Sir John Gorrie (1829-1892) began colonial life on Mauritius in 1869, where he was posted as Substitute Procureur-General, and subsequently appointed third then second Puisne (Junior) Judge. He was called to Fiji as Chief Justice in 1876; became Chief Judicial Commissioner of the Western Pacific High Commission in 1878; was knighted in 1881; was Chief Justice successively of the Leeward Islands (1882) Trinidad (1888), and of the united Trinidad and Tobago until 1892. His unpublished novel was discovered almost a century after his death. John Gorrie was a respected colonial judge, albeit defiantly and decidedly not on the side of the ruling classes in the territories where he was posted. He believed that everyone, irrespective of race, was equal before the law, and his efforts to practice what he preached led him down many difficult paths... By publishing his hitherto unknown novel, it is our hope that we are making a further contribution to unravelling the complex legacy of empire as well as offering new insights into the life and work of this early champion of equal human rights.
