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Sir William Henry Arnold KBE (5 August 1903 - 21 July 1973) was Bailiff of Guernsey from 1960 to his death in 1973.

Early life

Arnold was born and educated on Guernsey. 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. In 1964 he led the successful move in Guernsey to abolish the death penalty for murder. 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.

He was active in the fundraising efforts for a new Arun-class lifeboat for the Saint Peter Port Lifeboat Station. He died before the new boat could be commissioned, and she was named Sir William Arnold in his honour.

He was made CBE in the 1955 Queen's Birthday Honours List, knighted in the 1963 New Years Honours List and made KBE in the 1973 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Personal life

Arnold died in office, just before his 70th birthday. The National Portrait Gallery holds a photograph of Arnold by Walter Bird.

References

1. "National Portrait Gallery: Sir William Arnold". Retrieved 29 May 2022.
2. "London Gazette, 1 March 1946, Issue 37487, page 1186". Retrieved 29 May 2022.
3. "London Gazette, 16 February 1960, Issue 41957, page 1191". Retrieved 29 May 2022.
4. "Guernsey Royal Court: List of Bailiffs". Retrieved 29 May 2022.
5. "National Portrait Gallery: Sir William Arnold". Retrieved 29 May 2022.
6. "On this day in Guernsey: Guernsey abolishes the death penalty for murder". 29 April 1972. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
7. Coote Lake, E. F., "Folk-Life and Traditions", Folklore, Vol 77 No 2 (Summer 1966), pp 141-145 at p 141.
8. "Lifeboat 52-02". Retrieved 28 May 2022.
9. "Grimsby Telegraph: "Famous lifeboat that rescued 29 people during hurricane stops over in Grimsby", 21 February 2022". Grimsbylive. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
10. "London Gazette, 3 June 1955, Issue 40497, page 3297". Retrieved 29 May 2022.
11. "London Gazette, 28 December 1962, Supplement 42870, page 1". Retrieved 29 May 2022.
12. "London Gazette, 2 June 1973, Issue 45984, page 6479". Retrieved 29 May 2022.
13. "National Portrait Gallery: Sir William Arnold". Retrieved 29 May 2022.
14. "National Portrait Gallery: Sir William Arnold". Retrieved 29 May 2022.

• People from the Bailiwick of Guernsey
• 1903 births
• 1973 deaths
• Bailiffs of Guernsey
• Knights Bachelor
• Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire