HERBERT MACAULAY, Nigeria's Father of Nationalism

OUTLINE
BIRTH AND EARLY DAYS
EDUCATION AND EARLY CAREER
LOVE, ROMANCE AND MARRIAGE
FAMILY
NATIONALIST STRUGGLE
PERSONAL STYLE
A MUSICIAN?
DEATH
LEGACY & REMEMBRANCE

Looking at him on the one naira coin, HERBERT SAMUEL HEELAS MACAULAY kinda looks like a white man to me. Or let me say his moustache and names kind of sound foreign to me. As a youngster, I always wondered why someone with such a 'strange and unNigerian' name will be glorified as a Nigerian hero. Well, now I know berra...lol! Did you know that Herbert Macaulay could have actually been Nigeria's first President, instead of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe? Did I hear you say how? Did you know he was also a musician? Do you want to know Herbert Macaulay's last words on earth? His marital life? Read on...

Forget his unmistakable moustache, Herbert Macaulay was a man of towering intelligence. In Nigeria of today where many men struggle to keep and cope with one job, Herbert Macaulay was a clerk, civil engineer, architect, surveyor, land inspector, journalist, musician, nationalist and politician.

BIRTH AND EARLY DAYS

This Nigerian legend was born on the 14th of November, 1864 in Lagos State. His parents, who married in 1845, were Sierra Leonean Creoles (called Saros) and he himself was a grandson of the famed Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first African bishop of the Anglican Church and linguist. Crowther would later die after suffering a stroke on the last day of 1891. Herbert Macaulay was to become recipient of the gold pen presented to his grandfather, Bishop Crowther by Queen Victoria of England at the Windsor Castle in 1851.

Then, Herbert was just about 27 years of age. His family was a prominent one and his father, Reverend Thomas Babington Macaulay, an early missionary and priest of the Church of England established the Church Missionary Society (CMS) Grammar School, Lagos, Nigeria's first secondary school in 1859.

He became the school's first principal, a mighty achievement in those days and was also a very close friend of Sir John Glover while he was the Administrator of Lagos. Herbert's mother was named Abigail Crowther, a brilliant trader, businesswoman and the second daughter of Bishop Ajayi Crowther. Macaulay's father would later die on the 17th of January, 1878 during a smallpox epidemic.

EDUCATION AND EARLY CAREER

Herbert Macaulay attended primary school in Lagos and his secondary education was also at CMS Grammar School, Lagos, then took up work as a clerk at the Lagos Public Works Department in 1881 after high school. Thereafter proceeded to Plymouth, England where he studied civil engineering (1891-1894) and became a member of many intellectual societies and circles upon graduation (he was an Associate Member, Institute of British Architects). He went to the United Kingdom in 1890 on a government scholarship and when he returned, he worked briefly as a Surveyor of Crown Lands (government surveyor) before deciding to go for independent practise as an engineer, architect and surveyor. He resigned in 1898.

LOVE, ROMANCE AND MARRIAGE
The year Macaulay left civil service, he got romantically entangled with Caroline Pratt, who happened to be the daughter of an African Police Superintendent. They later got married but the union came to an end in August 1899 following Caroline's sudden death. They had no kids from the marriage. Even after her death, he maintained good relations with the Pratt family and saw to their welfare. A devastated Herbert later married Maria Pase but some records indicated that he also kept a string of mistresses who bore him a battalion of children. Caring for the kids sapped his pockets but he had no option.

Herbert was the fifth child (out of seven) of his parents and his siblings included Owen Emeric Macaulay (died in July 1909, was Abigail's eldest son), Thomas Fowell Buxton Macaulay (second child, died in September 1928) while the third sibling was Hugh Stowell Macaulay.

FAMILY
One of his sons, Ogedengbe Macaulay also took after him with his own militant brand of politics. Ogedengbe was a Zikist and at a time in 1948, with the NCNC becoming weaker, he and some other Zikists decided to take some pro-active steps. On an occasion, he said 'If we tell the Governor to come down, he will not; we must drag him down and take over.' Some of his other children include:

-HERBERT K. MACAULAY
-FRANK MONTAGUE MACAULAY (died)
-MISS FLORENCE AUGUSTA MACAULAY (eldest daughter, died)

NATIONALIST STRUGGLE

STILL INTERESTED? READ THE REST AND SEE ALL PICTURES HERE: http://.com/herbert-macaulay-nigerias-father-of-nationalism/

@, ur threads on nl re really instructive.....d picture of dat 1naira coin brought back memories, reminds me of command children school, ann's barack and uncle soyo ice cream.....d good old days

Looks like Lamido Sanusi would join him on the 2 naira note when it finally come on board

bigtt76: Looks like Lamido Sanusi would join him on the 2 naira note when it finally come on board

The bow tie right? Uncle Sanusi belongs to a different era anyway.

He had Battalion of children too? our past heroes too sabi play away match. Oh lawdy lawd!

Nice thread Iyaniwura.

Nice thread but not much details

I can't put all the details here, it says post too long. For more details, the link has been provided.

ninja4life: Nice thread but not much details

No be talk am o! Thanks for your time

berem: He had Battalion of children too? our past heroes too sabi play away match. Oh lawdy lawd!

Nice thread Iyaniwura.

Nice thread, but I did expect more details and information, like we see in most of your other posts.

I can't put all the details here, it says post too long. Please check the link.

PhysicsQED: Nice thread, but I did expect more details and information, like we see in most of your other posts.

Abiyamọ: I can't put all the details here, it says post too long. Please check the link.

Thanks, I missed that. It's a nice article.

Thank you!

PhysicsQED:

Thanks, I missed that. It's a nice article.

The late Dr.Adadevoh of First consultant hospital obalende is the great grand daughter of Herbert Macaulay.

@op,.... and who told you that NNAMDI AZIKIWE was Nigeria's first president?
Nnamdi Azikiwe was the head of state while Alhaji Abubaka Tafawa Belewa was the head of government. Zik was just performing ceremonial roles in place of the UK Queen .

Gallass:
@op,.... and who told you that NNAMDI AZIKIWE was Nigeria's first president?
Nnamdi Azikiwe was the head of state while Alhaji Abubaka Tafawa Belewa was the head of government. Zik was just performing ceremonial roles in place of the UK Queen .

Nnamdi Azikiwe was first president, even though his was ceremonial. Tafawa Balewa was prime minister and head of govt

BTcomms:


Nnamdi Azikiwe was first president, even though his was ceremonial. Tafawa Balewa was prime minister and head of govt

Let me then ask you a simple question. Between David cameroon and Queen elizabeth, who can you say is the equivalence of a president of UK?

He formed the first political party in Nigeria.