Hamilton Lavity Stoutt

Hamilton Lavity Stoutt (7 March 1929 – 14 May 1995) was the first and longest serving Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands, winning five general elections (1967, 1979, 1986, 1991 and 1995) and serving three non-consecutive terms of office from 1967 to 1971, again from 1979 to 1983 and again from 1986 until his death in 1995. He also served as a parliamentarian in the Legislative Council from 1957 until 1967 prior to the adoption of the 1967 constitution,[1] and at the time of his death was thought to be the longest serving Parliamentarian in the Caribbean.[2] He was a founder of and the leader of the United Party, but after splitting from the party in 1971 went on to found the Virgin Islands Party.

"Stoutt" redirects here. For the English footballer, see Steve Stoutt.

The Honourable

H. Lavity Stoutt
Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands
In office
14 April 1967 – 2 June 1971
MonarchElizabeth II
GovernorSir Ian Thomson
Preceded byNew office
Succeeded byWillard Wheatley
In office
12 November 1979 – 11 November 1983
GovernorJames Alfred Davidson, David Robert Barwick
Preceded byWillard Wheatley
Succeeded byCyril Romney
In office
17 November 1986 – 14 May 1995
GovernorMark Herdman, Peter Penfold
Preceded byCyril Romney
Succeeded byRalph T. O'Neal
Personal details
Born(1929-03-07)7 March 1929
Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Died14 May 1995(1995-05-14) (aged 66)
Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Political partyUnited Party, Virgin Islands Party

Since Stoutt's death in 1995, a public holiday has been declared annually on the first Monday in the month of March in memory of his birthday.

The H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in Tortola bears his name. Stoutt himself left school after his primary school education, and obituary writers have suggested that it was his own lack of a formal education which so strongly inspired him to create and promote opportunities for BVIslanders to further their own educations.[3]

During his lifetime, Lavity Stoutt was extremely fond of the quote from Proverbs 29:18 - "Where there is no vision, the people perish", a phrase he would recite frequently when arguing in favour of development projects.[4]

Electoral history
H. Lavity Stoutt electoral history
YearDistrictPartyVotesPercentageWinning/losing marginResult
19571st DistrictNon-party election------Won
19601st DistrictNon-party election------Won
19631st DistrictNon-party election21568.0%+114Won
19671st DistrictBVI United Party22165.4%+54Won
19711st DistrictVirgin Islands Party------Won
19751st DistrictVirgin Islands Party33475.1%+223Won
19791st DistrictVirgin Islands Party32857%+72Won
19831st DistrictVirgin Islands Party42153.0%+85Won
19861st DistrictVirgin Islands Party41664.9%+203Won
19901st DistrictVirgin Islands Party52085.8%+464Won
19951st DistrictVirgin Islands Party48968.3%+292Won

Lavity Stoutt's percentage of the votes in the 1990 general election remain records for a district seat in the British Virgin Islands (the margin of victory was a record at the time, but has since been surpassed). Stoutt's 11 electoral victories are also a record. Stoutt's 38 years as a parliamentarian was a record, but was surpassed by Ralph O'Neal in late 2013.[5]

Personal life

Stoutt was born on 7 March 1929 in Long Bay, Tortola. He was the eighth child of Isaiah and Iallia Stoutt. He was married once, and had three sons and three daughters. He was a staunch Methodist, and served as both a Sunday school superintendent and a lay preacher.[6]

Political offices
Political offices
Preceded by
New office		 Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands
1967–1971		 Succeeded by
Willard Wheatley
Preceded by
Willard Wheatley		 Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands
1979–1983		 Succeeded by
Cyril Romney
Preceded by
Cyril Romney		 Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands
1986–1995		 Succeeded by
Ralph T. O'Neal
Preceded by
Q.W. Osborne		 Leader of the Opposition
1971-1975		 Succeeded by
Austin Henley
Preceded by
Willard Wheatley		 Leader of the Opposition
1983-1986		 Succeeded by
Ralph T. O'Neal
Preceded by
Wilfred W. Smith		 Member for the 1st District
1957-1995		 Succeeded by
Angel Smith

Footnotes
  1. "Lavity Stoutt". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  2. "OBITUARY : H. Lavity Stoutt". The Independent. 23 May 1995.
  3. "OBITUARY : H. Lavity Stoutt". The Independent. 23 May 1995.
  4. "Stoutt for BVI". Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  5. Lavity Stoutt died shortly after the commencement of his 11th term. But during the early part of Lavity Stoutt's political career electoral terms only lasted 3 years (since 1967 they have lasted 4 years), both which account for how Stoutt served more terms than O'Neal, but O'Neal's career as a legislator was longer. Stoutt's was first elected in April 1957 and died in May 1995, and so served just under 38 years and 2 months. O'Neal was first elected on 1 September 1975, and so passed Lavity Stoutt on or about 1 November 2013.
  6. "OBITUARY : H. Lavity Stoutt". The Independent. 23 May 1995.
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