Walter Nutt
Walter Frederick Nutt | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Born | 1874 |
| Died | 14 November 1940 |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Bedford Modern School |
| Known for | Managing Director of The Straits Trading Company |
Walter Frederick Nutt OBE (1874 – 14 November 1940) was Managing Director of The Straits Trading Company (1918–21),[1] at the time one of the largest tin smelting companies in the world,[2] a member of the Federal Malay States Legislative Council[3] and a prominent freemason who was District Grand Master of the Eastern Archipelago (1919–23).[4][5]
Early life[edit]
Walter Nutt was born in Kensington, London in 1874.[6] He was the son of William Henry Rothery Nutt, an official of the Bank of England, and his wife Kathleen Laura (née Bloxham).[6] Like his brothers, Arthur Nutt and Harold Nutt, he was educated as a boarder at Bedford Modern School.[6][7]
Career[edit]
Nutt was an expatriate in Malaysia and Singapore for much of his commercial life. He was a director of several commercial concerns including the Bagan River Rubber Company [8] and Managing Director of The Straits Trading Company (1918–21). He was a member of the Federal Malay States Legislative Council.[3]
In 1918, Nutt was awarded an OBE for services in connection with war charities.[9]
In 1919, Nutt successfully speculated in the tin market on behalf of the Straits Trading Company. However, similar efforts in 1921 resulted in the company having to miss a semiannual dividend for the first time in its history. Nutt was forced to resign in January 1922.[10]
Masonic and yachting interests[edit]
Nutt was a prominent Freemason becoming District Grand Master of the Eastern Archipelago (1919–23)[4] He was also the first Commodore of the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club.[11]
Personal life[edit]
On 16 May 1905, Nutt married Gertrude Isabel Cowper at St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore.[12] Gertrude Nutt was an artist and the portrait she painted of her husband in full masonic regalia is included in the BBC’s Your Painting series.[13]
Death[edit]
On 27 February 1937, Gertrude Nutt died and Walter Nutt died three years later, on 14 November 1940, following an operation in London.[1][14] Walter and Gertrude Nutt were survived by two daughters.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c [1] Walter Nutt, Obituary in The Straits Times, 16 November 1940
- ^ [2] Profile at The Straits Trading Company
- ^ a b [3] Colonial Armies in Southeast Asia, edited by Karl Hack and Tobias Rettig. First published by Routledge, 2006
- ^ a b [4] The Straits Times, 29 May 1920
- ^ "Walter Frederick Nutt (1874–1940)". Art UK. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ^ a b c "Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History Records at Ancestry.co.uk". ancestry.co.uk. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ^ 1891 England Census
- ^ [5] The Straits Times, 4 November 1919
- ^ [6] The Gazette, 4 October 1918
- ^ Baldwin, William Lee (1983). The World Tin Market : Political pricing and economic competition. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. pp. 197–198. ISBN 9780822305057.
- ^ "HISTORY". rsyc.org.sg. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ^ [7] The Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser, 17 May 1905
- ^ [8] Gertrude Nutt, Obituary in The Straits Times, 15 March 1937
- ^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966