William McCoskry
Encyclopedia
William McCoskry was a British
merchant who served as Consul at Lagos, then as acting Governor of Lagos Colony
.
McCoskry, a Scotsman, was known as "A l'agbon pipon" (man with the red beard) by the Yoruba people
.
Apongbon in the west of Lagos Island
derives its name from this phrase.
McCoskry got on bad terms with Benjamin Campbell, who arrived on 21 July 1853 to take up the position of Consul.
He even attempted to ship palm oil without paying duties.
Campbell later recommended McCoskry as vice-consul for Badagry
.
He held this position briefly between 1855 and 1856.
In March 1856 McCoskry was acting for Consul Campbell, who was away from the colony on a visit to the Benin River, when a plot was discovered to overturn the Oba of Lagos
, Dosunmu. When three cruisers appeared off the bar the plot fizzled out.
In May 1861, while on an expedition into the interior, Foote died of fever and McCoskry took over as Acting Consul.
In July 1861, McCoskry signed treaties with Porto Novo and Badagry to facilitate trade with Lagos.
At the end of July 1861 Her Majesty's ship Prometheus arrived in the lagoon.
A few days later, on 3 August the commander, N.B. Bedingfeld paid a visit to the Oba of Lagos
accompanied by McCoskry and a detachment of armed marines, and demanded that Dosunmu sign a treaty to surrender Lagos. The king initially refused.
However, on 6 August 1861, Bedingfeld and McCoskry entered into a treaty on behalf of the Queen of Great Britain with "Docemo" (Dosunmu), King of Lagos. Dosunmu transferred sovereignty of the island and territories of Lagos to the British in return for an annual pension.
The slave trade had been outlawed, but slavery continued. McCoskry hinted that after annexation of Lagos Colony
unrest among the slaves increased substantially.
He remarked that problems related to domestic slavery were giving him "more trouble thn all the rest of the business together". He noted that there were many runaway slaves looking for protection in Lagos Colony, which they saw as a refuge. McCloskey recognized the rights of slave owners to retain their property or to receive compensation for liberation.
He set up a court to hear cases of abuse against slaves and of runaway slaves from the interior, and established a "Liberated African Yard" to give employment to freed runaways until they were able to look after themselves. He did not consider that abolition of slavery in the colony would be practical.
In 1865 McCloskry testified before a parliamentary committee on the conditions at Lagos. He said that rather more than 500 fugitive slaves had arrived in the colony since 1861.
McCloskry, and other merchants in the colony, were opposed to the activities of missionaries which they felt interfered with trade. In 1855 he had been among signatories of a petition to prevent two missionaries who had gone on leave from returning to Lagos.
McCloskry communicated his view to the explorer Richard Francis Burton
, who visited Lagos and Abeokuta
in 1861 while acting as consul at at Fernando Po
.
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...
merchant who served as Consul at Lagos, then as acting Governor 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....
.
Lagos trader
McCoskry reached Lagos in early 1852, soon after the Oba Kosoko has been expelled. He had already represented the British firm of W.B. Hutton in West Africa for seven years.McCoskry, a Scotsman, was known as "A l'agbon pipon" (man with the red beard) by the Yoruba people
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
.
Apongbon in the west of Lagos Island
Lagos Island
Lagos Island is the principal and central local government area of the Metropolitan Lagos in Nigeria. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian census, the LGA had a population of 209,437 in an area of 8.7 km²...
derives its name from this phrase.
McCoskry got on bad terms with Benjamin Campbell, who arrived on 21 July 1853 to take up the position of Consul.
He even attempted to ship palm oil without paying duties.
Campbell later recommended McCoskry as vice-consul for Badagry
Badagry
Badagry is a coastal town and Local Government Area in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is situated between Metropolitan Lagos, and the border with Benin at Seme...
.
He held this position briefly between 1855 and 1856.
In March 1856 McCoskry was acting for Consul Campbell, who was away from the colony on a visit to the Benin River, when a plot was discovered to overturn the Oba of Lagos
Oba of Lagos
The Oba of Lagos is the traditional, yet ceremonial, sovereign of Lagos, a historical Yorubano-Bini kingdom that went on to become one of the largest cities in Africa after first giving its name to Lagos State, the acknowledged financial heart of contemporary Nigeria...
, Dosunmu. When three cruisers appeared off the bar the plot fizzled out.
Acting consul
A new consul, Henry Grant Foote, arrived at Lagos on 21 December 1860. He appointed McCoskry unpaid vice-consul.In May 1861, while on an expedition into the interior, Foote died of fever and McCoskry took over as Acting Consul.
In July 1861, McCoskry signed treaties with Porto Novo and Badagry to facilitate trade with Lagos.
At the end of July 1861 Her Majesty's ship Prometheus arrived in the lagoon.
A few days later, on 3 August the commander, N.B. Bedingfeld paid a visit to the Oba of Lagos
Oba of Lagos
The Oba of Lagos is the traditional, yet ceremonial, sovereign of Lagos, a historical Yorubano-Bini kingdom that went on to become one of the largest cities in Africa after first giving its name to Lagos State, the acknowledged financial heart of contemporary Nigeria...
accompanied by McCoskry and a detachment of armed marines, and demanded that Dosunmu sign a treaty to surrender Lagos. The king initially refused.
However, on 6 August 1861, Bedingfeld and McCoskry entered into a treaty on behalf of the Queen of Great Britain with "Docemo" (Dosunmu), King of Lagos. Dosunmu transferred sovereignty of the island and territories of Lagos to the British in return for an annual pension.
Acting governor
McCoskry was appointed acting Governor soon after annexation.The slave trade had been outlawed, but slavery continued. McCoskry hinted that after annexation 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....
unrest among the slaves increased substantially.
He remarked that problems related to domestic slavery were giving him "more trouble thn all the rest of the business together". He noted that there were many runaway slaves looking for protection in Lagos Colony, which they saw as a refuge. McCloskey recognized the rights of slave owners to retain their property or to receive compensation for liberation.
He set up a court to hear cases of abuse against slaves and of runaway slaves from the interior, and established a "Liberated African Yard" to give employment to freed runaways until they were able to look after themselves. He did not consider that abolition of slavery in the colony would be practical.
In 1865 McCloskry testified before a parliamentary committee on the conditions at Lagos. He said that rather more than 500 fugitive slaves had arrived in the colony since 1861.
McCloskry, and other merchants in the colony, were opposed to the activities of missionaries which they felt interfered with trade. In 1855 he had been among signatories of a petition to prevent two missionaries who had gone on leave from returning to Lagos.
McCloskry communicated his view to the explorer Richard Francis Burton
Richard Francis Burton
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS was a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas as well as his...
, who visited Lagos and Abeokuta
Abeokuta
Abeokuta is the largest city and capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria and is situated at , on the Ogun River; 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. As of 2005, Abeokuta and the surrounding area had a population of 593,140....
in 1861 while acting as consul at at Fernando Po
Fernando Po
Fernando Po may mean:*Fernando Po in Equatorial Guinea, now called Bioko*Fernão do Pó, Portuguese explorer*Fernando Pó, Portugal, village*Fernando Po, Sierra Leone, village...
.