Kenneth Maddocks
Encyclopedia
Sir Kenneth Maddocks was a British
colonial
official, who served as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Fiji
from 1958 until 1963.
Kenneth Phipson Maddocks was the son of a civil engineer from Coventry
. He had relatives in government service scattered across India
, Egypt
, Canada
, and Australia
. His mother died of influenza
in 1918. He was educated at Bromsgrove School
and at Wadham College, Oxford
, where he read Physics
and rowed for his college.
He joined the Colonial Administrative Service in 1929 and was sent to northern Nigeria
, for which he had expressed a preference, following in the footsteps of a brother who had joined the new Tanganyika
Territory Service.
After barely a year in Kano Province
, a district whose administration exemplified the British policy of indirect rule
, he suddenly found himself posted to the "punishment" province of Benue
- for seven years. There he became one of the few district officers to learn Tiv
. But he never served in the Tiv language region again.
His next posting was to the relative comforts of Jos
and the Plateau
. Retained in the Nigerian service throughout World War II - against his wishes and despite the success of many of his colleagues in joining the Royal West African Frontier Force
- he spent four years in the Lagos
Secretariat.
In 1948 his experience and ability were such that the government in Kaduna
asked him to collaborate on a report into the Native Administration structure in the Northern Provinces. This was intended to show how demand for local government, from both the new-look Colonial Office - now self-consciously rooted in democratic principles - and the younger ranks of Northern legislators, could best be implemented in the heartland of British indirect rule.
In 1951 he married Elnor, the daughter of Sir John Russell, Fellow of the Royal Society.
After a spell in the senior Residencies of first Kano
and then Sokoto
, Maddocks was promoted Civil Secretary in 1955. He became Deputy Governor in 1957, with spells in between as Officer Administering the Government of Northern Nigeria.
In 1958 he left to become Governor of Fiji
. His governorship was marked by industrial disputes which led him to invoke his emergency powers and call in the military in support of the civil power. His health gave way, both in Suva
and, en route home, in Venice
.
He was awarded the title of Companion of St Michael and St George
in 1956 and advanced to Knight Commander of St Michael and St George in 1958. He was made Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
in 1963 at the time of the Queen's visit to the Pacific.
On leaving the Colonial Service in 1963, he spent five years as Director and Secretary of the East Africa and Mauritius Association, which provided a means of communication between the business world and the newly independent governments of East Africa.
His wife Elnor died in 1976. In 1980, he married Patricia, the widow of Sir George "Satan" Mooring, formerly of the Nigerian Administrative Service and the last Resident of Zanzibar
, 1960-1963. Maddocks had no children of his own, but had a large extended family who called him Uncle or Grandpa. He was an enthusiastic gardener, a hobby he continued on his return to Britain, where he lived first in Somerset
and then in Suffolk
.
In his second retirement, he produced two memoirs, both privately published. Bush Life in Nigeria (1978) was an account of the up-country experiences of Elnor when she was married to a district officer in the Nigerian Service before the war. Based on her letters home, the book was a vignette of outstation life in a seemingly time-warped rural northern Nigeria. Ten years later, encouraged by this success, he was persuaded to compile a straightforward narrative of his 35 years in the colonial service, Of No Fixed Abode.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial
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...
official, who served as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
from 1958 until 1963.
Kenneth Phipson Maddocks was the son of a civil engineer from Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. He had relatives in government service scattered across India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. His mother died of influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
in 1918. He was educated at Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School
Bromsgrove School, founded in 1553, is a co-educational independent school in the Worcestershire town of Bromsgrove, England. The school has a long history and many notable former pupils.-History:...
and at Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
, where he read Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and rowed for his college.
He joined the Colonial Administrative Service in 1929 and was sent to northern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, for which he had expressed a preference, following in the footsteps of a brother who had joined the new Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
Territory Service.
After barely a year in Kano Province
Kano State
Kano State is a state located in North-Western Nigeria. Created on May 27, 1967 from part of the Northern Region, Kano state borders Katsina State to the north-west, Jigawa State to the north-east, Bauchi State to the south-east and Kaduna State to the south-west...
, a district whose administration exemplified the British policy of indirect rule
Indirect rule
Indirect rule was a system of government that was developed in certain British colonial dependencies...
, he suddenly found himself posted to the "punishment" province of Benue
Benue State
Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...
- for seven years. There he became one of the few district officers to learn Tiv
Tiv language
The Tiv language is spoken by over 2 million people in Nigeria, with a few speakers in Cameroon. Most of the Language's Nigerian speakers are found in Benue State of Nigeria. The language is also widely spoken in the Nigerian States of Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa as well as the FCT Abuja...
. But he never served in the Tiv language region again.
His next posting was to the relative comforts of Jos
Jos
Jos is a city in the Middle Belt of Nigeria.The city has a population of about 1.5 million residents. Popularly called "J-town" or "Jesus Our Saviour" by the residents, it is the administrative capital of Plateau State....
and the Plateau
Jos Plateau
The Jos Plateau is a plateau located near the center of Nigeria. It covers 8600 km² and is bounded by 300-600 meter escarpments around much of its circumference. With an average altitude of 1280 metres and its highest point is Shere Hills 1829 meters...
. Retained in the Nigerian service throughout World War II - against his wishes and despite the success of many of his colleagues in joining the Royal West African Frontier Force
Royal West African Frontier Force
The West African Frontier Force was a multi-battalion field force, formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia. The decision to raise this force was taken in 1897 because of concern at French colonial...
- he spent four years in the Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
Secretariat.
In 1948 his experience and ability were such that the government in Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
asked him to collaborate on a report into the Native Administration structure in the Northern Provinces. This was intended to show how demand for local government, from both the new-look Colonial Office - now self-consciously rooted in democratic principles - and the younger ranks of Northern legislators, could best be implemented in the heartland of British indirect rule.
In 1951 he married Elnor, the daughter of Sir John Russell, Fellow of the Royal Society.
After a spell in the senior Residencies of first Kano
Kano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
and then Sokoto
Sokoto
Sokoto is a city located in the extreme northwest of Nigeria, near to the confluence of the Sokoto River and the Rima River. As of 2006 it has a population of 427,760...
, Maddocks was promoted Civil Secretary in 1955. He became Deputy Governor in 1957, with spells in between as Officer Administering the Government of Northern Nigeria.
In 1958 he left to become Governor of Fiji
Governor of Fiji
Fiji was a British Crown Colony from 1874 to 1970, and an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth from 1970 to 1987. During this period, the Head of State was the British Monarch, but in practice his or her functions were normally exercised locally by the Governor prior to independence ,...
. His governorship was marked by industrial disputes which led him to invoke his emergency powers and call in the military in support of the civil power. His health gave way, both in Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
and, en route home, in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
.
He was awarded the title of Companion of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in 1956 and advanced to Knight Commander of St Michael and St George in 1958. He was made Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1963 at the time of the Queen's visit to the Pacific.
On leaving the Colonial Service in 1963, he spent five years as Director and Secretary of the East Africa and Mauritius Association, which provided a means of communication between the business world and the newly independent governments of East Africa.
His wife Elnor died in 1976. In 1980, he married Patricia, the widow of Sir George "Satan" Mooring, formerly of the Nigerian Administrative Service and the last Resident of Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
, 1960-1963. Maddocks had no children of his own, but had a large extended family who called him Uncle or Grandpa. He was an enthusiastic gardener, a hobby he continued on his return to Britain, where he lived first in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and then in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
.
In his second retirement, he produced two memoirs, both privately published. Bush Life in Nigeria (1978) was an account of the up-country experiences of Elnor when she was married to a district officer in the Nigerian Service before the war. Based on her letters home, the book was a vignette of outstation life in a seemingly time-warped rural northern Nigeria. Ten years later, encouraged by this success, he was persuaded to compile a straightforward narrative of his 35 years in the colonial service, Of No Fixed Abode.