt to enquire about similar positions within the British Colonies. Other position enquiries within the British Colonies included Assistant Judge in Jamaica (1857) and Chief Justice of Hong Kong (1859).

Keywords

Burt, Archibald Paull

Eyre, Edward John

Quarter Sessions

Civil Commissioner

Place made

Antigua & Barbuda

Year

1860

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Scientific or research significance