Sir John Wither Awdry DL (21 October 1795 – 31 May 1878) [1] was an English-born Indian judge.
Born at Swindon, he was the second and oldest surviving son of John Awdry and his wife Jane, the second daughter of Lovelace Bigg. [2] Awdry was educated at Westminster School and then at Christ Church, Oxford. [1] He was first in classics in 1816 and graduated with a Master of Arts ten years later. In 1844, Awdry received a Doctorate of Civil Law by the University of Oxford. [2]
Awdry was called to the bar by the Middle Temple in 1822 and became a bencher in 1830, on whose occasion he was created a Knight Bachelor. [2] He was puisne judge and commissioner of the Insolvent Debtor's Court in Bombay. [2] In 1839, he was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature at Bombay, resigning from this post after three years. [2] After his return to England, Awdry served as chairman of the Quarter Sessions in Wiltshire and represented the county as Deputy Lieutenant from 1852. [1]
On 29 June 1830, he married firstly Sarah Maria, eldest daughter of Jonathan Awdry, and had by her two sons and a daughter. [3] After her death, he married Frances Ellen, second daughter of Thomas Carr on 24 July 1839. [3] By his second wife, he had eight sons and four daughters. [3] Awdry died at his home at Notton House. [1] His sons included William, an Anglican bishop, [4] and Charles, senior partner of W. H. Smith. [5] He was the paternal grandfather of the writer and clergyman Wilbert Awdry.
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