Background
Hamilton Lavity Stoutt was born on 7 March 1929 in the British Virgin Islands.
Hamilton Lavity Stoutt was born on 7 March 1929 in the British Virgin Islands.
He received his primary and secondary education in the British Virgin Islands, and was a contractor between 1946 and 1964.
He was first elected to the Legislative Council in 1957, served as member for Works and Communications between 1960 and 1967, and in 1967 became the first chief minister of the territory, serving until 1971. Between 1971 and 1975 he was Leader of the Opposition, he was minister of natural resources and public health between 1975 and 1979, and again he served as chief minister after the election of 1979.