The first District Grand Master, R. W. Bro. His Honour Algernon de Malupert Willoughby-Osborne was a Past Master of Accra Lodge No. 3063. He became a joining member of St. George’s Lodge No. 3065 on 23rd December, 1912. At the date of formation of the District Grand Lodge of Northern and Southern Nigeria, R. W. Bro.Willoughby-Osborne was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Colony & Protectorate of Southern Nigeria.
He was born on 9th January 1865, the second son of J.W. Willoughby-Osborne, a Colonel in-the Madras Staff Corps. Brief particulars of his career are given hereunder:
- Educated at Winchester, and Hertford College, Oxford (Master of Arts)
- Solicitor (Eng.) 1892; Solicitor & Barrister of Supreme Court, Gold Coast 1896
- Attorney General Gold Coast, January 1903; Was called to the Bar, Lincoln’s Inn 1904.
R. W. Bro. Wilioughby-Osborne held the appointment of Chief Justice of Southern Nigeria from July 1908 until the end of 1913. As from the 1st January 1914, the posts of Chief Justice of Southern Nigeria and Chief Justice of Northern Nigeria were amalgamated. As a result of this amalgamation, R. W. Bro. Willoughby-Osborne’s appointment came to an end with effect from that date, and he retired to the UnitedKingdom.
After his retirement from the Coast, he lived at Highfield, Hills Road, Cambridge. He died there from appendicitis on 26th March 1915.
