Lance Tompkins

Tompkins in 1915

Supreme Court judge
In office
2 August 1963 – 1969
Hamilton City Councilor
In office
1955–1958
Personal details
Born|

Arthur Lance Tompkins

(1895-12-18)18 December 1895
Kimbolton, New Zealand
Died| 22 January 1977(1977-01-22) (aged 81)
Taupō, New Zealand
Spouse|

Marjorie Rees Manning

(m. 1926)​

Relatives|

* David Tompkins (son)
* Helen Crabb (aunt)
* Priscilla Crabb (grandmother)
* Arthur Tompkins (grandson)

Occupation| Lawyer

Arthur Lance Tompkins QC (18 December 1895 – 22 January 1977) was a New Zealand judge. He was a founding member of the Hamilton law firm Tompkins Wake.

## Early life and education

[edit]

Tompkins was born in Kimbolton in the Manawatu region of New Zealand.[1] The artist Helen Crabb was his aunt.[2] On 7 April 1926, he married Marjorie Rees Manning at St Peter's Cathedral in Hamilton. She was the daughter of Arthur Edwards Manning, the former mayor of Hamilton. At the time, Tompkins lived at Tuhikaramea, a locality south-west of Hamilton.[3]

Tompkins studied law extramurally at the Auckland Law School. His studies were interrupted by World War I; he served in France where he was gassed and suffered a hearing impairment. After the war, he went to Auckland to finish his degree. He graduated in 1921 and received his degree from the University of New Zealand.[1][4][5]

## Career

[edit]

Tompkins served as president of the Hamilton District Law Society and was a member of the New Zealand Law Society Council, 1940–42. He was elected a Hamilton City councillor in 1955 and served until 1958.[1] He was admitted to the Inner Bar as Queen's Counsel on 13 May 1958.[6] He was appointed a Supreme Court judge on 2 August 1963, retiring in 1969.[4]

A prominent figure in Hamilton, Tompkins held a number of roles including: president of Birthright Hamilton, 1958–1961; founding trustee and president, in 1961–1962, of the Waikato Savings Bank; chairman of Bartholomew Timbers Ltd, 1938–1963; member of the Board of Governors of the Waikato Diocesan School for Girls, 1934–1963; and president and life member of the Hamilton Golf Club. He also served as a judge of the Court of Appeal of Fiji and chairman of the Legal Aid Authority.[1]

## Death and legacy

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Tompkins died at Taupō on 22 January 1977.[7] His son, David Tompkins, and grandson, Arthur Tompkins, both became judges.[4]

## References

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1. ^ a b c d "Arthur Lance Tompkins". Auckland War Memorial Museum. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
2. ^ "Tompkins, Lance, 1895–1977 : Letters from Helen Crabb". Alexander Turnbull Library. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
3. ^ "Weddings". Waikato Times. Vol. 100, no. 16770\. 10 April 1926. p. 15. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
4. ^ a b c "Family of lawyers". Auckland Law School. University of Auckland. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
5. ^ Doyle, Judith (7 October 2017). "Suitcase reveals a treasure trove of one man's war". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
6. ^ "Some QC facts and figures". Lawyer best. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
7. ^ "Former judge dead". The Press. 24 January 1977. p. 4. Retrieved 20 April 2024 – via PapersPast.

*[m.]: married