Charles Gough Howell

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix = The Honourable

|name = Charles Gough Howell

|honorific-suffix = KC

|image =

|imagesize =

|smallimage =

|alt =

|caption =

|order = 14th

|office = Attorney General of Fiji

|monarch = George V

|governor = Sir Arthur Fletcher

|term_start = 16 November 1931

|term_end = 1933

|predecessor = Sir Percy McElwaine

|successor = Ransley Thacker

|order1 = 13th

|office1 = Attorney-General of Singapore

|monarch1 = Edward VIII
George VI

|governor1 = Sir Shenton Thomas

|term_start1 = 11 August 1936

|term_end1 = 14 February 1942

|predecessor1 = Newnham Arthur Worley (Acting)

|successor1 = Ichihara Kakka

|birth_date = 1894

|birth_place = Cardiff, Wales

|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1942|09|12|1894||}}

|death_place = Taiwan Camp, Taiwan

|restingplace =

|birthname =

|citizenship =

|nationality = British subject

|party =

|otherparty =

|spouse = Sidney Gretchen Innes-Noad

|partner =

|relations =

|children = 1 daughter, 1 son

|residence =

|alma_mater = University of Cambridge

|occupation =

|profession =

|cabinet =

|committees =

|portfolio =

|religion =

|signature =

|signature_alt =

|website =

|footnotes =

|nickname =

|allegiance =

|branch =

|serviceyears =

|rank = Lieutenant

|unit = Royal Field Artillery

|commands =

|battles = Battle of Loos

|awards =

}}

Charles Gough Howell (1894{{cite web|title=All UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878–1960 results for Charles Gough Howell|url=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=bt26&so=2&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=Charles+Gough&gsfn_x=1&gsln=Howell&gsln_x=1&mswpn__ftp_x=1&MSAV=2&MS_AdvCB=1&gskw_x=1&_83004002_x=1&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&uidh=et5|publisher=Ancestry.com|access-date=25 September 2015}} – 12 September 1942){{cite web|title=Charles Gough Howell in the Great Britain, Select Deaths and Burials, 1778–1988|url=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=fs1greatbritaindeathsandburials&gss=angs-d&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=Charles+Gough&gsfn_x=1&gsln=Howell&gsln_x=1&mswpn__ftp_x=1&MSAV=2&MS_AdvCB=1&gskw_x=1&_83004002_x=1&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&uidh=et5&pcat=34&fh=0&h=632&recoff=&ml_rpos=1|publisher=Ancestry.com|access-date=25 September 2015}}{{cite web|title=UK, Foreign and Overseas Registers of British Subjects, 1628–1969 forHonorable Charles Gough Howell|url=http://interactive.ancestry.com/1993/41814_b157095-00008/16961?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3dukforeignvitals%26gss%3dangs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gsfn%3dCharles%2bGough%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dHowell%26gsln_x%3d1%26mswpn__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gskw_x%3d1%26_83004002_x%3d1%26cp%3d0%26catbucket%3drstp%26uidh%3det5%26pcat%3d34%26fh%3d0%26h%3d16961%26recoff%3d6%2b7%2b8%26ml_rpos%3d1&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord&|publisher=Ancestry.com|access-date=25 September 2015}} was a Welsh lawyer and British colonial official, who served as Attorney General of Fiji from 1931 to 1933, and as Attorney-General of Singapore from 1936 to 1942.

Early life and family background

Howell was the son of William Gough Howell. He was educated at Cambridge University, and was subsequently admitted to the bar in London.{{cite web|title=Mr Charles G. Howell|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19430531&id=nABkAAAAIBAJ&pg=2256,5441813&hl=en|website=The Age|access-date=25 September 2015|date=31 May 1943}}

Sometime before 15 June 1918, he was married to Sidney Gretchen Innes-Noad{{cite web|title=ARRIVALS IN FLYING BOAT.|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page1173544|website=The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954)|access-date=25 September 2015|date=8 February 1939}}{{cite web|title=England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1966 for Honorable Charles Gough Howell|url=http://interactive.ancestry.com/1904/32858_633870_1445-00256?pid=13580326&backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3dukprobatecal%26gss%3dangs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gsfn%3dCharles%2bGough%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dHowell%26gsln_x%3d1%26mswpn__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gskw_x%3d1%26_83004002_x%3d1%26cp%3d0%26catbucket%3drstp%26uidh%3det5%26pcat%3d36%26fh%3d0%26h%3d13580326%26recoff%3d%26ml_rpos%3d1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true|publisher=Ancestry.com|access-date=25 September 2015}}{{cite web|title=UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878–1960 for Charles Gough Howell|url=http://interactive.ancestry.com/1518/30807_A000644-00253?pid=17587883&backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3dbt26%26gss%3dangs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gsfn%3dCharles%2bGough%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dHowell%26gsln_x%3d1%26mswpn__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gskw_x%3d1%26_83004002_x%3d1%26cp%3d0%26catbucket%3drstp%26uidh%3det5%26pcat%3d40%26fh%3d0%26h%3d17587883%26recoff%3d%26ml_rpos%3d1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true|publisher=Ancestry.com|access-date=25 September 2015}} of Australia, with whom he had a daughter, Rosemary (born 1920–1921).{{cite web|title=ARRIVALS IN FLYING BOAT.|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page1173544|website=The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954)|access-date=25 September 2015|date=8 February 1939}} They also had a son, William Gough (Bill) (1922–1974),{{cite ODNB|title=Howell, William Gough [Bill] (1922–1974), architect|volume=1|url=http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/31256|access-date=25 September 2015|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/31256|year=2004|last1=Richards|first1=J. M|editor1-first=Catherine|editor1-last=Gordon}} an Oxford-educated architect who served in the Royal Air Force in the Middle East during the Second World War.{{cite web|title=Mr Charles G. Howell|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19430531&id=nABkAAAAIBAJ&pg=2256,5441813&hl=en|website=The Age|access-date=25 September 2015|date=31 May 1943}}

Military service

On 23 November 1914, Howell was named a temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery.{{cite web|title=Regular Forces|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28986/supplement/9975|website=The London Gazette|access-date=25 September 2015|date=24 November 1914}} He served in this role from 1914 through 1917, and again in 1925.{{cite web|title=Lieutenant Charles Gough HOWELL. Royal Field Artillery.|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1068426|website=The National Archivdes|access-date=25 September 2015}} He was seriously wounded in the Battle of Loos.{{cite web|title=Mr Charles G. Howell|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19430531&id=nABkAAAAIBAJ&pg=2256,5441813&hl=en|website=The Age|access-date=25 September 2015|date=31 May 1943}}

Legal and political career

After a brief period as Acting Solicitor General of Kenya (from December 1928 to 9 June 1930),{{cite web|title=Appointments|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UalN3ePY1CEC&q=Charles+Gough+Howell&pg=PA1228|website=Kenya Gazette|access-date=25 September 2015|date=17 June 1930}} Howell became Attorney General of Fiji and an ex officio member of the Legislative Council on 16 November 1931. His appointment coincided with that of James Russell (Director of Education).{{cite web|title=Downing Street|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33772/page/7410|website=The London Gazette|access-date=25 September 2015|date=17 November 1931}}

He was confirmed as a nominated member of the Legislative Council in 1933. His reappointment coincided with the appointment of Arthur Leopold Armstrong (Acting Secretary for Native Affairs), Wilfred Wise (Commissioner of Works), and Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Samuel Gamble (Inspector General of Constabulary, and Commandant, Fiji Defence Force).{{cite web|title=Downing Street|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33937/page/3016/data.pdf|website=The London Gazette|access-date=25 September 2015|date=5 May 1933}}

After being appointed Attorney General of Singapore on 11 August 1936, he was named His Majesty's Counsel for the Straits Settlements on 13 July 1937.{{cite web|title=Downing Street|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34433/page/5630|website=The London Gazette|access-date=25 September 2015|date=7 September 1937}} He remained Attorney General until 14 February 1942.{{cite web|title=Who we are|url=https://www.agc.gov.sg/Who_We_Are/Our_History_/Previous_AttorneysGeneral_of_the_Republic_of_Singapore.aspx|website=Attorney General's Chambers|access-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109120058/https://www.agc.gov.sg/Who_We_Are/Our_History_/Previous_AttorneysGeneral_of_the_Republic_of_Singapore.aspx|archive-date=9 November 2015|url-status=dead}}

Death

Howell was taken prisoner of war by Japan during the Second World War. He died of dysentery in Taiwan Camp, Formosa, on either 12 September 1942{{cite web|title=Charles Gough Howell in the Great Britain, Select Deaths and Burials, 1778–1988|url=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=fs1greatbritaindeathsandburials&gss=angs-d&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=Charles+Gough&gsfn_x=1&gsln=Howell&gsln_x=1&mswpn__ftp_x=1&MSAV=2&MS_AdvCB=1&gskw_x=1&_83004002_x=1&cp=0&catbucket=rstp&uidh=et5&pcat=34&fh=0&h=632&recoff=&ml_rpos=1|publisher=Ancestry.com|access-date=25 September 2015}}