# Thomas Southorn

_British colonial administrator (1879-1957)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/thomas-southorn
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Sir Wilfrid Thomas Southorn, known as Tom, was a British colonial administrator, spending the large part of his career in Ceylon before serving as Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong, then Governor of The Gambia.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 4 August 1879 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2427370#P569))
- **Died:** 15 March 1957 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2427370#P570))
- **Citizenship:** United Kingdom ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2427370#P27))
- **Education:** Corpus Christi College ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2427370#P69))
- **Spouse:** Bella Woolf ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2427370#P26))
- **Positions held:** Governor of the Gambia (22 October 1936 – 23 March 1942); Chief Secretary for Administration; Governor of Hong Kong ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2427370#P39))
- **Awards:** Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George; Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George; Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire; honorary doctor of the University of Hong Kong ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2427370#P166))

## Questions

**When was Thomas Southorn born?**  
Thomas Southorn was born on 4 August 1879.

**What positions has Thomas Southorn held?**  
Positions held by Thomas Southorn include: Governor of the Gambia (1936–1942); Chief Secretary for Administration; Governor of Hong Kong.

**Where did Thomas Southorn study?**  
Thomas Southorn was educated at Corpus Christi College.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Thomas Southorn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Southorn) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q2427370](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2427370) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Sir Thomas Southorn.jpg by The original uploader was Clithering at Chinese Wikipedia . Unknown, owned by the Hong Kong Government (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sir_Thomas_Southorn.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Thomas Southorn, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Sir Thomas Southorn.jpg — The original uploader was Clithering at Chinese Wikipedia . Unknown, owned by the Hong Kong Government, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Thomas Southorn". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/thomas-southorn. Retrieved 6 November 2026.