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Edwy Lyonet Talma

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Edwy Lyonet Talma
Born1874
Died6 July 1930
Occupation(s)Colonial administrator and lawyer

Edwy Lyonet Talma (1874 – 6 July 1930) was a colonial administrator and lawyer who served in the civil service of the Straits Settlements from 1896 to 1924.

Early life and education

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Edwy Lyonet Talma was born in Barbados in 1874, and received his early education at Harrison College, Barbados. He then went to Christ's College, Cambridge, obtained his BA, and was admitted to the Inner Temple as a member of the English bar.[1][2][3][4]

Career

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In 1896, Talma went to Penang as a cadet in the civil service of the Straits Settlements[5] and filled various appointments including Second Magistrate and Commissioner of Court of Requests,[6] Superintendent of Immigrants[7] and acting Postmaster General, before moving to Singapore in 1904 to take up the position of Deputy Registrar in the Supreme Court.[2] There he occupied various positions including, assistant superintendent of Indian Immigrants,[8] assistant registrar of joint stock companies,[9] collector of land revenue,[10] district judge[11] and magistrate until 1917 when he was sent to work in Somerset House in London. After returning to Singapore he joined the War Tax Office[12][13] before being appointed Collector-General, and in 1920 was appointed Registrar of the Supreme Court,[14] promoted to Deputy Colonial Treasurer,[15] whilst also acting as secretary to the Hindu and Islamic Endowment Board,[15] and sitting on the Legislative and Executive Councils.[1][3][4]

Talma retired from the Malayan civil service in 1924[16] and joined Battenberg as a partner, practising as an advocate in the local courts, the firm becoming known as Battenberg & Talma. At the same time he served as a member of the municipal commission.[1][3][4]

Talma was a keen sportsman who played cricket for the Singapore Club team[17] and captained the Penang team.[18] He was also the first captain of the Racecourse Golf Club.[1]

Death and legacy

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Talma died on 6 July 1930 in Singapore whilst playing golf.[3][4] Talma Road in Singapore is named after him.[1][19]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Zaubidah, Mohamed (July 2019). "Talma, Edwy Lyonet". www.nlb.gov.sg/.
  2. ^ a b Who's who in the Far East, 1906-7, June. University of California Libraries. Hongkong, China mail. 1906. p. 306.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ a b c d "Sudden Death of Mr. E. L. Talma". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). 7 July 1930. p. 10.
  4. ^ a b c d "Tributes in Court". The Straits Budget. 10 July 1930. p. 9.
  5. ^ "New Cadets". The Straits Times. 14 December 1896. p. 3.
  6. ^ ""Gazette" Notifications". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 23 November 1903. p. 4.
  7. ^ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 30 November 1901. p. 2.
  8. ^ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 22 June 1907. p. 6.
  9. ^ "Government Appointments". The Straits Budget. 6 May 1909. p. 10.
  10. ^ "M.A.P." The Straits Echo (Mail Edition). 8 March 1916. p. 322.
  11. ^ "Gazetted". Straits Echo. 22 July 1912. p. 6.
  12. ^ "Untitled". Malaya Tribune. 13 November 1917. p. 4.
  13. ^ "Untitled". The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). 17 November 1917. p. 7.
  14. ^ "Civil Service Appointments". The Straits Times. 29 May 1920. p. 10.
  15. ^ a b "Presentation to Mr. E. L. Talma". Malaya Tribune. 24 January 1924. p. 6.
  16. ^ "Good-bye to Mr. Talma". The Straits Times. 3 January 1924. p. 9.
  17. ^ "S. C. C. Teams For Selangor". The Straits Budget. 28 December 1905. p. 3.
  18. ^ "Cricket in Penang". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 13 June 1904. p. 5.
  19. ^ Ng, Yew Peng (2017-09-28). What's In The Name? How The Streets And Villages In Singapore Got Their Names. World Scientific. p. 407. ISBN 978-981-322-147-5.