William O'Brien Lindsay

Sir William O'Brien Lindsay KBE (8 October 1909 – 20 October 1975) was the Chief Justice of the Sudan from 1954 to 1955, during the period when it was administered as an Anglo-Egyptian condominium. A first-class cricketer during his youth, he served in the Sudan Political Service from 1932 to 1955, establishing a law firm in Nairobi, Kenya, after his retirement from the judiciary.

Lindsay was born in Canterbury, Kent, to Elsie Catherine Harriet (née Riddiford) and Michael Egan Lindsay. His parents were both New Zealanders by birth, with his mother being the daughter of Edward Joshua Riddiford and granddaughter of Henry Bunny, both prominent landowners there.^[1] However, the couple's four children were all born in the United Kingdom – their father had served with the New Zealand Defence Force during the Second Boer War, and after transferring to the British Army was an officer with the 7th Dragoon Guards and Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, eventually being made a Deputy Lieutenant of Fife.^[2]

Like his older brothers, Lindsay was educated at Harrow School, and captained the school's cricket team in 1928, his final year,^[3] also representing a combined Public Schools side.^[4] He went on to Balliol College, Oxford, and began playing for the Oxford University Cricket Club, making his first-class debut in June 1929, against Gloucestershire. A wicket-keeper and right-handed top-order batsman, Lindsay went on to play three more first-class games during the 1929 season – two for Oxford (against the Free Foresters and Lancashire), and one for Scotland, his father's place of residence.^[5] His sole appearance for Scotland came against the touring South African team, which was completed within two days as Scotland lost by an innings.^[6]

Lindsay played only once at first-class level during the 1930 season, but the following year made five first-class appearances for Oxford, including in the annual University Match against Cambridge University (played at Lord's).^[5] He also made two County Championship appearances for Kent, against Warwickshire and Middlesex within the space of five days. He kept wicket and opened the batting (with Colin Fairservice) against Warwickshire,^[7] but Les Ames, the county's usual wicket-keeper, returned against Middlesex, with Lindsay playing solely as a batsman.^[8] In 1932, Lindsay played in another five first-class fixtures for the university, and against Lancashire scored 63 runs, his first and only half-century.^[9] His season included matches against two touring international teams, the Indians and the South Americans, with his game against the South American composite side being his final first-class match.^[5]

In 1932, Lindsay joined the Sudan Political Service, which administered the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.^[10] During the Second World War, he was twice given an emergency commission as a second lieutenant in the Sudan Defence Force.^[11][12] Towards the war's end, in 1944, he transferred to the legal department of the civil service. In 1954, Lindsay was appointed to the country's judiciary, as chief justice.^[10] One of the last British chief justices before the country was given independence in 1956, as the Republic of the Sudan, he served only until early 1955, and was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) upon leaving office.^[13] After retiring, Lindsay opened a law firm in Nairobi, Kenya, where he lived until his death in 1975 (aged 66).^[3] He had married three times – firstly in 1937, to Sevilla Glass Hooper; secondly in 1958, to Elizabeth Doreen Sturman; and thirdly in 1975 (three months before his death), to Michaela Denis (the widow and partner of filmmaker Armand Denis).^[1][14]

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