Thomas Leighton Decker
Encyclopedia
Thomas Alexander Leighton Decker or Tommy Decker OBE, (July, 25th, 1916 - September, 7th, 1978) was a Sierra Leonean linguist, poet, and journalist. He is best known for his work on the Krio language
and for translating Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
into the Krio language. Decker argued forcefully that the Krio language was not merely a patois but a legitimate language. Because Decker argued that Krio was not a patois, his contributions and revisions to the Krio language greatly influenced and added to the revival and appreciation of the language.
parents, Joseph Leighton Decker and Jane Decker (née Fraser), in Calabar
, Nigeria
. His father was a colonial surveyor and architect, while his mother was a trader. Decker was the fourth child and had six siblings, one of whom later studied to become a doctor in England.
His mother, Jane, was from a large family from Murray Town
, descended from David Pakudi Fraser, a Liberated African slave (of Nigerian origin) who after being freed from the holds of a slave ship was settled in Murray Town. Jane was the eldest daughter of Thomas Crowley Fraser, the son of Pakudi Fraser. TC Fraser was a successful merchant and one time Justice of Peace of the Waterloo
District in Sierra Leone. The Fraser family was quite prominent and alongside the Hyde family (some branches of Hydes were of Fraser stock) owned large plots of land in Murray Town.
Thomas Decker attended the CMS Grammar School
in Lagos
until the death of his father in 1920, when his mother decided to move the family back to Sierra Leone and where he attended the CMS Grammar School in Freetown
. After graduating from the grammar school, Decker entered the Teacher Training Department at Fourah Bay College
. After completing his training, Decker taught for eighteen months before deciding to become a journalist and writer.
but was unable to because he had eye problems. He continued to write and worked for ITA Wallace-Johnson's African Standard. Decker's 'radical' views of the day were reflected during his work for the Standard. Later on he was editor of the Daily Guardian a premier newspaper in the colony. During his editorship of the Guardian, Decker was known for his skilled writing, and contributions to national affairs in Sierra Leone.
's West African Youth League
, which had a strong anti-colonial message and who fought for equality and independence of Sierra Leone and its citizens. Decker believed in the unification of the Protectorate and the Crown Colony, and he believed that the Krio language would have a large part to play in realizing the dream of a united Sierra Leone.
Krio language
Sierra Leone Krio is the lingua franca and the de facto national language spoken throughout the West African nation of Sierra Leone. Krio is spoken by 97% of Sierra Leone's population and unites the different ethnic groups in the country, especially in their trade and social interaction with each...
and for translating Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
into the Krio language. Decker argued forcefully that the Krio language was not merely a patois but a legitimate language. Because Decker argued that Krio was not a patois, his contributions and revisions to the Krio language greatly influenced and added to the revival and appreciation of the language.
Background and Early life
Thomas Decker was born to Sierra LeoneanSierra Leone Creole people
The Sierra Leone Creoles, or Krios, are an ethnic group in Sierra Leone, descendants of West Indian slaves from the Caribbean, primarily from Jamaica; freed African American slaves from the Thirteen Colonies resettled from Nova Scotia; and Liberated Africans from various parts of Africa...
parents, Joseph Leighton Decker and Jane Decker (née Fraser), in Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. His father was a colonial surveyor and architect, while his mother was a trader. Decker was the fourth child and had six siblings, one of whom later studied to become a doctor in England.
His mother, Jane, was from a large family from Murray Town
Murray Town
Murray Town is an upscale neighborhood in Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown. It is home to a camp for the War Wounded and Amputeed population and the Amputees and War Wounded Association. It is also home to the Sierra Leone Grammar School....
, descended from David Pakudi Fraser, a Liberated African slave (of Nigerian origin) who after being freed from the holds of a slave ship was settled in Murray Town. Jane was the eldest daughter of Thomas Crowley Fraser, the son of Pakudi Fraser. TC Fraser was a successful merchant and one time Justice of Peace of the Waterloo
Waterloo, Sierra Leone
Waterloo is the second largest city in the Western Area of Sierra Leone and a suburb of Freetown. The population of Waterloo was estimated at 19,750 in 2006. Waterloo lies just 18 miles east of Freetown -Socio-historical perspectives:...
District in Sierra Leone. The Fraser family was quite prominent and alongside the Hyde family (some branches of Hydes were of Fraser stock) owned large plots of land in Murray Town.
Thomas Decker attended the CMS Grammar School
CMS Grammar School, Lagos
The CMS Grammar School in the Bariga district of Lagos is the oldest secondary school in Nigeria, founded on 6 June 1859 by the Church Missionary Society...
in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
until the death of his father in 1920, when his mother decided to move the family back to Sierra Leone and where he attended the CMS Grammar School in Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
. After graduating from the grammar school, Decker entered the Teacher Training Department at Fourah Bay College
Fourah Bay College
Fourah Bay College is the oldest university college in West Africa. It is located atop Mount Aureol in Freetown, Sierra Leone...
. After completing his training, Decker taught for eighteen months before deciding to become a journalist and writer.
Journalism and Civil Service
Decker had tried to join the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
but was unable to because he had eye problems. He continued to write and worked for ITA Wallace-Johnson's African Standard. Decker's 'radical' views of the day were reflected during his work for the Standard. Later on he was editor of the Daily Guardian a premier newspaper in the colony. During his editorship of the Guardian, Decker was known for his skilled writing, and contributions to national affairs in Sierra Leone.
Political Activities
Decker was a disciple of Isaac Wallace-JohnsonIsaac Wallace-Johnson
Isaac Theophilus Akunna Wallace-Johnson was a Sierra Leonean and British West African workers' leader, journalist, activist and politician. Born into a poor Creole family in Sierra Leone, he emerged as a natural leader in school...
's West African Youth League
West African Youth League
The West African Youth League was a political organisation founded by I. T. A. Wallace-Johnson in June 1935. The group was a major political force against the colonial government in West Africa, especially in the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone....
, which had a strong anti-colonial message and who fought for equality and independence of Sierra Leone and its citizens. Decker believed in the unification of the Protectorate and the Crown Colony, and he believed that the Krio language would have a large part to play in realizing the dream of a united Sierra Leone.
Revision on the Krio language
Thomas Decker was one of the first people to term Sierra Leone's lingua franca "Krio". He argued for the widespread of use of Krio throughout the country, and to him it was a unifying force for the nation after independence. Decker's work on the Krio language sparked a revival in the appreciation for the language. During the 1960s, Decker was considered to be the leader of young Krio linguists, and it was during this time period that some of his most famous works were published.Later Years and Legacy
Decker became sick in June 1978, and on September 7, 1978, he died at the Royal Masonic Hospital in London. The previous decade before his death, Decker had been at the forefront of the national movement of that time, and he was remembered for his work on the Krio language in the bicentenary celebration of the founding of the Province of Freedom. Shortly before his death, Decker was awarded with an OBE due to his literary efforts.Miscellaneous
- Lati Hyde, the first female graduate of Fourah Bay CollegeFourah Bay CollegeFourah Bay College is the oldest university college in West Africa. It is located atop Mount Aureol in Freetown, Sierra Leone...
and first African principle of Annie Walsh Memorial SchoolAnnie Walsh Memorial SchoolAnnie Walsh Memorial School is an all-girls' secondary school in Freetown, Sierra Leone. It was established in 1849, making it one of the oldest schools in Africa. Over the years, the school has consistently outperformed its peers in terms of academic achievement, making it the most prestigious...
was a member of the Fraser family and she was Thomas Decker's first cousin
- Talabi Lucan, a Sierra Leonean author, is the first cousin of Thomas Decker, through her descent from the Fraser family
- Christiana ThorpeChristiana ThorpeDr. Christiana Thorpe is the current chief of the Sierra Leone National Electoral Commission, an independent agency created by the Sierra Leone government and is in charge of organising and supervising national, regional and local elections in Sierra Leone. When Captain Valentine Strasser seized...
, the current chief of the Sierra Leone National Electoral Commission, is the third cousin of Thomas Decker due to her descent from the Fraser family of Murray Town
- Thomas Decker was named for his maternal grandfather, Thomas C. Fraser, and he delved into research on the Decker and Fraser families.
- Decker also had an interest in drawing which may have been due to his father's work as an architect
Published works
- Death of Boss Coker (October 24-25th 1939)
- Julius Caesar (1964)
- Udat de kiap fit: a Krio adaptation of As you like it. (1966)
- Tales of the Forest (Evans Bros, London, 1968)
Sources
- Thomas Decker and The Death of Boss Coker (1987) by Neville Shrimpton