John Udal (judge)
John Symonds Udal (1848–1925) was an English-born lawyer, judge, cricketer and writer. He served as Fiji’s Attorney-General from 1889 to 1899 and later as Chief Justice of the Leeward Islands from 1900 to 1911. He also pursued antiquarian interests and wrote about Dorset folklore.
Born in West Bromwich, England, Udal was educated at Bromsgrove School and studied law at Queen’s College, Oxford. He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1875 and practiced on the Western Circuit before moving to Fiji, where he also became Admiralty Advocate.
As a cricketer, Udal played for clubs including the MCC and Fiji, and captained the Fiji national team on a tour of New Zealand in 1895. He remained involved in cricket to promote the game in Fiji and later in the Leeward Islands.
A keen antiquarian, Udal joined the Folklore Society and became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. His research culminated in Dorsetshire Folklore (1922).
A notable legal case during his time as Chief Justice involved James Townsland Allen, editor of the Montserrat Herald, who was jailed in 1910 after being found guilty of libel against Udal.
Udal married Eva Mary Adelina Routh in 1878, and they had five children. He died in London in 1925 and was buried in Symondsbury, Dorset. His family included a cricketing lineage, with descendants who continued to play at high levels.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:16 (CET).