British Empire Article


Devonshire Course, Oxford, 1948/9


This is actually a photograph of the Second Devonshire Course at Oxford and London from 1948/49. The author, R.E.N. Smith, was on the First Devonshire Course that year. However, this picture gives a pretty good cross section of the kinds of territories these would be heading out towards and professions or roles that they would be undertaking. Three of them came from the colonial territories themselves - namely Chief Simeon Adebo (Nigeria) - back row - and Major Seth Anthony (Gold Coast) - second row. The third one at the end of the front row is Mr St G C Cooper, an Agricultural Officer from St Lucia who started service in British Guiana in 1934, then served in Grenada, Dominica and finally Trinidad from 1954.

The names, with initial or previous territory of service, and career if not Administration (where known), are detailed below:

Back Row
G K Monro (Nigeria)
N C Perkins (Nigeria)
E G Lewis (Nigeria)
E S Haydon (Uganda)
C J Gunton (Nigeria)
J R Swain
FD R Bo veil
S O Adebo (Nigeria)
P A Grier (Nigeria)

Middle Row
J R Nimmo (Kenya)
R N Barlow-Poole (Nigeria)
J H E Watson (Nyasaland)
T Griffiths-Jones (Tanganyika)
J S Gunn
D D Bolt (Nyasaland)
G G Davies (Gambia)
G S Kennedy (Mauritius, Aden, Gambia)
R P Watson
S K Anthony (Gold Coast)

Front Row
J S Bury (Trinidad) Engineer
A G Stephen (Tanganyika)
J A Clewley (Nigeria)
C A Brooke
I H Norton (Tanganyika)
V H K Littlewood (Gold Coast) Course Supervisor
R Davies (Western Pacific)
E Walker (Fiji) Surveyor
J E Brundell (Western Pacific)
J M Helliwell (N Rhodesia) Police
St G C Cooper (British Guiana, Grenada)


Checking the Books Article | The Colonial Service Training Courses Article | Some Reflections on "Colonialism" Article | The Transfer of Power: The Colonial Administrator in the Age of Decolonisation Article


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