Arthur Shearly Cripps
Encyclopedia
Arthur Shearly Cripps was an English
Anglican
priest, short story
writer, and poet
who spent most of his life in Southern Rhodesia
(now Zimbabwe
).
He was born in Tunbridge Wells
, Kent
, and was educated at Charterhouse School
and Trinity College, Oxford
, where he read history. He then trained at Cuddeston Theological College, taking holy orders, and from 1894 had the parish Ford End
in Essex
.
He became a missionary for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, intending to work in Mashonaland
, after reading criticism of the methods of Cecil Rhodes. From 1902 he had a parish near Enkeldoorn (now known as Chivhu
) in what was then Southern Rhodesia.
He was in conflict with the British South Africa Company
over land distribution, taking the side of the African population. He was given the Shona
name Mpandi, or 'the man who walks like thunder'. After more than 20 years he returned to England for a time after a quarrel with the British administration; but went back shortly for the rest of his life, having in 1927 published Africa for Africans, on the land issue.
He is chiefly known for his short stories, which continue to be taught and read in South Africa. The bulk of these stories are from his book "Cinderella in the South."
His great-great-nephew is the Welsh poet, Owen Sheers
, who has written about him in the award-winning, Dust Diaries
(2004).
There is a road in Harare, Cripps Road, named after Arthur Cripps.
Arthur Cripps lived for some time in Manyene Communal Lands, about 120 km South of Harare, 20 km North of Chivhu. An area of Manyene is now know by a name he influenced, Maronda Mashanu, which means The Five Wounds in the local Shona language. There are claims that Father Cripps is buried near All Saints School in the same area of Manyene Communal Lands. Manyene is part of Chikomba District in the Mashonaland East province of Zimbabwe.
Some people from the area claim that Arthur Cripps performed miracles. For example there a claims that a white man who wanted to assault him for associating with Africans got crippled the moment he raised his hand. They claim that the man was only healed when Father Cripps prayed for him. Of course claims such as these are often based on wrong and superstitious interpretation of otherwise benign events. However they can give expert researchers important clues in piecing together actual events.
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...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
priest, short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer, and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who spent most of his life in Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
(now Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
).
He was born in Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and was educated at Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
, where he read history. He then trained at Cuddeston Theological College, taking holy orders, and from 1894 had the parish Ford End
Ford End
Ford End is a small village in the parish of Great Waltham half way between Chelmsford and Great Dunmow in Essex, England....
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
He became a missionary for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, intending to work in Mashonaland
Mashonaland
Mashonaland is a region in northern Zimbabwe. It is the home of the Shona people.Currently, Mashonaland is divided into three provinces, with a total population of about 3 million:* Mashonaland West* Mashonaland Central* Mashonaland East...
, after reading criticism of the methods of Cecil Rhodes. From 1902 he had a parish near Enkeldoorn (now known as Chivhu
Chivhu
Chivhu is a small town in Zimbabwe, with an estimated population of 10,000 in 2007. It is located south of Harare on the main road south to Masvingo and South Africa.-History:...
) in what was then Southern Rhodesia.
He was in conflict with 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...
over land distribution, taking the side of the African population. He was given the Shona
Shona language
Shona is a Bantu language, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify peoples who speak one of the Shona language dialects: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore...
name Mpandi, or 'the man who walks like thunder'. After more than 20 years he returned to England for a time after a quarrel with the British administration; but went back shortly for the rest of his life, having in 1927 published Africa for Africans, on the land issue.
He is chiefly known for his short stories, which continue to be taught and read in South Africa. The bulk of these stories are from his book "Cinderella in the South."
His great-great-nephew is the Welsh poet, Owen Sheers
Owen Sheers
Owen Sheers is a Welsh poet, author, playwright, actor and TV presenter.-Biography:Owen Sheers was born in Suva, Fiji in 1974 and brought up in Abergavenny, South Wales...
, who has written about him in the award-winning, Dust Diaries
The Dust Diaries
The Dust Diaries is an award-winning book by Owen Sheers, published in 2004.In this work, Sheers traces the travels of his great-great-uncle, Arthur Shearly Cripps. The book was named "Welsh Book of the Year 2005".-References:*...
(2004).
Legacy
This section is entirely based on the local knowledge of the contributor, of the area where Arthur Cripps did some of his work in Zimbabwe. As such there are no references, however the contributor is prepared to guide those with time to do thorough research in contacting people of older generations than him who may have more vivid and first hand memories of contact with Arthur Cripps.There is a road in Harare, Cripps Road, named after Arthur Cripps.
Arthur Cripps lived for some time in Manyene Communal Lands, about 120 km South of Harare, 20 km North of Chivhu. An area of Manyene is now know by a name he influenced, Maronda Mashanu, which means The Five Wounds in the local Shona language. There are claims that Father Cripps is buried near All Saints School in the same area of Manyene Communal Lands. Manyene is part of Chikomba District in the Mashonaland East province of Zimbabwe.
Some people from the area claim that Arthur Cripps performed miracles. For example there a claims that a white man who wanted to assault him for associating with Africans got crippled the moment he raised his hand. They claim that the man was only healed when Father Cripps prayed for him. Of course claims such as these are often based on wrong and superstitious interpretation of otherwise benign events. However they can give expert researchers important clues in piecing together actual events.
Works
- Titania and Other Poems (1900)
- Primavera: Poems by Four Authors (1900)
- Jonathan: A Song of David (1902)
- The Black Christ (1902) poems
- Magic Casements (1905)
- Lyra Evangelistica: Missionary Verses of Mashonaland (1909)
- Faerylands Forlorn: African Tales (1910)
- The Two of Them Together: A Tale About Africa To-Day (1910)
- The Brooding Earth (1911) novel
- Pilgrimage of Grace, Verses on a Mission (1912)
- Bay-Tree Country (1913) novel
- Pilgrim's Joy Verses (1916)
- Lake and War: African Land and Water Verses (1917)
- Cinderella in the South: South African Tales (1918)
- An Africa for Africans: A Plea on Behalf of Territorial Segregation Areas and Their Freedom in a Southern African Colony (1927)
- Africa: Verses (1939)