John Nicoll (colonial administrator)

Sir John Nicoll
KCMG KStJ
Sir John Nicoll KCMG KStJ
	Nicoll in 1952
2nd Governor of Singapore
	In office; 21 April 1952 – 2 June 1955
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Chief Minister	David Marshall
Preceded by	Franklin Gimson; Wilfred Lawson Blythe (acting)
Succeeded by	William Goode (acting); Robert Black
18th Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong
	In office; 25 May 1949 – 23 January 1952
Monarchs	George VI; Elizabeth II
Preceded by	David Mercer MacDougall
Succeeded by	Robert Black
Acting High Commissioner for the Western Pacific
	In office; 21 March 1947 – 8 October 1947
Monarch	George VI
Preceded by	Alexander Grantham
Succeeded by	Brian Freeston
Acting Governor of Fiji
	In office; 4 May 1944 – 23 October 1944
Monarch	George VI
Preceded by	John Rankine (acting)
Succeeded by	John Rankine (acting)
Personal details
Born	26 April 1899
Died	12 January 1981 (aged 81); Wimbledon Common, London, England, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Irene, Lady Nicoll (m. 1939)
Children	1
Alma mater	Pembroke College, Oxford
Occupation	Colonial administrator

Sir John Fearns Nicoll KCMG KStJ (26 April 1899 – 12 January 1981) was a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of Singapore from 1952 to 1955.

Early years and colonial service

Nicoll was born in 1899 and attended Carlisle Grammar School, Pembroke College, Oxford and University of Oxford and embarked on a colonial career in British Protectorate of North Borneo in 1921.^[2]

Nicoll became Deputy Colonial Secretary of the British Crown Colony Trinidad and Tobago in 1937, the Colonial Secretary of the British Colony of Fiji from 1944 to 1949. During this time, he served as Acting Governor twice, in 1944 and 1947. This was followed by his appointment as administrator and Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong in 1949.^[2]

Nicoll became Governor of Singapore in 1952^[3] and was present during the 1954 National Service riots. After the Hock Lee bus riots in May 1955, Nicoll retired from the Governorship and Colonial Service in June.^[4]^[5] He returned to Britain.^[5]

Awards and honours

Nicoll was invested as Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1946 New Year Honours^[6] and was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1953 New Year Honours.^[7]

He was knighted with Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (KStJ) in 1952.^[8]

Personal

Nicoll and his wife, Irene, had one son, Anthony Nicoll.

Nicoll died on 12 January 1981 at Scio House Hospital, Putney Heath, London, United Kingdom.^[9]

Legacy

Nicoll Highway was named in his honour^[10] and a portrait of Nicoll by Elliott & Fry hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.

References

^ "Nicoll, Sir John (Fearns)". ukwhoswho. 1 December 2007.
^ ^a ^b "John Fearns Nicoll". nlb.gov.sg.
^ "No. 39524". The London Gazette. 25 April 1952. p. 2240.
^ Singapore: the encyclopedia. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet : National Heritage Board. 11 September 2006. p. 383. ISBN 978-981-4155-63-2.
^ ^a ^b "Retiring Governor of Singapore Sir John Nicoll with Chief …". www.nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
^ "No. 37407". The London Gazette. 28 December 1945. p. 9.
^ "No. 39732". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1952. p. 5.
^ "No. 39584". The London Gazette. 27 June 1952. p. 3520.
^ "No. 48503". The London Gazette. 23 January 1981. p. 1126.
^ "Nicoll built the road". The Straits Times. Singapore. 30 June 1956. p. 5. Retrieved 18 December 2019 – via NewspaperSG.

External links

Chua, Alvin (6 July 2009). "Sir John Fearns Nicoll". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board Singapore. Retrieved 17 August 2010.

Government offices
Preceded by Sir John Rankine (Acting)	Acting Governor of Fiji 1944	Succeeded by Sir John Rankine (Acting)
Preceded by Sir Alexander Grantham (Acting)	Acting Governor of Fiji 1947	Succeeded by Sir Brian Freeston (Acting)
Preceded by David Mercer MacDougall	Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong 1949-1952	Succeeded by Sir Robert Black
Preceded by Franklin Charles Gimson Wilfred Lawson Blythe (Acting)	Governor of Singapore 1952-1955	Succeeded by Sir William Goode (Acting) Sir Robert Black

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[1] "Nicoll, Sir John (Fearns)". ukwhoswho. 1 December 2007.

[Nicoll-2] "John Fearns Nicoll". nlb.gov.sg.

[3] "No. 39524". The London Gazette. 25 April 1952. p. 2240.

[4] Singapore: the encyclopedia. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet : National Heritage Board. 11 September 2006. p. 383. ISBN 978-981-4155-63-2.

[:0-5] "Retiring Governor of Singapore Sir John Nicoll with Chief …". www.nas.gov.sg. Retrieved 5 November 2024.

[6] "No. 37407". The London Gazette. 28 December 1945. p. 9.

[7] "No. 39732". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1952. p. 5.

[8] "No. 39584". The London Gazette. 27 June 1952. p. 3520.

[9] "No. 48503". The London Gazette. 23 January 1981. p. 1126.

[10] "Nicoll built the road". The Straits Times. Singapore. 30 June 1956. p. 5. Retrieved 18 December 2019 – via NewspaperSG.

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v t e Chief Secretary for Administration
Chief Secretary for Administration: Eric Chan
Subordinate departments	Administration Wing Legal Aid Department Human Resources Planning and Poverty Co-ordination Unit
Previous office holders*	Malcolm Morrison Wright-Bruce Caine Mercer Austin Marsh Stewart Fleming O'Brien Lockhart May Barnes Severn Southorn Smith Gimson MacDougall Nicoll Black David Burgess Teesdale Gass Norman-Walker Roberts Cater Haddon-Cave Akers-Jones Ford A. Chan Tsang Hui Tang S. Lam C. Lam Cheung Lee E. Chan
* Includes Chief Secretaries and Colonial Secretaries

Governors of Singapore (1819–1959)
(with italics * for the Acting)
Resident of Singapore (1819–1826)	William Farquhar Dr. John Crawfurd
Governors of the Straits Settlements (under British India) (1826–1867)	Robert Fullerton Robert Ibbetson Kenneth Murchison Sir Samuel George Bonham William John Butterworth Edmund Augustus Blundell
Governors of the Straits Settlements (under Colonial Office) (1867–1942)	Sir Orfeur Cavenagh Sir Harry St. George Ord Sir Andrew Clarke Sir William Jervois Sir Archibald Edward Harbord Anson * Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson Sir Archibald Edward Harbord Anson * Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld Sir Cecil Clementi Smith William Edward Maxwell * Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell Sir James Alexander Swettenham * Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham Sir John Anderson Sir Arthur Henderson Young Sir Laurence Nunns Guillemard Sir Hugh Charles Clifford Sir John Scott * Sir Cecil Clementi Sir Andrew Caldecott * Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas
Japanese Mayor of Syonan (1942–1945)	Shigeo Odate Kanichi Naito
British Military Administration of the Straits Settlements (1945–1946)	Lord Louis Mountbatten Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas
Governors of the Crown Colony of Singapore (1946–1959)	Sir Franklin Charles Gimson Wilfred Lawson Blythe * Sir John Fearns Nicoll William Allmond Codrington Goode * Sir Robert Brown Black Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode