Walter Egerton
Encyclopedia
Walter Egerton had a long career in the administration of the British Empire
, holding a number of senior positions including the Governorships of Lagos Colony
(1904–06) Southern Nigeria
(1906–12) and British Guiana
(1912–17).
and others parts of Malaya
.
In 1879, aged about 21, he was a Commissioner of the Court of Requests at Penang
.
In 1888, he was an acting First Magistrate at Penang
.
Egerton was Resident in the colony of Negeri Sembilan
(1902–03).
In this role, he got involved in the laws related to a form of servitude where a woman's illegitimate children were given into the custody of the local ruler. Egerton ruled that this was contrary to Sharia
law, and that the children belonged to their mothers. In this he was supported by the Sultan of Perak
.
When Egerton became Governor of Lagos Colony in 1903 he already had more than 20 years of experience in the colonial service in the far east.
Jalan Penghulu Cantik in Seremban
was once named Egerton Road in his memory.
lands in the southwest of what is now Nigeria, in 1903.
The colonial office wanted to amalgamate the Lagos Colony with the protectorate of Southern Nigeria, and in August 1904 also appointed Egerton as High Commissioner for the Southern Nigeria Protectorate
. He held both offices until 28 February 1906.
On that date the two territories were formally united and Egerton was appointed Governor of the new Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, holding office until 1912.
In the new Southern Nigeria, the old Lagos Colony became the Western Province, and the former Southern Nigerian Protectorate was split into a Central Province with capital at Warri and an Eastern Province with capital at Calabar
.
When his predecessor in Southern Nigeria, Sir Ralph Denham Rayment Moor
, resigned, a large part of the southeast of Nigeria was still outside British control. On taking office, Egerton began a policy of sending out annual pacification patrols, which generally obtained submission through the threat of force without being required to actually use force. Egerton had a somewhat abrupt manner in his dealings with the Colonial Office. In a letter of 1910 he wrote a letter describing the salary of one of his employees as "niggardly
". The recipient was highly offended, and said he should be called to order.
When Egerton became Governor of Lagos he enthusiastically endorsed the extension of the Lagos
– Ibadan
railway onward to Oshogbo, and the project was approved in November 1904. Construction began in January 1905 and the line reached Oshogbo in April 1907.
He favored rail over river transport, and pushed to have the railway further extended to Kano
by way of Zaria
.
He also sponsored extensive road construction, building on the legislative foundation laid by his predecessor Moor which enabled use of unpaid local labor.
Egerton shared Moor's views on the damage that was being done to the Cross River
trade by the combination of indigenous middlemen and traders based in Calabar
. The established traders at first got the Colonial Office to pass rules inhibiting competition from traders willing to set up bases further inland, but with some difficulty Egerton persuaded the officials to reverse their ruling.
Egerton was a strong advocate of colonial development. He believed in deficit financing at certain periods of a colony's growth, which was reflected in his budgets from 1906 to 1912. He had a constant struggle to obtain approval for these budgets from the colonial office.
As early as 1908, Egerton supported the idea of "a properly organized Agricultural Department with an energetic and experienced head", and the Department of Agriculture came into being in 1910.
Egerton endorsed the development of rubber plantations, a concept familiar to him from his time in Malaya, and arranged for land to be leased for this purpose. This was the foundation of a highly successful industry.
He also thought there could be great potential in the tin fields near Bauchi
, and thought that if proven a branch line to the tin fields would be justified.
Egerton came into conflict with the administration of Northern Nigeria on a number of issues. There was debate over whether Ilorin
should be incorporated into Southern Nigeria since the people were Yoruba, or remain in Northern Nigeria since the ruler was Muslim and for some time Ilorin had been subject to the Uthmaniyya Caliphate. There was argument about the administration of duties on goods landed on the coast and carried into Northern Nigeria. And there was dispute over whether railway lines from the north should terminate at Lagos or should take alternative routes to the Niger River
and the coast.
Egerton had reason on his side in objecting to the proposed line terminating at Baro
on the Niger, since navigation southward to the coast was restricted to the high water season, and even then was uncertain.
Egerton's administration imposed policies that tended towards segregation of Europeans and Africans.
These included excluding Africans from the West African Medical Service and saying that no European should take orders from an African, which had the effect of ruling out African doctors from serving with the army. Egerton himself did not always approve of these policies, and they were not strictly upheld.
The legal relationship between the Lagos government and the Yoruba
states of the Lagos Colony was not clear, and it was not until 1908 that Egerton persuaded the Oba
s to accept the establishment of the Supreme Court in the main towns.
, who was appointed Governor-General of both Southern and Northern Nigeria with the mandate to unite the two. Egerton was appointed Governor of British Guiana as his next posting, clearly a demotion, which may have been connected to his fights with the Colonial Office officials.
He was Governor of British Guiana from 1912 until 1917.
In May 1914 it was reported that Egerton had a plan to build a railway from the coast to the Brazilian border, a distance of 340 miles (547.2 km). The new line would open up gold and diamond fields as well as supporting timber extraction and development of arable land. The main problem was obtaining the funding.
Years later, Egerton said "if you ask what my policy is, I should say 'open means of communication' and if you wish for additional information, I would reply 'open more of them!'"
In 1911, he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Edinburgh
.
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, holding a number of senior positions including the Governorships of Lagos Colony
Lagos Colony
Lagos Colony was a British colonial possession centered on the port of Lagos in what is now southern Nigeria. Lagos was annexed on 6 August 1861 and declared a colony on 5 March 1862....
(1904–06) Southern Nigeria
Southern Nigeria Protectorate
Southern Nigeria was a British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria, formed in 1900 from union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger River....
(1906–12) and British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
(1912–17).
Early career
Egerton served for many years in the Straits SettlementsStraits Settlements
The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...
and others parts of Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
.
In 1879, aged about 21, he was a Commissioner of the Court of Requests at Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
.
In 1888, he was an acting First Magistrate at Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
.
Egerton was Resident in the colony of Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
(1902–03).
In this role, he got involved in the laws related to a form of servitude where a woman's illegitimate children were given into the custody of the local ruler. Egerton ruled that this was contrary to Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law, and that the children belonged to their mothers. In this he was supported by the Sultan of Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
.
When Egerton became Governor of Lagos Colony in 1903 he already had more than 20 years of experience in the colonial service in the far east.
Jalan Penghulu Cantik in Seremban
Seremban
Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
was once named Egerton Road in his memory.
Nigeria
Egerton became Governor of Lagos Colony, covering most of the YorubaYoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
lands in the southwest of what is now Nigeria, in 1903.
The colonial office wanted to amalgamate the Lagos Colony with the protectorate of Southern Nigeria, and in August 1904 also appointed Egerton as High Commissioner for the Southern Nigeria Protectorate
Southern Nigeria Protectorate
Southern Nigeria was a British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria, formed in 1900 from union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger River....
. He held both offices until 28 February 1906.
On that date the two territories were formally united and Egerton was appointed Governor of the new Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, holding office until 1912.
In the new Southern Nigeria, the old Lagos Colony became the Western Province, and the former Southern Nigerian Protectorate was split into a Central Province with capital at Warri and an Eastern Province with capital at Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
.
When his predecessor in Southern Nigeria, Sir Ralph Denham Rayment Moor
Ralph Denham Rayment Moor
Sir Ralph Denham Rayment Moor KCMG , first high commissioner of the British Southern Nigeria Protectorate, born on 31 July 1860 at The Lodge, Furneux Pelham, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, was son of William Henry Moor , surgeon, by his wife Sarah Pears...
, resigned, a large part of the southeast of Nigeria was still outside British control. On taking office, Egerton began a policy of sending out annual pacification patrols, which generally obtained submission through the threat of force without being required to actually use force. Egerton had a somewhat abrupt manner in his dealings with the Colonial Office. In a letter of 1910 he wrote a letter describing the salary of one of his employees as "niggardly
Niggardly
In the United States, there have been several controversies concerning the word "niggardly," an adjective meaning "stingy" or "miserly," due to its phonetic similarity to the racial slur "nigger." The two words are etymologically unrelated.-Word origins:...
". The recipient was highly offended, and said he should be called to order.
When Egerton became Governor of Lagos he enthusiastically endorsed the extension of the 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...
– Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
railway onward to Oshogbo, and the project was approved in November 1904. Construction began in January 1905 and the line reached Oshogbo in April 1907.
He favored rail over river transport, and pushed to have the railway further extended to Kano
Kano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
by way of Zaria
Zaria
Zaria may refer to:*Zaria, a city in Kaduna State, Nigeria*Zaria , or Zoria, the Slavic goddess of beauty*Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg, a member of the Dutch royal family...
.
He also sponsored extensive road construction, building on the legislative foundation laid by his predecessor Moor which enabled use of unpaid local labor.
Egerton shared Moor's views on the damage that was being done to the Cross River
Cross River (Nigeria)
Cross River is the main river in southeastern Nigeria and gives its name to Cross River State.It originates in Cameroon, where it takes the name of the Manyu River....
trade by the combination of indigenous middlemen and traders based in Calabar
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
. The established traders at first got the Colonial Office to pass rules inhibiting competition from traders willing to set up bases further inland, but with some difficulty Egerton persuaded the officials to reverse their ruling.
Egerton was a strong advocate of colonial development. He believed in deficit financing at certain periods of a colony's growth, which was reflected in his budgets from 1906 to 1912. He had a constant struggle to obtain approval for these budgets from the colonial office.
As early as 1908, Egerton supported the idea of "a properly organized Agricultural Department with an energetic and experienced head", and the Department of Agriculture came into being in 1910.
Egerton endorsed the development of rubber plantations, a concept familiar to him from his time in Malaya, and arranged for land to be leased for this purpose. This was the foundation of a highly successful industry.
He also thought there could be great potential in the tin fields near Bauchi
Bauchi
Bauchi is a city in northeast Nigeria, the capital of Bauchi State, of the Bauchi Local Government Area within that State, and of the traditional Bauchi Emirate. The city has a population of 316,173...
, and thought that if proven a branch line to the tin fields would be justified.
Egerton came into conflict with the administration of Northern Nigeria on a number of issues. There was debate over whether Ilorin
Ilorin
Ilorin is one of the largest cities in Nigeria and is the capital of Kwara State. As of 2007 it had a population of 847,582.-History:Ilorin was founded by the Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, in 1450...
should be incorporated into Southern Nigeria since the people were Yoruba, or remain in Northern Nigeria since the ruler was Muslim and for some time Ilorin had been subject to the Uthmaniyya Caliphate. There was argument about the administration of duties on goods landed on the coast and carried into Northern Nigeria. And there was dispute over whether railway lines from the north should terminate at Lagos or should take alternative routes to the Niger River
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
and the coast.
Egerton had reason on his side in objecting to the proposed line terminating at Baro
Baro
Baro is a city in central Nigeria.- Transport :It is located approximately 400 miles up the Niger River at the limit of river navigation, subject to dredging. It is also the terminus of a railway branchline connected to the Nigerian railway system.- External links :*...
on the Niger, since navigation southward to the coast was restricted to the high water season, and even then was uncertain.
Egerton's administration imposed policies that tended towards segregation of Europeans and Africans.
These included excluding Africans from the West African Medical Service and saying that no European should take orders from an African, which had the effect of ruling out African doctors from serving with the army. Egerton himself did not always approve of these policies, and they were not strictly upheld.
The legal relationship between the Lagos government and the Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
states of the Lagos Colony was not clear, and it was not until 1908 that Egerton persuaded the Oba
Oba (ruler)
Oba is a West African synonym for monarch, one that is usually applied to the Yoruba and Edo rulers of the region. It is also often used by their traditional subjects to refer to other kings and queens, such as Elizabeth I of England, in their native languages.-Edo account of the word's origin:The...
s to accept the establishment of the Supreme Court in the main towns.
Later career
In 1912, Egerton was replaced by Frederick LugardFrederick Lugard
Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard GCMG, CB, DSO, PC , known as Sir Frederick Lugard between 1901 and 1928, was a British soldier, mercenary, explorer of Africa and colonial administrator, who was Governor of Hong Kong and Governor-General of Nigeria .-Early life and education:Lugard...
, who was appointed Governor-General of both Southern and Northern Nigeria with the mandate to unite the two. Egerton was appointed Governor of British Guiana as his next posting, clearly a demotion, which may have been connected to his fights with the Colonial Office officials.
He was Governor of British Guiana from 1912 until 1917.
In May 1914 it was reported that Egerton had a plan to build a railway from the coast to the Brazilian border, a distance of 340 miles (547.2 km). The new line would open up gold and diamond fields as well as supporting timber extraction and development of arable land. The main problem was obtaining the funding.
Years later, Egerton said "if you ask what my policy is, I should say 'open means of communication' and if you wish for additional information, I would reply 'open more of them!'"
Honors
Egerton was knighted in 1905 as a KCMG (Knight Commander of St Michael and St George).In 1911, he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
.