William Arnold (bailiff)
{{Short description|Bailiff of Guernsey (1903–1973)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Sir William Arnold
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KBE}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1903|08|05|df=y}}
| birth_place = Guernsey, Channel Islands
| death_date = {{death date and age|1973|07|21|1903|08|05|df=y}}
| death_place = Guernsey, Channel Islands
| term = 1960–1973
| title = Bailiff of Guernsey
| predecessor = Ambrose Sherwill
| successor = John Loveridge
}}
Sir William Henry Arnold {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KBE}} (5 August 1903 – 21 July 1973) was Bailiff of Guernsey from 1960 until his death in 1973.
Early life
Arnold was born and educated on Guernsey.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp81024/sir-william-henry-arnold|title=National Portrait Gallery: Sir William Arnold|access-date=29 May 2022}} He was called to the English Bar in 1926 and the Guernsey Bar in 1927.
Bailiff
Arnold was Procureur (attorney general) from 1946 to 1960 and was then appointed Bailiff in 1960.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37487/page/1186|title=London Gazette, 1 March 1946, Issue 37487, page 1186|access-date=29 May 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41957/page/1191|title=London Gazette, 16 February 1960, Issue 41957, page 1191|access-date=29 May 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=1260&p=0|title=Guernsey Royal Court: List of Bailiffs|access-date=29 May 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp81024/sir-william-henry-arnold|title=National Portrait Gallery: Sir William Arnold|access-date=29 May 2022}} In 1964 he led the successful move in Guernsey to abolish the death penalty for murder.{{Cite web|url=https://history.gg/guernsey-abolished-the-death-penalty-for-murder/|title=On this day in Guernsey: Guernsey abolishes the death penalty for murder|date=29 April 1972 |access-date=29 May 2022}} In 1966 a civil servant, Basil Torode, raised Clameur de Haro in the Guernsey Parliament in front of Arnold, leading to an uproar in the house.Coote Lake, E. F., "Folk-Life and Traditions", Folklore, Vol 77 No 2 (Summer 1966), pp 141-145 at p 141.
He was active in the fundraising efforts for a new Arun-class lifeboat for the Saint Peter Port Lifeboat Station.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lifeboat5202.com/lifeboat-52-02|title=Lifeboat 52-02|access-date=28 May 2022}} He died before the new boat could be commissioned, and she was named Sir William Arnold in his honour.{{Cite news|url=https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/famous-lifeboat-rescued-29-people-3870056|title=Grimsby Telegraph: "Famous lifeboat that rescued 29 people during hurricane stops over in Grimsby", 21 February 2022|newspaper=Grimsbylive |date=21 February 2020 |access-date=28 May 2022}}
He was made CBE in the 1955 Queen's Birthday Honours, knighted in the 1963 New Year Honours and made KBE in the 1973 Birthday Honours.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40497/supplement/3267|title=London Gazette, 3 June 1955, Issue 40497, page 3297|access-date=29 May 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/42870/supplement/1|title=London Gazette, 28 December 1962, Supplement 42870, page 1|access-date=29 May 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/45984/supplement/6479|title=London Gazette, 2 June 1973, Issue 45984, page 6479|access-date=29 May 2022}}
Personal life
Arnold died in office, just before his 70th birthday.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp81024/sir-william-henry-arnold|title=National Portrait Gallery: Sir William Arnold|access-date=29 May 2022}} The National Portrait Gallery holds a photograph of Arnold by Walter Bird.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp81024/sir-william-henry-arnold|title=National Portrait Gallery: Sir William Arnold|access-date=29 May 2022}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=Sir Ambrose Sherwill}}
{{s-ttl|title=Bailiff of Guernsey|years=1960–1973}}
{{s-aft|after=Sir John Loveridge}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnold, William Henry}}
Category:People from the Bailiwick of Guernsey
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire