Thomas Skyrme
{{short description|British civil servant}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Lieutenant Colonel
| name = Sir Thomas Skyrme
| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|size=100%|country=GBR|KCVO|CB|CBE|TD|JP|DL|FRE}}
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| primeminister1 =
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1913|3|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Upper Norwood, London
| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|1|24|1923|3|20|df=y}}
| death_place =
| spouse = Suzanne Lyle
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| children =
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| alma_mater = New College, Oxford,
Inner Temple
| occupation = Civil Servant, army officer, magistrate
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| allegiance = {{flagicon|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland}} United Kingdom
| branch = {{army|United Kingdom|name=British Army}}
| serviceyears =
| rank = 15px Lieutenant Colonel
| unit = Royal Artillery
Honourable Artillery Company
| caption = Official portrait, 2020
}}
Lieutenant Colonel Sir William Thomas Charles Skyrme {{postnominals|size=80%|country=GBR|KCVO|CB|CBE|TD|JP|DL|FRE}} (20 March 1913 – 24 January 2002) was a British civil servant, army officer, and magistrate. He served as Secretary of Commissions in the Lord Chancellor's Office for three decades.{{Cite news|title = Sir Thomas Skyrme|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1383746/Sir-Thomas-Skyrme.html|newspaper = The Daily Telegraph|date = 5 February 2002|accessdate = 30 November 2021}}
Education and early life
Thomas Skyrme was born in Upper Norwood, London, to British and American parents.{{Cite news|title = Skyrme, Sir (William) Thomas Charles|url = https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-76719?rskey=G9X5kh&result=1|newspaper = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|date = 5 January 2006|accessdate = 30 November 2021}} He was educated at Rugby School, New College, Oxford, and the Inner Temple.
Career
During the Second World War, Skyrme served in the Royal Artillery in the Middle East, North Africa, and Italy.{{ref|oxford dnb}} He was wounded twice and was invalided out of the army with the rank of major in 1944. After the war, he founded and commanded G Locating Battery of the Honourable Artillery Company.{{ref|Telegraph obit}}
In 1948, he was put in charge of the magistracy as Secretary of Commissions in the Lord Chancellor's Office. In this role, he pushed for compulsory training for magistrates, which was introduced in 1980.{{ref|oxford dnb}}
In 1970, he co-founded the Commonwealth Magistrates' Association with Clare Spurgin. He was its president from 1970 to 1979, and life vice-president thereafter.{{ref|oxford dnb}}
Personal life
He married Suzanne Lyle, daughter of Leonard Lyle, 1st Baron Lyle of Westbourne.{{Cite news|title = The children of Sir William Thomas Charles Skyrme|url =
https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw186504/The-children-of-of-Sir-William-Thomas-Charles-Skyrme|newspaper = National Portrait Gallery, London|accessdate = 30 November 2021}}
Books
His published books include:
- The Changing Image of the Magistracy (1979)
- History of the Justices of the Peace (1990)
Other appointments and honours
- Justice of the Peace (1948)
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1953)
- Companion of the Order of the Bath (1966)
- Freeman of the City of London (1970)
- Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (1974 New Year Honours)
- Chairman of the Magistrates' Association (1979–81)
- Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire (1983)
- Chairman of the Judicial Salaries Committee (1983–90)
- Chairman of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (UK) (1985–7)
- Master of the Bench of the Inner Temple (1988).
References
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Category:English non-fiction writers