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Sir Allen Montgomery Lewis was born in Castries on October 26th 1909. He was educated at the Castries Anglican Infant and Primary Schools and St. Mary's College.
After his success in the London Matriculation Examination in 1926, he entered the legal chambers of Mr. Elwin Augustin, Barrister at Law as an articled clerk. In due course, he passed the local bar examination, was called to the bar of the Royal Court of St. Lucia in June, 1931 and began practice as a barrister, solicitor and notary - royal in St. Lucia.
Sir Allen continued his private studies and in 1940 sat and passed the Bachelor of Laws degree examination of London University with second class honours.
As a "local" barrister, Sir Allen was entitled to practice his profession only in St. Lucia. He wished, however to practice in other parts of the British West Indies also. He therefore joined the Middle Temple, one of the Inns of Courts of England, where English barristers are trained. Due to the Second World War, travel to England was difficult so candidates were permitted to study for and sit their law examinations outside of England. This Sir Allen did and after the war he proceeded to England, read in the Chambers of an English barrister and in May 1946 was called to the English bar. He returned to St. Lucia and continued to practice there until 1959.
Sir Allen did not only serve as a lawyer but acted as a magistrate in 1940. In 1955 he was appointed Puisne Judge in the Supreme Court.
Sir Allen was honoured several times by Her Majesty the Queen for his public services. In 1952 he was awarded the Coronation Medal. In 1968, shortly after his appointment as Chief Justice, he was made a Knight Bachelor. In 1975 he was made a Knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. In 1977 he was awarded the Jubilee Medal, in 1979 he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George and in 1985 he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Victorian Order. In 1974, the University of the West Indies conferred on him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.
St. Lucia's first native Governor, Sir Frederick Clarke was born on May 12th, 1912. He was educated at Wesley Hall, Barbados and later at St. Mary's College in St. Lucia, and the St Vincent Grammar School. He studied medicine at the School of Medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland and held the Licentiate of the Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons.
In 1944, Dr. Clarke started his medical career in the British Midlands. He returned to St. Lucia two years later and was made a District Medical Officer, working at Soufriere. In November, 1963, Dr. Clarke retired from the Government Service after serving as Medical Officer for several years.
In 1964, Dr. Clarke became Speaker of the House of Assembly, a position which he held until 1967 when he retired to later become the island's first native Governor on the attainment of Associated Statehood.
In 1968 he was made Knight Bachelor and in the following year, a Knight of the Order of St. John. In 1971, Dr. Clarke retired as Governor and returned to private practice.
Dr. Clarke also made a great contribution to the Windward Islands in the field of sports. He gained his Cricket Blues from Edinburgh in 1936 while studying in England. When he returned home, he was given the captaincy of the St. Lucia cricket team, which he led in the Cork Cup tournaments in 1946, 1950 and 1953. Dr. Clarke later represented the Windward Islands on the West Indies Cricket Board of Control for many years.