Rosehips

Rosehips

Date 2021 Origin Greenside, Johannesburg Size 60mm x 15mm x 15mm Acquired February 2021 From Origin Price Free

Authors with entries in Rosenthal (1967)

“Buchan, John (Lord Tweedsmuir). Author of several South African books and a former Transvaal official. Born in Scotland in 1875, he was educated at Glasgow University and Oxford. In 1901 he became Private Secretary to Lord Miner, High Commissioner for South Africa, and was one of the leading members of his ‘Kindergarten,’ remaining there until 1903. Among his books one of the most successful is Prester John, which is largely based on his experiences in the Transvaal Civil Service. He also wrote in 1920 The South African Forces in France. In later years Buchan held many prominent positions in Britain and was Governor-General of Canada. He died in 1940” (Rosenthal 1967:81).

“Colenso, Bishop John William. First Anglican bishop of Natal born in Cornwall in 1814. Educated under difficulties, but went to Cambridge where he gained distinction as a mathematician, later writing several standard works on this subject. After being a schoolmaster at Harrow and holding a living in Norfolk, was appointed Bishop of Natal. There he immediately gained the affection of the Zulus, but caused great uproar by refusing to compel polygamous Africans to divorce their surplus wives. In consequence of critical questions on the Bible put to him by converts, Colenso wrote a series of books challenging the literal truth of the Scripture on many matters. He was charged with heresy and excommunicated by Bishop Robert Gray (q.v.), his Metropolitan, but went to court and was confirmed by the Privy Council in his office as bishop. (Incidentally the court held that the Church of England as a State Church could not be transplanted to the colonies.) Apart from his ecclesiastical activities, Colenso wrote the first Zulu grammar, dictionary and reading books. Was champion of the Zulu people in their dispute with the Colonial Office. He strongly criticised the policy that led to the Zulu War. He died in 1883” (Rosenthal 1967:118-119).

“Isaacs, Nathaniel. Pioneer of early Natal. Born in Canterbury in 1808, he belonged to an old Jewish family in England. In 1822, having lost his father, he joined his uncle, father of the famous South African statesman, Saul Solomon (q.v.), then still living in St. Helena. In 1825 a post in the brig Mary under lieutenant King, R.N., began a series of adventures that took him to Natal, where he was shipwrecked. He gained the friendship of the Zulu king Tshaka, secured concessions which might have made Natal a British colony many years before this came to pass, but failed to interest the authorities. He set down his experiences in his book Travels and Adventures in Eastern Africa, which appeared in London in 1836, and told the story from 1825 to 1832. Later he settled in West Africa, near Sierra Leone, where he was last heard of in 1858” (Rosenthal 1967:265).