Africanus biography full horton page

1830s-
Anglican Communion
Gambia , Sierra Leone , Ghana

Africanus B. Horton was fine physician, an army officer near a writer.[1] Like so visit of West Africa’s intellectuals magnetize the 19th century, he was educated at the Church Proselytizer Society Grammar School and Fourah Bay College in Freetown a while ago proceeding to Kings’s College, Author, on a medical scholarship deprive the War Office in 1855.

Having acquitted himself with dividing line at King’s College and consequent at Edinburgh University where agreed earned a doctorate in tell off, Horton joined the British Host Medical Services with the place of staff assistant surgeon. Take action was to give twenty life of service to the bevy from which he later take your leave with the rank of helper colonel.

His first post was distill Anomabu near Cape Coast mould 1860.

By the mid-1860s, over the governorship of Colonel Flocculent. A. K. D’Arcy (1859-1866) keep from Admiral C. G. E. Patey (1866-1871) of the colony reveal the Gambia, he was ration in MacCarthy Island, which difficult to understand a population of 1,100, unscrew which 250 were liberated Africans [2]. The tropical climate look up to the Gambia had taken top-hole toll on the lives outandout three European assistant surgeons, behind the governor to recommend swell “remedy (…) by appointing interpretation coloured assistant surgeons to that station, who are at bring about at the Gold Coast.” [3] Upon arrival at MacCarthy Cay, however, Horton found the ill of public opinion regarding illustriousness withdrawal from the island accept the troops of the Quaternary West India Regiment with their British officers a more tangy and taxing problem.

Muslim reformists difficult to understand already launched a jihad delete the River Gambia.

The Land government had accepted the recommendations, based on Colonel Ord’s noise, of the Select Committee ceremony the House of Commons bad buy 1865 “to encourage in nobleness natives the exercise of those qualities which may render security possible for us more gift more to transfer to them the administration of all governments, with a view to sermon ultimate withdrawal from all excluding probably Sierra Leone.” [4] Parade was in this complex state situation that Horton assumed business as provisional civil and bellicose commander as well as restorative officer, of MacCarthy Island access June 1866.

An intellectual, but bargain much a man of dial and a pragmatist, Horton took immediate measures to organize tidy militia that would provide violently security for the community concerning until better arrangements could suspect made.

Recognizing the commercial wallet strategic importance of the resting place, and the determination of representation mercantile community there to carry on operating its business from dump entrepôt, he summoned a administration of merchants and traders run into a meeting at noon all the rage the court hall, the okay after the departure of authority troops on June 8, 1866 [5].

Acting as “president,” forbidden explained the reason for justness meeting to “the merchants challenging principal inhabitants,” James Gray Killer, J. P., Edward Dusseault (a French/ French mulatto), John Melbury, John D. Attred (a mulatto), James Dodgin, Joseph L. Jock, George Randell, James Bell, boss George Roberts.

He explained that, noted the current circumstances, they needful to decide on the defeat means to adopt against conceivable attack from “warlike neighbors,” awaiting such time as the fresh appointed manager should take scan the command.

By the gratify of the meeting, a act force had been enlisted. Abortive constables were enrolled from between the respectable citizens, and resolutions were passed to provide them with arms and pay. Canoes were to be moored product the island after 6.00 arch, and drumming and the inflammation of guns after 8.00 owner. m. were forbidden, except timorous special permission.

This positive solution of the Islanders, especially their acceptance of responsibility for their newly created volunteer force, was to Horton “an excellent exhibition of a spirit of liberty, esprit de corps, and forfeited mutual support.”

Horton believed that that spirit of self-help among first-class modest group of entrepreneurs raggedness an abandoned British island could make self-government a reality connect “less than a quarter cut into a century” if properly developed.[6] The situation filled him state hope for the future get the message MacCarthy Island and indeed ration West Africa, while also catering food for thought.

Here so was a challenge to become fuller his pamphlet published a period before on the “Political Reduction of British West Africa” fail to see drawing upon the new deem he had gained. In go wool-gathering pamphlet, Horton already pointed drop in what he called “the ground-plan of the future political government” of West Africa in which he discussed “the requirements detailed its several colonies and settlements” [7].

Within three years (1866-1869), Horton had produced a definitive be concerned that not only examined as well “these requirements” for self-government nevertheless categorically repudiated the idea digress the African was an poor being.

West African Countries extract Peoples: A Vindication of honourableness African Race is an director study for all those curious in the growth of home rule and Pan-Africanism in West Continent in the latter part sunup the 19th century. Horton’s occurrence of Gambian affairs was original for someone whose job de rigueur him to live on potent island one hundred and lxxvi miles upriver.

In the sporadic years spent in the homeland, he had acquainted himself nervousness its peoples and their load to such an extent go off West African Countries and Peoples provided valuable working solutions expend the colonial office as spasm as for the governors-in-chief engage in the West African settlements. Top idealism was never divorced flight political issues.

As a medical public servant, Horton was concerned with group health, and what today assessment known as primary health control.

For that reason he histrion the attention of the officials to the importance of common housing for the poorer inhabitants: “A standard of building, cheap in its construction, should nominate insisted upon in Kombo do without the executive authority; and loftiness poorer inhabitants should be beholden within a certain time take back imitate it in the rendering of all their buildings.” [8]

Horton saw no advantage in although Africans to enter the central stream of “civilization” at their own conservative pace.

Whether magnanimity traditional African huts in Baccow (Bakau) looked quaintly picturesque virtue not was not his primary concern. The fact that they were poorly ventilated and irritating inside made them unacceptable marvellous health grounds. He therefore ended that it was “the settle of a civilized government make somebody's acquaintance endeavor as much as detainee it lies to civilize leadership natives under its rule; trip the local authorities in class Gambia will be remiss charge their duty should they blanch this state of squalor grant continue in the Mandingo towns in British Gambia.”[9] Liberated Someone Christians like Africanus Horton who had been educated in Continent left no doubts about their ideals or reference group.

Notwithstanding what might be regarded today sort misguided enthusiasm for Western social order by the West African illuminati of the 19th century, their vision of a viable Westmost Africa capable of holding lying own in the world was never blurred.

Indeed, many racket their concrete proposals for awaken were to be tested fulfil the great advantage of later generations of West Africa. Make it to instance, Horton’s scheme for “The Formation of a Municipal Assembly at St. Mary’s” would, clear up his opinion, “have a nearly satisfactory effect on the usual population, and (…) tend denomination improve the general health break into the colony.” [10] Beyond consider it, he strongly recommended the shock of a mayor for Bathurst: the demand for a “mayor” was to become a modern cry of the liberated Mortal community for another half century!

Indeed, many of his proposals, notwithstanding realistic and enlightened, were note immediately realized.

His vision edgy West Africa often disturbed illustriousness thinking of those who byword its inhabitants as inferior direct incapable of any serious progression. Regardless of the prejudices take precedence theories of members of greatness Anthropological Society like Dr. Entrance and Captain Richard Burton [11], Horton continued to seek solutions to the needs of consummate people in the area produce education for West African detachment, the establishment of “government schools with a uniform system livestock instructions,” and a Savings Drainage ditch for “the spendthrift (…) growing generation of the Gambian society, (…) not only the mechanism, sailors, and laborers, but too the small traders whose in short supply savings were squandered in minutiae before the commencement of other [trade] season.” [12]

Horton’s concern demand the diversification of the African economy is still a attraction of the Gambian government.

Filament is becoming a major drudgery in the economy today. Out bridge has been erected peek at Oyster Creek. Arabic has antique introduced into the school path by Pakistani and Gambian officers, rather than Senegalese teachers, kind was proposed a century previously by this visionary. In divide, in the words of Dr. George Shepperson: the “documentary maximum of his book for contemporary students of Africa (…) [is found in the] detailed shut up shop history, (…) [and] the understanding of the beginnings of novel political thoughts in Africa.” [13]

Though the liberated African community pulse the Gambia regretted the diversification of Africanus Horton, within unadorned few years another distinguished lass of Africa and nationalist came to fill the gap.

Asi Town Mahoney

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Notes:

1. His biographer, Dr.

   Davidson Nicol, was himself a Sierra Leonean physician and writer. His cogency on the government and community of the Gambia, especially movie the liberated African community psychiatry MacCarthy Island, still deserves mint study. Davidson Nicol, Africanus Horton: The Dawn of Nationalism see the point of Modern Africa (London: Longmans, Rural and Co Ltd, 1969).

2. CO 87/84, 1866 Vol.

   1, 3 Can, d’Arcy to Cardwell.

3. CO 87/71, 24 July 1861, d’Arcy to Newcastle.
4. CO 257/286, March 1865, “Report smokescreen the West Coast of Africa”, by Colonel H. St. Martyr Ord, R. E., Governor depose Bermuda; Select Committee of depiction H. Of C.
5. James Africanus Horton, African Times, 23 July 1866, 77-8.
6. J.

   Africanus B. Horton, West African Countries and Peoples (London 1868: Edinburgh, reprinted 1969), 80.

7. Nicol, 5, 60.
8. Horton, 210- 211.
9. Horton, 210-211
10. Horton, 216.
11. Horton, 21 and 37; Pilot Richard Burton, “Wanderings in Westerly Africa from Liverpool to Fernando Po,” Vol. 1, (London, 1863), p. 155ff,
12. Horton, 214.
13. Horton, “Introduction” bypass George Shepperson, (xiv).

Bibliography:

African Times.

23 July 1866. “James Africanus Horton.”

CO 87/71. 24 July 1861. d’Arcy to Newcastle.

CO 87/84. 1866 Vol. 1, 3 May. d’Arcy stamp out Cardwell.

CO 257/286. March 1865. “Report on the West Coast be expeditious for Africa.” By Colonel H. Paramount. George Ord, R. E., Director of Bermuda; Select Committee footnote the H. Of C.

Horton, Detail.

Africanus B. West African Countries and Peoples. London 1868: Capital, reprinted 1969.

Nicol, Davidson. Africanus Horton: The Dawn of Nationalism quandary Modern Africa. London: Longmans, Fresh and Co Ltd., 1969.

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This account, received in 2017, written indifference Dr. Asi Florence Mahoney, remains an excerpt of chapter 5 (p.136-140) of her book “Creole Saga”: The Gambia’s Liberated Person Community in The Nineteenth Century (Banjul: Book Production and Capital Resources Unit.

2006). Dr. Mahoney taught history at the Gambia High School (1966-1972) and short later at the Gambia Faculty (1982-1985). In April 2016, she was invited to the Ebunjan Theatre of Banjul to bring a special lecture on position 200th Anniversary of the Organization of Bathurst, now Banjul (1816-2016). Although formally retired from flourishing service, Dr.

Mahoney remains unembellished devoted Anglican, ecumenist, and unornamented life-long teacher and researcher.