An African lady and some Manchester cloth!

[Lydart]

Although the picture was supposedly of the concubine, and was supposedly taken in Eq. Guinea .... is there any PROOF that these facts are so ?   That type of stool is common in what is now Ghana (previously Gold Coast).  Guinea is quite close to Ghana, separated only by the old Ivory Coast (now Cote d'ivoire) ...

... and that area used to be known as the white man's graveyard .... perhaps Great Uncle died there of malaria, a common cause of death of the white man ?? 

[Josee]

I'm not 100% sure that the lady is George's concubine....although he definitely had one.  I have some papers from the National Archives proving that.
George was on Elobey, a small island in the Gulf of Biafra. He was Hatton and Cookson's agent and there are papers from the National Archives documenting his altercation with the Spanish authorities between 1905 and 1908. I also have him on various shipping lists with Elobey as his destination.
As I said at the beginning of this thread the picture was in my family bible ...along with another showing a bush view. George's death was also recorded in the bible.....just no location or date...other than Africa!!!
I'm inclined to agree with the death as a result of fever......I just don't know how to find it!!
Jo

[Lydart]

Can you put up the bush picture too please ?   It might have some clues which some of us old 'Africa hands' might see ... 

[Josee]

Yes of course......
I'll have to scan it so bear with me   

[Josee]

It's not brilliant ...
hope you can make out some detail
Jo

[Lydart]

Doh !    I'm an idiot !    I've mixed up Equatorial Guinea (south of Cameroon) with Guinea (West Africa) !!   



The 'bush'photo doesn't show much except that its an area that was once thick forest (there are a few very tall forest trees left ... you can see one just right of centre which towers over the nearby buildings) and its probably an oil palm growing area, so the cleared forest and the palms suggest its probably near the coast.

I checked out Elobey Island ... what a dump to be posted !   Wiki suggests its uninhabited now ... but probably delightful for holiday makers.

But the presence of that stool which comes probably from Ghana (Gold Coast) is intriguing.   I wonder if its just a random photo he took when travelling ?  Or the 'concubine' came from Ghana ?   

[Josee]

...and brought her stool with her do you think? If they were made for each individual it would make sense. Were women included in this, were they allowed one do you think?

Linhope suggested I get in contact with the Hatton and Cookson archive on the Wirral. They may have some more snippets of info.....
...the donations to the World Museum in Liverpool were made by another George, possibly Uncle's predecessor so no direct link for me there!


Uncle George  was arrested  (and ended up in hospital) by the Spanish authorities , he took offence when they arbitrarily closed down his factory.  I'm guessing it was an palm oil factory as there was  palm oil business on Elobey at the time, and not much else.   Following a series of letters between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Spanish (both in Madrid and on the island) he was given compensation of £70!
The trail ran cold there so I'm not sure what happened next, if anything!!! I don't know when he died exactly but there must be some official documentation somewhere in order that the family back in Manchester were told.

I would welcome any ideas or suggestions of where to look next.

Cheers
Jo

[Lydart]

Was he buried there or here ?   As a Brit dying abroad would there be records somewhere of how and why and where ?  If it wasn't a British colony then, it may be harder to find info.

Hatton and Cookson might give you information .... there is a page of stuff about them on Google ...

[Josee]

That's the tricky bit...I don't know. Can't see him in the Consulate returns. And as Elobey was Spanish at the time would he be recorded on them anyway?      The family have written in the bible that he died there, in Africa, so unless I can find something in Hatton and Cookson, he remains drifting in the ether!!!
Do you have a link for the page you saw for Hatton and Cookson? It may be extra to anything I've seen so far!!