In 1825, the London Gazette reported:Windsor Castle, Sept. 30. The King was this day pleased to confer the honour of knighthood on John Thomas Claridge, Esq. of the Middle Temple, Recorder of Prince of Wales' Island.Claridge was then appointed to the position of recorder, a senior judgeship in the Straits Settlement . He may have obtained this post due to his friendship with the Duchess of Dorset, Prime Minister Lord Liverpool’s stepsister. The post provided a salary of £4,000 per year with a pension of £500 a year after five years. Further promotion seemed a certainty, as three out of four previous Recorders in the region had gained well-paid judgeships in India.
