Robert Perceval Armitage
Encyclopedia
Robert Perceval Armitage (21 December 1906 - 1990) was a British
colonial administrator who held senior positions in Kenya
and the Gold Coast
, and was Governor of Cyprus
and then Nyasaland
during the period when the former British colonies were gaining independence.
, Madras, the first child of Frank and Muriel Armitage. His father was commissioner of police in Madras city. At the age of ten he was sent to Highfield School
at Liphook
, Hampshire
, where he was captain of the cricket team in his final year. From 1920 to 1925 he attended Winchester College
. He became a district and secretariat officer in Kenya.
Armitage married Gwladys Lyona Meyler (b. 2 May 1906, Natal
) on 18 February 1930 in Highlands Cathedral, Nairobi
, Kenya
. Their children were Robert Jeremy, born on 16 June 1932 in Poole
, Dorset
, England and Richard Hugh Lyon, born on 30 May 1937 in Canford Cliffs
, Dorset
, England.
. After the governor had said he was willing to consider the creation of an agricultural bank, Armitage said his government was "deeply committed in principle" to taking action and "would find it difficult to retreat".
In 1949, Armitage was chairman of a committee to consider establishing a national bank. He tried to dampen nationalist demands by ruling out the idea of a Reserve Bank, but did not succeed.
By 1950, Armitage was Minister of Finance of the Gold Coast.
At the end of 1950 the colonial government proposed to increase export duties on cocoa. The world price for the crop was rising, and the government felt that the planters would waste increased profits on luxuries, while the government would use it for development plans. Armitage was prepared to face opposition from cocoa producers, but prayed for five years of rising world prices to solve all economic problems.
Armitage recommended appointment of a first-rate economic expert to manage the economy during the cocoa boom. He said the country "is rapidly moving out of the extremely restricted economy of the years before the war and so the holder should be someone who has experience of financial and economic matters, at least in other parts of Africa and possibly experience from other parts of the world".
In his budget speech in 1953, Armitage explained the policy he had followed: "(Sterling) balances have accrued ... largely because the raw materials produced in the Gold Coast, mainly cocoa, have brought in large earnings and the Government ... increased taxation partly in an endeavor to lessen the amount of money which would exert an inflationary pressure ... and partly to build reserves."
Armitage did not mention that the project to build the Akosombo Dam
over the Volta River
was starting to seem feasible, and funds would be needed for that purpose.
The Gold Coast gained independence in 1957 as Ghana
.
At the time of his appointment there was growing agitation by the Greek Cypriots
for enosis
, or union with Greece, although this was opposed by the Turkish Cypriots
. The Greek government supported the movement, but the British did not want to give up an important base in the eastern Mediterranean.
Few of the Greek Cypriots were willing to compromise. In September 1954, Armitage said that the self-styled moderates had "no organisation, no party, no funds, no agents and they will win nothing".
An attempt was made on Armitage's life on 1 April 1955. Bombs exploded all over the island on that day as EOKA
insurgents opened a violent campaign for self-determination.
Armitage asked for permission to declare a state of emergency in July 1955, but this was not granted.
For several months Armitage tried to find a way to deport Archbishop Makarios
and the Bishop of Kyrenia, both of whom publicly supported union with Greece. Existing laws did not cover the situation of the Archbishop, who advocated a peaceful approach. A state of emergency was eventually declared, which allowed for deportation without cause. By then, Armitage had been replaced as governor by Field Marshal Lord Harding of Petherton
, leaving office in September 1955.
Armitage arrived in Nyasaland on 9 April 1956 to take over from Geoffrey Colby
as Governor. One of the main issues he had to face was the unpopularity of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
, which had come into being in 1953.
He resisted proposals to "federalize" administration of European farming, a serious concern with the indigenous population.
He also resisted moves to make the federation independent. He said that moving too quickly towards the status of a Dominion
could "stimulate early and violent African opposition, which would at best discredit Federation and at the worst break it".
In September 1957 he met a delegation from the Nyasaland African Congress
headed by its president TDT Banda
, who asked for legislative reforms including an elected legislative assembly with most members elected by Africans. He also met representatives of Charles Matinga
's Progressive Party, who were seeking to follow a more moderate path, with nominated representatives to work with the government. He summarised the views of Matinga's party as: "In other words they wanted a lot of friendly Africans and Europeans to collaborate with friendly officials. But, of course, politics cannot be this easily organized".
By the start of 1959 the situation in Nyasaland had become critical. Dr Hastings Banda
was stirring up passions at rallies, and on 18 February there was an attack on Fort Hill by a mob armed with pangas. Armitage met Southern Rhodesia
officials and Governor Sir Arthur Benson of Northern Rhodesia
, and made plans to concentrate federal troops in Nyasaland.
Armitage asked for authority to declare a state of emergency on 3 March 1959 and subsequently arrested Banda, which led to further disturbances.
Security forces killed 51 Africans and wounded 71.
Banda's detention became a political issue in the 1959 general election
in the United Kingdom
, although the Conservatives
retained power.
Under pressure from the press, the government decided to release Banda in March 1960.
In May 1960 Iain Macleod
, the British Secretary of State for the Colonies
, gave Armitage instructions to arrange for rapid constitutional advancement. The effect was to give Nyasaland independence quickly but to set the country on the road to one-party rule.
Armitage went on leave in August 1960, and Glyn Smallwood Jones
became acting Governor. Jones became Governor when Armitage retired in April 1961.
Armitage died in Amesbury
, Wiltshire
, England, on 7 June 1990 at the age of 83.
He was buried in Bridstow
, Herefordshire
.
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 held senior positions in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
, and was Governor of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and then 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....
during the period when the former British colonies were gaining independence.
Early years
Armitage was born on 21 December 1906 in NungambakkamNungambakkam
Nungambakkam is one of the wealthiest localities in the heart of Chennai, India's fourth largest metropolitan city. The neighborhood is abound with multi-national commercial establishments, important government offices, foreign consulates, sprawling educational institutions, shopping malls,...
, Madras, the first child of Frank and Muriel Armitage. His father was commissioner of police in Madras city. At the age of ten he was sent to Highfield School
Highfield School
Highfield School is a Primary School located in the Highfield district of Southampton.-History:Stephen Ram of Ramford, County Wexford was a resident of Portswood Lodge in Highfield. Part of his estate included Small Gains Field which bordered Back Lane...
at Liphook
Liphook
Liphook is a large village in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is 4.1 miles west of Haslemere, on the A3 road, and lies on the Hampshire/West Sussex border.Liphook has its own railway station, on the Portsmouth Direct Line....
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, where he was captain of the cricket team in his final year. From 1920 to 1925 he attended Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
. He became a district and secretariat officer in Kenya.
Armitage married Gwladys Lyona Meyler (b. 2 May 1906, Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
) on 18 February 1930 in Highlands Cathedral, Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Their children were Robert Jeremy, born on 16 June 1932 in Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England and Richard Hugh Lyon, born on 30 May 1937 in Canford Cliffs
Canford Cliffs
Canford Cliffs is an affluent suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. The neighbourhood lies on the English Channel coast midway between Poole and Bournemouth...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England.
Gold Coast
In July 1948, Armitage was financial secretary of the Gold CoastGold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
. After the governor had said he was willing to consider the creation of an agricultural bank, Armitage said his government was "deeply committed in principle" to taking action and "would find it difficult to retreat".
In 1949, Armitage was chairman of a committee to consider establishing a national bank. He tried to dampen nationalist demands by ruling out the idea of a Reserve Bank, but did not succeed.
By 1950, Armitage was Minister of Finance of the Gold Coast.
At the end of 1950 the colonial government proposed to increase export duties on cocoa. The world price for the crop was rising, and the government felt that the planters would waste increased profits on luxuries, while the government would use it for development plans. Armitage was prepared to face opposition from cocoa producers, but prayed for five years of rising world prices to solve all economic problems.
Armitage recommended appointment of a first-rate economic expert to manage the economy during the cocoa boom. He said the country "is rapidly moving out of the extremely restricted economy of the years before the war and so the holder should be someone who has experience of financial and economic matters, at least in other parts of Africa and possibly experience from other parts of the world".
In his budget speech in 1953, Armitage explained the policy he had followed: "(Sterling) balances have accrued ... largely because the raw materials produced in the Gold Coast, mainly cocoa, have brought in large earnings and the Government ... increased taxation partly in an endeavor to lessen the amount of money which would exert an inflationary pressure ... and partly to build reserves."
Armitage did not mention that the project to build the Akosombo Dam
Akosombo Dam
The Akosombo Dam , is a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge and part of the Volta River Authority. The construction of the dam flooded part of the Volta River Basin, and the subsequent creation of Lake Volta...
over the Volta River
Volta River
The Volta is a river in western Africa that drains into the Gulf of Guinea. It has three main tributaries—the Black Volta, White Volta and Red Volta...
was starting to seem feasible, and funds would be needed for that purpose.
The Gold Coast gained independence in 1957 as Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
Cyprus
Armitage was Governor of Cyprus from 1954 until 25 September 1955.At the time of his appointment there was growing agitation by the Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
for enosis
Enosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
, or union with Greece, although this was opposed by the Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
. The Greek government supported the movement, but the British did not want to give up an important base in the eastern Mediterranean.
Few of the Greek Cypriots were willing to compromise. In September 1954, Armitage said that the self-styled moderates had "no organisation, no party, no funds, no agents and they will win nothing".
An attempt was made on Armitage's life on 1 April 1955. Bombs exploded all over the island on that day as EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
insurgents opened a violent campaign for self-determination.
Armitage asked for permission to declare a state of emergency in July 1955, but this was not granted.
For several months Armitage tried to find a way to deport Archbishop Makarios
Makarios III
Makarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
and the Bishop of Kyrenia, both of whom publicly supported union with Greece. Existing laws did not cover the situation of the Archbishop, who advocated a peaceful approach. A state of emergency was eventually declared, which allowed for deportation without cause. By then, Armitage had been replaced as governor by Field Marshal Lord Harding of Petherton
John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton
Field Marshal Allan Francis John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton, GCB, CBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer and Governor of Cyprus from 1955 to 1957, Cyprus being a British colony at that time....
, leaving office in September 1955.
Nyasaland
Geoffrey Francis Taylor Colby
Sir Geoffrey Francis Taylor Colby was a British colonial administrator who was Governor of the protectorate of Nyasaland between 1948 and 1956...
as Governor. One of the main issues he had to face was the unpopularity of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation , was a semi-independent state in southern Africa that existed from 1953 to the end of 1963, comprising the former self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia and the British protectorates of Northern Rhodesia,...
, which had come into being in 1953.
He resisted proposals to "federalize" administration of European farming, a serious concern with the indigenous population.
He also resisted moves to make the federation independent. He said that moving too quickly towards the status of a Dominion
Dominion
A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
could "stimulate early and violent African opposition, which would at best discredit Federation and at the worst break it".
In September 1957 he met a delegation from the 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,...
headed by its president TDT Banda
Thamar Dillon Thomas Banda
Thamar Dillon Thomas Banda was a politician in Nyasaland in the years prior to independence.He was President-General of the Nyasaland African Congress from 1957 to 1958, and founded the Congress Liberation Party in 1959.-Background:...
, who asked for legislative reforms including an elected legislative assembly with most members elected by Africans. He also met representatives of Charles Matinga
Charles Matinga
Charles Jameson Matinga was a politician in Nyasaland before the colony obtained independence from the British.He was elected President-General of the Nyasaland African Congress in 1945, after the death of Levi Zililo Mumba....
's Progressive Party, who were seeking to follow a more moderate path, with nominated representatives to work with the government. He summarised the views of Matinga's party as: "In other words they wanted a lot of friendly Africans and Europeans to collaborate with friendly officials. But, of course, politics cannot be this easily organized".
By the start of 1959 the situation in Nyasaland had become critical. Dr Hastings Banda
Hastings Banda
Hastings Kamuzu Banda was the leader of Malawi and its predecessor state, Nyasaland, from 1961 to 1994. After receiving much of his education overseas, Banda returned to his home country to speak against colonialism and advocate for independence...
was stirring up passions at rallies, and on 18 February there was an attack on Fort Hill by a mob armed with pangas. Armitage met 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...
officials and Governor Sir Arthur Benson of Northern Rhodesia
Northern 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 made plans to concentrate federal troops in Nyasaland.
Armitage asked for authority to declare a state of emergency on 3 March 1959 and subsequently arrested Banda, which led to further disturbances.
Security forces killed 51 Africans and wounded 71.
Banda's detention became a political issue in the 1959 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
in the United Kingdom
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...
, although the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
retained power.
Under pressure from the press, the government decided to release Banda in March 1960.
In May 1960 Iain Macleod
Iain Macleod
Iain Norman Macleod was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister.-Early life:...
, the British Secretary of State for the Colonies
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....
, gave Armitage instructions to arrange for rapid constitutional advancement. The effect was to give Nyasaland independence quickly but to set the country on the road to one-party rule.
Armitage went on leave in August 1960, and Glyn Smallwood Jones
Glyn Smallwood Jones
Sir Glyn Smallwood Jones, GCMG, MBE , was a British colonial administrator in Southern Africa. He was the last governor of Nyasaland from 1961 until it achieved independence in 1964. He served as the only Governor-General of Malawi from 1964 until it became a republic in 1966...
became acting Governor. Jones became Governor when Armitage retired in April 1961.
Armitage died in Amesbury
Amesbury
Amesbury is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer—dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press—in 2002...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England, on 7 June 1990 at the age of 83.
He was buried in Bridstow
Bridstow
Bridstow is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. The village lies 2 km west of Ross-on-Wye and 17 km southeast of Hereford. The parish is bounded to the east and south by the River Wye. The A40 road linking the M50 motorway to South Wales runs through the parish,...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
.