Thomas de Multon Lee Braddell

by Chia, Joshua Yeong Jia

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Thomas de Multon Lee Braddell (Sir) (b. 25 November 1856, Province Wellesley, Penang1–d. 31 January 19272) was Attorney-General of the Straits Settlements and Chief Judicial Commissioner of the Federated Malay States. His father, Thomas Braddell, was the first Attorney-General of the then newly-created Straits Settlements. Braddell’s eldest son, Roland St John Braddell, was joint editor of the book One Hundred Years of Singapore.3

Career
Braddell was educated at Brighton College and Worcester College, Oxford.4 After a period of sugar planting in Demarara, he went to Penang in 1844 to manage a sugar estate in Ayer Hitam. In 1849, he joined East India Company as Deputy Superintendent of Police, Penang.5 He was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple on 25 June 1879, and to the Straits Bar on 5 January 1880.6 Braddell started his legal career by practising at his father’s law firm before setting up his own practice with his younger brother Robert Wallace Glen Lee Braddell. The firm was named Braddell Brothers, and still exists today.7

Braddell was also involved in public service, though not while he was at the Bar. Initially appointed Municipal Commissioner and Attorney-General in the late 1890s, he was subsequently appointed Puisne Judge in 1907.8 Braddell was the only member of the Bar to ever receive the latter designation. From 1911 to 1913, he served as Attorney-General of Singapore. Braddell went on to become Chief Judicial Commissioner of the Federated Malay States in 1913.9 He was knighted in the New Year’s Honours List of 1914.10

Family
Braddell married Violet Ida Nassau, daughter of John Roberts Kirby, J. P. of St Osyth Priory, Essex.11 Their eldest son, Roland St John Braddell, was legal adviser to the United Malays National Organisation and the Conference of Rulers in Malaya,12 and joint editor with Walter Makepeace and Gilbert E. Brooke for the book One Hundred Years of Singapore.13

Interests
Braddell was actively involved in amateur theatricals. Reportedly a talented actor in his younger days, he made his debut on the Singapore stage as Nogo Dumps in D’ye Know Me Now? Later he starred as General Baltic in Turned Up, and as Digby Grant in Two Roses. Braddell was also stage manager for the musical Iolanthe, and for the comic opera Crimson Scarf. He was said to have even devoted one evening every week helping senior students of Raffles Girls’ School in their Shakespeare.14

Braddell was an avid player and supporter of sports, notably water sports such as yachting and swimming.15 He also played a fair amount of tennis and was good with billiards. He was president of the Singapore Swimming Club and Singapore Golf Club.16 Aside from the performing arts and sports, Braddell was, like his father, an enthusiastic Freemason, having served concurrently as Master of Lodge of St George and first Master of Read Lodge, Kuala Lumpur. Braddell was also a one-time district grand senior warden.17

Departure
Braddell retired to England in 1917, and passed away on 31 January 1927 at the age of 71. He had died at home following an attack of influenza.18



Author
Joshua Chia Yeong Jia



References 
1. Dorset, J. W. (Ed.). (1918). Who’s who in Malaya, 1918 [Microfilm no.: NL 5829]. Singapore: Dorset & Co., p. 18; Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. St. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2). Singapore: Oxford University Press, p. 429. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS])
2. The London Gazette, 33319, 6432. (1927, October 11). Thomas de Multon Lee Braddell. Retrieved 2016, May 18 from The Gazette website: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33319/page/6432/data.pdf
3. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2). Singapore: Oxford University Press, p. 430. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS]); Government of Singapore. (2015, November 26). Overview of AGC’s history. Retrieved 2016, May 18 from Attorney General’s Chambers website: https://www.agc.gov.sg/Who_We_Are/Our_History/Overview.aspx; Late Sir T. Braddell. (1927, February 5). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 9. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. Dorset, J. W. (Ed.). (1918). Who’s who in Malaya, 1918 [Microfilm no.: NL 5829]. Singapore: Dorset & Co., p. 18.
5. Late Sir T. Braddell. (1927, February 5). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 9. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2). Singapore: Oxford University Press, p. 430. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS])
7. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2). Singapore: Oxford University Press, p. 430. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS]); Tan, K. Y. L. (Ed.). (2005). Essays in Singapore legal history. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Academic & Singapore Academy of Law, p. 82. (Call no.: RSING 349.5957 ESS)
8. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 1). Singapore: Oxford University Press, p. 241. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS])
9. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2). Singapore: Oxford University Press, pp. 428–429. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS]); Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 1). Singapore: Oxford University Press, p. 241. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS]); Tan, K. Y. L. (Ed.). (2005). Essays in Singapore legal history. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Academic & Singapore Academy of Law, p. 82. (Call no.: RSING 349.5957 ESS)
10. Death of Lady Violet Braddell. (1948, October 28). The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
11. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2). Singapore: Oxford University Press, p. 430. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS])
12. Koh, T., et al. (2006). Singapore: The encyclopedia. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet in association with National Heritage Board, p. 71. (Call no.: RSING 959.57003 SIN-[HIS])
13. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 1). Singapore: Oxford University Press. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS])
14. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2). Singapore: Oxford University Press, pp. 387, 392, 429. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS])
15. Dorset, J. W. (Ed.). (1918). Who’s who in Malaya, 1918 [Microfilm no.: NL 5829]. Singapore: Dorset & Co., p. 18.
16. Late Sir T. Braddell. (1927, February 5). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 9. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
17. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. S. J. (Eds.). (1991). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2). Singapore: Oxford University Press, p. 429. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 ONE-[HIS])
18. The London Gazette, 33319, 6432. (1927, October 11). Thomas de Multon Lee Braddell. Retrieved 2016, May 18 from The Gazette website:
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/33319/page/6432/data.pdf; Late Sir T. Braddell. (1927, February 5). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 9. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.



The information in this article is valid as at 8 July 2016 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

 

Subject
Colonial administrators
Attorneys general--Malaysia--Malaya--Biography
Attorneys general--Singapore--Biography
Braddell, Thomas de Multon Lee, 1856-1927