Stewart Gore-Browne
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel
Sir Stewart Gore-Browne, DSO
, (May 3, 1883 – August 4, 1967), called Chipembele by Africans, was a soldier, pioneer white settler, builder, politician and supporter of independence
in Northern Rhodesia
(now Zambia
).
, England
. His paternal grandfather was Sir Thomas Gore Browne
, who had been governor of New Zealand
and Tasmania
. His paternal aunt was Ethel Locke-King
.
He was educated at Wixenford Preparatory for five years and Harrow School
for 3 years. He passed into the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in 1900 and was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery
. From 1902–1904 he did survey work in Natal
before returning to England to take up motor racing at Brooklands. He went to Northern Rhodesia in 1911 as part of an Anglo-Belgian boundary commission, laying out the border between the Belgian Congo
and Northern Rhodesia. From his boyhood, Gore-Browne had an ambition to own an estate but though comparatively wealthy, knew that he could not afford much land in Britain.
When he heard in 1914 that the British South Africa Company
which administered Northern Rhodesia was selling land very cheaply to white settlers in the north-east of the country, he travelled there looking for a site which he found at Lake Ishiba Ng'andu
. His development of this estate is covered in the linked article
.
, where he reached the rank of Lt.-Colonel and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO). In 1920 he retired from the army and returned to Northern Rhodesia to settle at Shiwa Ngandu
and build his estate.
At his new home Gore-Browne cultivated a military bearing and wore a monocle. He often frightened his workers with an explosive anger; the Bemba people
called him Chipembere (Rhinoceros
', alternative spelling Chipembele), a name which had originally been given to him when he shot a rhinoceros at Shiwa Ngandu, but later they used it to refer to his temper.
As a young man Gore Browne courted Lorna Bosworth Smith for three years, but she married another. She and her husband died young, and in England in 1927, Gore Browne met their orphaned daughter Lorna Goldmann (1908 – 2002). Despite the quarter-century difference in their ages, they were married that year and went to live at Shiwa Ngandu. They had two daughters, Lorna (the younger) and Angela. However, from 1934 the couple spent much time apart. Lorna, Lady Gore-Browne did not share her husband's dreams for the estate and they became divorced in 1950. She moved to London where she called herself 'Mrs Browne'.
's Legislative Council
. Gore-Browne represented one of seven constituencies of voters. He disagreed with British colonial
‘trusteeship’ and, instead, looked to a future ‘partnership’. He thought settlers ought to have a larger share in government, but also argued for the interdependence of "white and black" prosperity. Unlike other white politicians, such as his friend Roy Welensky
, a trade union leader, Gore-Browne felt no threat from African social and educational advance, and the consequent addition of qualified voters to the electoral roll.
These political views can be seen as relating to his management and development of the Shiwa Ngandu
estate, where he was completely dependent on the African people and isolated from white settler society by hundreds of kilometres. He realised the need to educate and train local people in the skills his estate required, and realised that it would also benefit from a properous local community. To an extent he was paternalistic
but was also capable of friendships and good working relationships with many Africans.
From 1938 to 1951 he was nominated to represent African interests in the legislative council, for which he was knight
ed in 1945. In the Legislative Council, Gore-Browne soon became a power in the land. He helped set the stage for Northern Rhodesia
. He was more closely attuned to African thinking than the administration was and “[h]e always enjoyed the respect and trust of Africans ... [h]e was an eloquent speaker and his speeches were the most statesman like that had ever been heard in Northern Rhodesia. He was a man of outstanding calibre, forceful and courageous”, said Welensky.
When African mineworkers went on strike in 1940, Gore-Browne counseled limiting the use of force. He also sought out African opinion and denounced various forms of the color bar (a form of racial segregation
). He welcomed the growth of African welfare societies and trade unions, and managed to get the white government to set up African representative councils. In Britain, he made contact with Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda (the future president of Malawi
) and his faith in African abilities was strengthened by visits to Uganda
and West Africa in 1946–47.
However, by 1946 Roy Welensky
had begun campaigning for the amalgamation of Northern Rhodesia with Southern Rhodesia, where white settlers enjoyed self-government. Gore-Browne was opposed to Welensky's push for amalgamation and resigned in protest from the leadership of the elected members of the legislative council. Instead, he devised a scheme intended to appeal to both white and black people, calling for ‘responsible government’. However, he mishandled the scheme's presentation in 1948 and alienated his African supporters. By 1950 he felt that he no longer had a role in politics and resigned from the legislative council in 1951 and retired to devote his energies to Shiwa.
He continued to advise first the African National Congress under his early protégé, Harry Nkumbula
and later, after the break away, the United National Independence party, under his close friend, Kenneth Kaunda
.
By the late 1950s Shiwa Ng'andu epitomized everything Sir Stewart represented - orderly, neat, precise. For years it had been an oasis for travellers on the Great North Road, a place where hospitality has never refused; and this little bit of England in Africa never ceased to impress its visitors.
His constant companion was his chauffeur of more than 30 years, Henry Mulenga. Together they had toured much of Africa and, in ‘seven seas tours’, most of Europe; between them there was a strong bond of friendship. “Sir Stewart has bought me a farm of my own 15 miles from Shiwa”, Henry once revealed. “My family live there and I visit them on weekends. When my services are no longer required at Shiwa, I shall retire there to become a full-time farmer”.
was imposed against the wishes of some local settlers and urban Africans, Gore-Browne opposed it because he felt that it was based on the discredited the idea of ‘partnership’. By 1960 he was committed to African majority rule, and was friendly with Kenneth Kaunda
, leader of the United National Independence Party
.
In the general election of 1962, Gore-Browne stood for that party. However, he failed to win enough white votes to qualify. In 1964 he was an honored guest at Zambia's independence ceremonies in Lusaka
.
He died from pneumonia at Kasama
Hospital, Zambia, on 4 August 1967. He was buried at Shiwa Ngandu two days later in Zambia's only to date state funeral for a white person. Kenneth Kaunda
, then President of Zambia, gave the eulogy
.
Lady Lorna Gore-Browne died in London in 2002 at the age of 93.
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Sir Stewart Gore-Browne, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, (May 3, 1883 – August 4, 1967), called Chipembele by Africans, was a soldier, pioneer white settler, builder, politician and supporter of independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
in Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...
(now Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
).
Early life
Gore-Browne was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His paternal grandfather was Sir Thomas Gore Browne
Thomas Gore Browne
Colonel Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne KCMG CB was a British colonial administrator, who was Governor of St Helena, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Tasmania and Governor of Bermuda.-Early life:...
, who had been governor of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. His paternal aunt was Ethel Locke-King
Ethel Locke-King
Dame Ethel Locke-King , DBE, was a motor-racing promoter and hospital patron.Her wealthy husband, Sir Hugh F. Locke-King, created and solely financed Brooklands House, Weybridge, Surrey, the first permanent race-track in the world...
.
He was educated at Wixenford Preparatory for five years and Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
for 3 years. He passed into the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich in 1900 and was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided artillery support for the British Army. It came into being when the Royal Artillery was divided on 1 July 1899, it was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery in 1924....
. From 1902–1904 he did survey work in Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
before returning to England to take up motor racing at Brooklands. He went to Northern Rhodesia in 1911 as part of an Anglo-Belgian boundary commission, laying out the border between the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
and Northern Rhodesia. From his boyhood, Gore-Browne had an ambition to own an estate but though comparatively wealthy, knew that he could not afford much land in Britain.
When he heard in 1914 that the British South Africa Company
British South Africa Company
The British South Africa Company was established by Cecil Rhodes through the amalgamation of the Central Search Association and the Exploring Company Ltd., receiving a royal charter in 1889...
which administered Northern Rhodesia was selling land very cheaply to white settlers in the north-east of the country, he travelled there looking for a site which he found at Lake Ishiba Ng'andu
Lake Ishiba Ng'andu
Lake Ishiba Ng'andu is a picturesque lake very close to the watershed between the Luangwa and Chambeshi River basins in the Northern Province of Zambia, and just on the Chambeshi side. Its name in the Bemba language means 'lake of the royal crocodile'...
. His development of this estate is covered in the linked article
Shiwa Ngandu
Shiwa Ngandu is a grand English-style country house and estate in the Northern Province of Zambia, about 12 km west of the Tanzam highway and half-way between Mpika and Chinsali. Its name is based on a small lake nearby, Lake Ishiba Ng'andu which in the Bemba language means 'lake of the royal...
.
Settles at Shiwa Ngandu
During the First World War, Gore-Browne was sent to the Western FrontWestern Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, where he reached the rank of Lt.-Colonel and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO). In 1920 he retired from the army and returned to Northern Rhodesia to settle at Shiwa Ngandu
Shiwa Ngandu
Shiwa Ngandu is a grand English-style country house and estate in the Northern Province of Zambia, about 12 km west of the Tanzam highway and half-way between Mpika and Chinsali. Its name is based on a small lake nearby, Lake Ishiba Ng'andu which in the Bemba language means 'lake of the royal...
and build his estate.
At his new home Gore-Browne cultivated a military bearing and wore a monocle. He often frightened his workers with an explosive anger; the Bemba people
Bemba people
The Bemba belong to a large group of peoples mainly in the Northern, Luapula and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia who trace their origins to the Luba and Lunda states of the upper Congo basin, in what became Katanga Province in southern Congo-Kinshasa...
called him Chipembere (Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
', alternative spelling Chipembele), a name which had originally been given to him when he shot a rhinoceros at Shiwa Ngandu, but later they used it to refer to his temper.
As a young man Gore Browne courted Lorna Bosworth Smith for three years, but she married another. She and her husband died young, and in England in 1927, Gore Browne met their orphaned daughter Lorna Goldmann (1908 – 2002). Despite the quarter-century difference in their ages, they were married that year and went to live at Shiwa Ngandu. They had two daughters, Lorna (the younger) and Angela. However, from 1934 the couple spent much time apart. Lorna, Lady Gore-Browne did not share her husband's dreams for the estate and they became divorced in 1950. She moved to London where she called herself 'Mrs Browne'.
Political career
Gore-Browne's political career began in 1935, when he was elected to Northern RhodesiaNorthern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...
's Legislative Council
Legislative Council
A Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures, or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies.A Member of the Legislative Council is commonly referred to as an MLC.- Unicameral legislatures :...
. Gore-Browne represented one of seven constituencies of voters. He disagreed with British colonial
‘trusteeship’ and, instead, looked to a future ‘partnership’. He thought settlers ought to have a larger share in government, but also argued for the interdependence of "white and black" prosperity. Unlike other white politicians, such as his friend Roy Welensky
Roy Welensky
Sir Raphael "Roy" Welensky, KCMG was a Northern Rhodesian politician and the second and last prime minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland...
, a trade union leader, Gore-Browne felt no threat from African social and educational advance, and the consequent addition of qualified voters to the electoral roll.
These political views can be seen as relating to his management and development of the Shiwa Ngandu
Shiwa Ngandu
Shiwa Ngandu is a grand English-style country house and estate in the Northern Province of Zambia, about 12 km west of the Tanzam highway and half-way between Mpika and Chinsali. Its name is based on a small lake nearby, Lake Ishiba Ng'andu which in the Bemba language means 'lake of the royal...
estate, where he was completely dependent on the African people and isolated from white settler society by hundreds of kilometres. He realised the need to educate and train local people in the skills his estate required, and realised that it would also benefit from a properous local community. To an extent he was paternalistic
Paternalism
Paternalism refers to attitudes or states of affairs that exemplify a traditional relationship between father and child. Two conditions of paternalism are usually identified: interference with liberty and a beneficent intention towards those whose liberty is interfered with...
but was also capable of friendships and good working relationships with many Africans.
From 1938 to 1951 he was nominated to represent African interests in the legislative council, for which he was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1945. In the Legislative Council, Gore-Browne soon became a power in the land. He helped set the stage for Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...
. He was more closely attuned to African thinking than the administration was and “[h]e always enjoyed the respect and trust of Africans ... [h]e was an eloquent speaker and his speeches were the most statesman like that had ever been heard in Northern Rhodesia. He was a man of outstanding calibre, forceful and courageous”, said Welensky.
When African mineworkers went on strike in 1940, Gore-Browne counseled limiting the use of force. He also sought out African opinion and denounced various forms of the color bar (a form of racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
). He welcomed the growth of African welfare societies and trade unions, and managed to get the white government to set up African representative councils. In Britain, he made contact with Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda (the future president of Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
) and his faith in African abilities was strengthened by visits to Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and West Africa in 1946–47.
However, by 1946 Roy Welensky
Roy Welensky
Sir Raphael "Roy" Welensky, KCMG was a Northern Rhodesian politician and the second and last prime minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland...
had begun campaigning for the amalgamation of Northern Rhodesia with Southern Rhodesia, where white settlers enjoyed self-government. Gore-Browne was opposed to Welensky's push for amalgamation and resigned in protest from the leadership of the elected members of the legislative council. Instead, he devised a scheme intended to appeal to both white and black people, calling for ‘responsible government’. However, he mishandled the scheme's presentation in 1948 and alienated his African supporters. By 1950 he felt that he no longer had a role in politics and resigned from the legislative council in 1951 and retired to devote his energies to Shiwa.
He continued to advise first the African National Congress under his early protégé, Harry Nkumbula
Harry Nkumbula
Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula was a Northern Rhodesian/Zambian nationalist leader who assisted in the struggle for the independence of Northern Rhodesia from British colonialism. He was born in the village of Maala in the Namwala district of Zambia's southern province...
and later, after the break away, the United National Independence party, under his close friend, Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth David Kaunda, known as KK, served as the first President of Zambia, from 1964 to 1991.-Early life:Kaunda was the youngest of eight children. He was born at Lubwa Mission in Chinsali, Northern Province of Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia...
.
By the late 1950s Shiwa Ng'andu epitomized everything Sir Stewart represented - orderly, neat, precise. For years it had been an oasis for travellers on the Great North Road, a place where hospitality has never refused; and this little bit of England in Africa never ceased to impress its visitors.
Family in Africa
In 1962 after a failed attempt to come back into politics, he went to live quietly at Shiwa with his daughter and son-in-law, Lorna and John Harvey (who managed the estate), and his four grand children, Penelope, Charles, Mark and David. Lady Gore-Browne, still living in England made occasional long visits to Shiwa. Their second daughter, Angela, married with two daughters, Karen and Miranda, had moved to Kenya where she lectured at the Royal College in Nairobi.His constant companion was his chauffeur of more than 30 years, Henry Mulenga. Together they had toured much of Africa and, in ‘seven seas tours’, most of Europe; between them there was a strong bond of friendship. “Sir Stewart has bought me a farm of my own 15 miles from Shiwa”, Henry once revealed. “My family live there and I visit them on weekends. When my services are no longer required at Shiwa, I shall retire there to become a full-time farmer”.
Semi-retirement
Gore-Browne spent most of his later years at Shiwa Ngandu, where he replaced citrus crops with cattle. However, he remained actively interested in politics. When, in 1953, the Federation of Rhodesia and NyasalandFederation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation , was a semi-independent state in southern Africa that existed from 1953 to the end of 1963, comprising the former self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia and the British protectorates of Northern Rhodesia,...
was imposed against the wishes of some local settlers and urban Africans, Gore-Browne opposed it because he felt that it was based on the discredited the idea of ‘partnership’. By 1960 he was committed to African majority rule, and was friendly with Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth David Kaunda, known as KK, served as the first President of Zambia, from 1964 to 1991.-Early life:Kaunda was the youngest of eight children. He was born at Lubwa Mission in Chinsali, Northern Province of Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia...
, leader of the United National Independence Party
United National Independence Party
The United National Independence Party is a political party in Zambia. It governed that country from 1964 to 1991 under the presidency of Kenneth Kaunda....
.
In the general election of 1962, Gore-Browne stood for that party. However, he failed to win enough white votes to qualify. In 1964 he was an honored guest at Zambia's independence ceremonies in Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
.
He died from pneumonia at Kasama
Kasama
The toponym Kasama may refer to:* Kasama, Ibaraki , Japan* Kasama, Zambia* Kasama Project- See also :Related toponym:* Kazama * Kazami* Kazemi* Hazama...
Hospital, Zambia, on 4 August 1967. He was buried at Shiwa Ngandu two days later in Zambia's only to date state funeral for a white person. Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth Kaunda
Kenneth David Kaunda, known as KK, served as the first President of Zambia, from 1964 to 1991.-Early life:Kaunda was the youngest of eight children. He was born at Lubwa Mission in Chinsali, Northern Province of Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia...
, then President of Zambia, gave the eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
.
Lady Lorna Gore-Browne died in London in 2002 at the age of 93.