Edmund Charles Smith Richards
Encyclopedia
Sir Edmund Charles Smith Richards (1889-1955) was a British
colonial administrator who was Resident Commissioner of Basutoland
from 1935 to 1942 and Governor of Nyasaland
from 1942 to 1947.
and Southern Rhodesia
.
Richards saw no particular value to Nyasaland in the council.
Sir Stewart Gore-Browne
of Northern Rhodesia objected to the name since no Africans were represented. Talking of the first session, Gore-Browne described Richards as an "ill-mannered oaf".
The key topic discussed by the council was that of recruitment and treatment of Native labor. Nyasaland was the main supplier of non-indigenous African laborers to Southern Rhodesia. The main debate was between Richards and the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, Godfrey Huggins. Although the council had no power to make a decision on the subject, the two men both freely aired their views.
Richards was initially hostile to the idea of establishing joint services to serve the three colonies, but later came round to the idea of extending services such as Civil Aviation and the Court of Appeal from Southern Rhodesia to also cover the northern territories.
In 1945, Richards received a memorandum from the newly-formed Nyasaland African Congress
(NAC) saying the members disliked sending their boys to the college at Makerere
in Uganda
"because the standard of education attained is lower than that attained in South African Schools...".
The age limit system was also an issue with primary education. Under this system, children could not enroll if they were too old, and without birth certifications they were subject to arbitrary estimates of whether they were young enough to attend school. Girls suffered in particular when they were unable to start education early for reasons that were out of their control. Richards did nothing to resolve the problem, but supported age limits.
On 15 February 1946, Richards sent proposals to the Colonial Office to change the method of selecting members of the Legislative Council. These included introducing elections for the European "unofficial" members (members other than civil servants), and giving the unofficial members the majority.
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...
colonial administrator who was Resident Commissioner of Basutoland
Basutoland
Basutoland or officially the Territory of Basutoland, was a British Crown colony established in 1884 after the Cape Colony's inability to control the territory...
from 1935 to 1942 and Governor of Nyasaland
Nyasaland
Nyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....
from 1942 to 1947.
Career outline
Edmund Charles Smith Richards was born on 6 October 1889. After joining the colonial service, he rose steadily through the ranks, becoming a District Commissioner in 1923, Assistant Secretary for Native Affairs in 1927, Deputy Provincial Commissioner in 1928, Provincial Commissioner in 1931, Deputy Chief Secretary in 1934, Acting Chief Secretary in 1934 and Resident Commissioner, Basutoland from 1935 to 1942. Richards became Governor of Nyasaland in August 1942, retiring in March 1947. He died in 1955.Central African Council
A Central African Council was created in 1945 to coordinate research activities, economic policies and the transport and communication systems of Nyasaland, 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...
and 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...
.
Richards saw no particular value to Nyasaland in the council.
Sir Stewart Gore-Browne
Stewart Gore-Browne
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Stewart Gore-Browne, DSO, , called Chipembele by Africans, was a soldier, pioneer white settler, builder, politician and supporter of independence in Northern Rhodesia .- Early life :...
of Northern Rhodesia objected to the name since no Africans were represented. Talking of the first session, Gore-Browne described Richards as an "ill-mannered oaf".
The key topic discussed by the council was that of recruitment and treatment of Native labor. Nyasaland was the main supplier of non-indigenous African laborers to Southern Rhodesia. The main debate was between Richards and the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, Godfrey Huggins. Although the council had no power to make a decision on the subject, the two men both freely aired their views.
Richards was initially hostile to the idea of establishing joint services to serve the three colonies, but later came round to the idea of extending services such as Civil Aviation and the Court of Appeal from Southern Rhodesia to also cover the northern territories.
Other Nyasaland issues
One of the issues Richards had to deal with was that of education of the Africans.In 1945, Richards received a memorandum from the newly-formed Nyasaland African Congress
Nyasaland African Congress
The Nyasaland African Congress was an organization that evolved into a political party in Nyasaland during the colonial period. The NAC was suppressed in 1959, but was succeeded in 1960 by the Malawi Congress Party, which went to on decisively win the first universal suffrage elections in 1961,...
(NAC) saying the members disliked sending their boys to the college at Makerere
Makerere
Makerere is a neighborhood in the city of Kampala, Uganda's capital city. The name also applies to the hill on which this neighborhood is perched; one of the original seven hills that constituted Kampala at the time of its founding.-Location:...
in 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...
"because the standard of education attained is lower than that attained in South African Schools...".
The age limit system was also an issue with primary education. Under this system, children could not enroll if they were too old, and without birth certifications they were subject to arbitrary estimates of whether they were young enough to attend school. Girls suffered in particular when they were unable to start education early for reasons that were out of their control. Richards did nothing to resolve the problem, but supported age limits.
On 15 February 1946, Richards sent proposals to the Colonial Office to change the method of selecting members of the Legislative Council. These included introducing elections for the European "unofficial" members (members other than civil servants), and giving the unofficial members the majority.