Herbert
Macaulay
Olayinka
Herbert Samuel Heelas Badmus Macaulay (14 November 1864 – 7 May 1946) was a Nigerian nationalist, politician, engineer,
architect, journalist, and musician and is considered by many Nigerians as the
founder of Nigerian nationalism.[1]
Early years and education
Herbert
Macaulay was born in Broad St., Lagos[2][3] on 14 November 1864 to the family of Thomas
Babington Macaulay
and Abigail Crowther. His parents were children of people captured from what is
now Nigeria, resettled in Sierra Leone by the British West Africa Squadron, and eventual returnees to
present day Nigeria.[4] Thomas Babington Macaulay was one of the sons
of Ojo Oriare while Abigail Crowther was the daughter of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a descendant of King Abiodun.[4] Thomas Babington Macaulay was the founder of
the first secondary school in Nigeria, the CMS Grammar
School, Lagos.[5][6]
Macaulay
entered primary school in 1869 and from 1869 to 1877, he was educated at St
Paul's Breadfruit School, Lagos and CMS Faji School, Lagos.[7] From 1877 to October 1880, he attended CMS Grammar
School, Lagos
for his secondary education.[7] He was a student at the school when his
father died in 1878.[8] In 1880, he joined his maternal uncles trade
steamer and embarked on a trade and missionary journey across the Niger River visiting Bonny, Lokoja, Gbebe and Brass.[8] After going to a Christian missionary
school, he took a job as a clerical assistant and indexer at the Department of
Public Works, Lagos.[8] Thereafter, with the support of the colonial
administration, Macaulay left Lagos on July 1, 1890 to further his training in
England. From 1891 to 1894 he studied civil engineering in Plymouth, England and was also a pupil under of G.D. Bellamy,
a borough surveyor and water engineer in Plymouth.[9] In 1893, he became a graduate of the Royal
Institute of British Architects, London.[10] Macaulay was also an accomplished musician
who received a certificate in music from Trinity College, London and a certificate in
violin playing from Music International College, London.[11]
Career
Upon
his return to Lagos in September 1893, he resumed work with the colonial
service as a surveyor of Crown Lands. He left the service as land inspector in
September 1898 due to growing distaste for the British rule over the Lagos Colony and the position of Yorubaland and the Niger Coast
Protectorate as
British colonies in all but name. Other authors such as
Patrick Dele-Cole have noted the abuse of office allegations (leveled by his
British superiors) and pursuit of private gain controversy that clouded
Macaulay's resignation as surveyor of Crown Grants.[12]Kristin Mann, citing British Colonial Government
dispatches,[13] notes that Macaulay behaved dishonestly, by
using "his position as Surveyor of Crown Lands to help friends acquire
crown grants and persecute enemies by granting their land to others".[14] She further writes that Macaulay
"obtained crown grants under false names and then sold them at a
profit".[14] In October 1898, he obtained a license to
practice as a surveyor. As a surveyor, his plans and valuations included E.J.
Alex Taylor's house on Victoria St, Henry Carr's residence in Tinubu, Akinola
Maja's
house and Doherty villa in Campos Square.[15]
Private life
Macaulay
married Caroline Pratt, daughter of an African Superintendent of Police in
December 1898.[16] Their marriage came to an end in August 1899
upon Caroline's death during childbirth and Macaulay is reported to have vowed
never to marry again.[17] While Macaulay never remarried in the
Church,[17] he had mistresses from whom he had a number
of children,[16] as well as companionships which bore no
children (Sarah Coker, daughter of JPL Davies and Sarah Forbes Bonetta lived with Macaulay from
1909 until her death in 1916).[18] Macaulay was reportedly the first Nigerian
to own a motor car.[19][20]
Though
from a family of devout Anglicans, Macaulay embraced indigenous African
religious traditions, was superstitious, and dabbled in the practice of magic.[16] His personal papers contain notes from fortune
tellers and diviners with instructions around taboos, divinations, sacrifices,
and other occult practices.[21][16] Macaulay was also a member of the
Association of Babalawos (Ifa priests) of Lagos.[16]
Macaulay
was a great socialite in Victorian Lagos. He organized concerts at his
residence (named "Kirsten Hall" after his German Consul friend Arthur
Kirsten) on 8 Balbina Street in Yaba.[16] Macaulay was nicknamed "Wizard of
Kirsten Hall" because of his ability to obtain classified information.
Macaulay ran a network of informants who he paid handsomely. Many times,
minutes from colonial government minutes would be leaked in newspapers that
Macaulay was associated with. Whole sections of colonial government files and
telegrams can be found in the Maculay Papers at the Africana section of
the Library at the University of Ibadan.[22]
As an opponent of British rule
Prior
to the beginning of the twentieth century, Macaulay associated with many Lagos
socialites, worked as a private surveyor and had a moderate outlook about
colonialism.[23] However, by the end of the 1900s, he had
begun to veer from his professional and social activities to become a political
activist. He joined the Anti-Slavery and
Aborigines' Protection Society. Macaulay was an unlikely champion of the
masses. A grandson of Ajayi Crowther, the first African bishop of the Niger
Territory, he was born into a Lagos that was divided politically into groups
arranged in a convenient pecking order – the British rulers who lived in the
posh Marina district, the Saros and other slave descendants who lived to the
west, and the Brazilians who lived behind the whites in the Portuguese Town.
Behind all three lived the real Lagosians, the masses of indigenous Yoruba
people, disliked and generally ignored by their privileged neighbours. It was
not until Macaulay’s generation that the Saros and Brazilians even began to
contemplate making common cause with the masses.
Macaulay
was one of the first Nigerian nationalists and for most of his life a strong
opponent of many colonial policies. As a reaction to claims by the British that
they were governing with "the true interests of the natives at
heart", he wrote: "The dimensions of "the true interests of the
natives at heart" are algebraically equal to the length, breadth and depth
of the whiteman's pocket." In 1908 he exposed European corruption in the
handling of railway finances and in 1919 he argued successfully for the chiefs
whose land had been taken by the British in front of the Privy Council in London. As a result, the colonial
government was forced to pay compensation to the chiefs.
In
1909, he came out publicly against the prohibition of spirits into Nigeria
which he felt will ultimately lead to reduced government revenues and
thereafter increased taxation. Macaulay also found himself in opposition to the
colonial government in three major issues that were prominent in Lagos life
during 1900-1930. The issues included the proposed water rate, selection of the
Oba of Lagos and the Imamate of the Lagos Central Mosque. Macaulay opposed
colonial taxation to fund water supply in Lagos on the grounds of taxation
without representation.[23] He was a major supporter of the House of
Docemo in Lagos. Largely because Lagos was not under indirect rule, the Oba of Lagos unlike many of its
counterparts in other areas of the country was stripped of many of his
traditional authorities. Macaulay supported the House of Docemo in its
opposition to the water rate and colonial acquisition of Lagos lands.[23] He also galvanized the Ilu Committee
composed of the Oba of Lagos and traditional chiefs in Lagos to oppose some of
the colonial policies.[24]
Macaulay's
profile in Lagos was enhanced by the Oluwa Land case. Amodu Tijani Oluwa, a
traditional chief, had challenged the compulsory acquisition without
compensation of his family land in Apapa. He lost his appeal at the Supreme
Court and took the case to the Privy
Court Council in
London. Macaulay was Oluwa's private secretary in the trip to London. Oluwa's
case was supported by the Ilu Committee and the Oba who were interested in the
protection of their family lands in Lagos.[24] In London, Macaulay presented himself as
Oluwa's private secretary and as a representative of the Oba and in the
capacity he made statements which the colonial authorities felt were inimical
to their interest. In 1920, the Eleko, Eshungbayi was ostracized by the British because he
refused to disavow allegations against the colonial authorities made by
Macaulay in London.
To
further his political activities, Macaulay co-founded the Nigerian Daily News,
a platform he used to write opinion pieces such as Justitia Fiat: The Moral
Obligation of the British Government to the House of Docemo. He also wrote a
piece titled Henry Carr Must Go. From 1923 to 1938, he became a prominent
figure in many important political issues in Lagos including the elections into
the quinquennial elections into the Legislative Council, triennial elections to
the Lagos Town Council, and the headship of the House of Docemo.[25] In his political activities, he relied on
the Lagos Daily News, the Lagos Market Women Association led by his ally, Alimotu Pelewura, the House of Docemo and many uneducated
Lagosians.[25] His political opinions divided many Lagos
elites as he used the Daily News to publicly vilify his opponents and former
friends such as Henry Carr, Macaulay became very popular and on 24 June 1923 he
founded the Nigerian
National Democratic Party (NNDP), the first Nigerian political party.[1] The party won all the seats in the elections
of 1923, 1928 and 1933.[26]Though, the party's major function was to put
candidates into the legislative council, it had a broader objective of
promoting democracy in Nigeria, increasing higher Nigerian participation in the
social, economic and educational development of Nigeria. Though, the party
wanted to be national in outlook, Macaulay's strength of support was from the
House of Docemo and therefore his preoccupation with the defense of the House
of Docemo and his desire to control the party limited the growth of the party.[27]
As a supporter of the British
In
1931 relations between Macaulay and the British began to improve up to the
point that the governor even held conferences with Macaulay.[26] In October 1938 the more radical Nigerian Youth Movement fought and won elections
for the Lagos Town Council, ending the dominance of Macaulay and his National
Democratic Party.[28]
Legal problems
Macaulay
was barred from running for public office because of legal problems - he was
convicted twice by the British Colonial Government in Lagos; the first time for
fraud, and the second time for sedition.
Misappropriation of funds
After
going into private practice as a surveyor and architect, Macaulay faced some
financial difficulty and misappropriated funds from an estate he served as
executor for. His actions were uncovered by the authorities who tried him and
sentenced him to two years in prison.[29] The historian Patrick Dele-Cole outlines
evidence suggesting that Macaulay was unfairly persecuted at his 1913 trial.
The prosecuting counsel, one Robert Irving, was Herbert Macaulay's tenant who
may have pursued a private vendetta. Macaulay had obtained a court order to
evict Robert Irving on December 3, 1912. Additionally, Macaulay's lawyers
encountered severe difficulties putting up a solid defense in the course of the
case: as an example Macaulay's lawyers were unable to find the police
magistrate anywhere in Lagos to obtain bail. Other incidents include the acting
Chief Justice fining Macaulay £100 despite the five assessors in the court returning
a not guilty verdict. Cole also underscores Macaulay's scrupulous transparency
regarding the trust. According to Cole "the will of the testatrix was read
in public at the request of Macaulay and the loan he obtained in order the
clear the debts of the testatrix was explained to the beneficiaries of the will
(Macaulay's niece was the principal beneficiary and she certainly did not
engage Irving to prosecute the case), yet he was convicted of 'intent to
defraud'". Finally, Cole notes that Macaulay's sentence of five years was
"unusually severe".[30]
Gunpowder Plot
Macaulay's
second legal problem centered on what came to be the "Gunpowder Plot
Case". When the Privy
Council
decided that the exiled Oba Eshugbayi Eleko could apply for a writ of Habeas Corpus from
one judge to another, Lagos went wild with excitement because it indicated that
the popular Oba would be reinstated. Macaulay's Lagos Daily News
published a rumor that because of the Privy Council's decision, the British
Colonial Government in Lagos planned to blow up Oba Eleko's vehicle.[31][29] For the Gunpowerder Plot Case Macualay was
sentenced to six month's in prison (at Broad Street Prison) with hard labor without
the option for a fine. Macaulay was sixty-four years old at the time of this
conviction and the imprisonment increased Macaulay's popularity within Nigeria.[31]
Feud with Henry Carr
It
is unclear how the fierce hatred between Macaulay and Henry Carr developed however their
disputes are well documented. Carr believed that Macaulay lacked integrity and
was exploiting the House of Dosunmu for personal gain.[32] In Carr's diaries, he writes of Macaulay
"Among all human monsters with whom we have been brought into contact none
has displayed the devilish ingenuity of this man", concluding that
Macaulay was a "crooked mind and dangerous fool". Carr abhorred the
political reality that Macaulay, who was barred from partaking in politics
because of his criminal convictions, was a political kingmaker through
Macaulay's control of the NNDP.[32]
The
level of the strife between both men was so caustic that in 1924, Macaulay
published a malicious account titled "Henry Carr Must Go".[33] In the slanderous publication, Macaulay
falsely asserted that Carr's father, Amuwo Carr deserted his wife to settle in
Abeokuta as a polygamist. This was untrue considering Amuwo Carr died in
Abeokuta of poor health and was nearly blind. Macaulay's vicious attacks on
Carr in the press framed the Lagosian public's perception of Carr who was shy,
distant, and aloof.[32]
Macaulay,
on the other hand, believed Carr was behind political divisions in Lagos. He
believed Carr was responsible for the government's stubborn position on the Oba
Eleko land case. In the pamphlet
"Henry Carr Must Go", Macaulay writes of Carr "He has been
without any possible doubt whatsoever, the Head Centre, the King Pin, the very
mainspring of what his own flatterers choose to call powerful influence or
official support behind the renowned articulate minority on whose side Mr. Carr
has along flung the whole weight of his official prestige, manifesting thereby
an intolerable partisanship...deadly and detestable".[34]
Twilight years & death
In
1944 Macaulay co-founded the National
Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) together with Nnamdi Azikiwe and became its president.[35] The NCNC was a patriotic organization
designed to bring together Nigerians of all stripes to demand independence.[36] In 1946 Macaulay fell ill in Kano and later died in Lagos. Macaulay's reported last
words were:
"Tell
the National Council delegates to halt wherever they are for four
days for Macualay and then carry on.
Tell Oged to keep the flag flying"[37]
Tell Oged to keep the flag flying"[37]
The
leadership of the NCNC went to Azikiwe, who later became the first president of
Nigeria. Macaulay was buried at Ikoyi Cemetery in Lagos on 11 May 1946. Nnamdi Azikiwe
delivered a funeral oration at Macaulay's burial ceremony[38][39] and Isaac Babalola Thomas, editor and
proprietor of the Akede Eko was executor of the Macaulay's
Last Will & Testament.
Macaulay Papers at the University of Ibadan
Library
Like
his political foe Henry Rawlingson Carr whose library and papers
are at the University of Ibadan Library, Macaulay's
private collection called The Macaulay Papers are at the African Section of the
University of Ibadan Library.[40] The Macaulay Papers include a vast
assortment of political pamphlets, newspapers, and government documents. They
also include personal papers, correspondences, diaries, and photographs.[41]
References
· Saheed Aderinto (2015). Children and Childhood in Colonial Nigerian Histories. Palgrave Macmillan.
p. 27. ISBN 9781137492937.
· · Adeuyan, Jacob (2011). Contributions of
Yoruba People in the Economic & Political Developments of Nigeria.
AuthorHouse. p. 121.
· · Robert W. July (2004). The Origins of Modern African Thought: Its Development in
West Africa During the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Africa World Press.
p. 377. ISBN 9781592211999.
· Tamuno, Tekena N. Herbert Macaulay,
Nigerian Patriot. Heinemann Educational, 1976. p. 12.
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