Orville Turnquest


Sir Orville Alton Turnquest was the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Bahamas from 1992 to 1994, and the fifth Governor-General of the Bahamas from 3 January 1995 until his retirement on 13 November 2000.

Biography

Turnquest was born in Grants Town, New Providence, to Robert and Gwendolyn Turnquest. After obtaining his Cambridge Junior Certificate, Cambridge Senior Certificate and London Matriculation Certificate at the Government High School between 1942 and 1945, he was articled in the law chambers of the late Hon. A. F. Adderley from 1947 to 1953, being called to The Bahamas Bar on 26 June 1953. He subsequently studied at the University of London, earning a bachelor of laws degree with honours, and in July 1960 was admitted to the English Bar as a member of Lincoln’s Inn.
He served as Bahamian Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs from 21 August 1992, and became Deputy Prime Minister, Attorney-General and Minister of Foreign Affairs on 1 September 1993. He was knighted in 1995.