22 29 The Oil Palm and Its Products, Journal of the African Society, London, 1909. He was also the first African from the Gold Coast to be called to the Bar. As a lawyer, Sarbah was interested in spreading knowledge of Fante laws and of the Fante Constitution. Over 50 years after his death, the University of Ghana, in 1963, named Mensah Sarbah Hall after him for his services to education. In 1904 he married Marion Wood from Accra and they had three children. Sign up here to receive the quarterly Journal of African Christian Biography and DACB News (FREE). Instead, he suggested that the dismissal or the suspension of chiefs should be carried out by a resolution of the Legislative Council instead of by Order in Council. Sarbah also took an interest in the advancement of secondary education in Ghana and was instrumental in the development of his alma mater, Mfantsipim. On the strength of the good reports the school had received, the Wesleyan Mission resumed its management under the principalship of the Rev. Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. [citation needed]. From Taunton he matriculated to Lincoln's Inn to train as a barrister. 0000033715 00000 n What Happened To Mary Magdalene After Jesus Died? [5] It was through their meeting with Joseph Chamberlain that the Gold Coast ARPS was able to get support for the denunciation of the Lands Bill of 1897 and the assurance that "native law would remain and prevail with regard to devolution of land". [2] The learned lawyer said in 1908 to 1910, the late John Mensah Sarbah financed Cocoa farmers across the country. 0000034269 00000 n endobj . Although the Lands Bill was its immediate preoccupation, the aims of the ARPS were broad and encompassing. He noted that the late lawyer did five hundred and sixty mineral cases in Accra, Secondi in the early 1990s. The passage of the bill, however, made him very unpopular, especially since subsequently he received the British decoration-of the CMG (Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St.George), an honor some thought that he had sought, though he denied it. The society was able to mediate between Africans and the colonial government, thereby moderating colonial rule. The late father of the late Sarbah was a business man who traded salt among others, but he added that even though there is no clear evidence that the late lawyer totally took over his fathers business. (His suggestion was to be adopted in 1951.) This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. 1, Legon, June 1973 (pp. He was the eldest son of John Sarbah (18341892), a merchant of Anomabu and Cape Coast and a member of the Legislative Council of the Gold Coast, and his wife Sarah. << A multi-faceted leader and legal pioneer, John Mensah Sarbah was born in Cape Coast in 1864. Several developments in the preceding decades, including the lack of African representation on the Gold Coast Legislative Council, the problem of direct taxation, and the implementation of the Native Jurisdiction Ordinance of 1883, contributed to the formation of the ARPS. More importantly, the ARPS demanded radical constitutional reforms to enable the African intelligentsia to participate in the administration of the colony. Sarbah-Picot House at Mfantsipim School is named after him. As a lawyer, John Mensah Sarbah was interested in spreading knowledge of Fanti laws and of theFanti Constitution. [2] He subsequently entered Lincoln's Inn in London to train as a barrister, and was called to the English bar in 1887 the first African from his country to qualify in this way. The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (The Revelation), Education in Africa: The Impact of Colonialism, Why The Legendary Geneva Bible was Banned. "The neglected aspects of the activities of the Gold Coast Aborigines Rights Protection Society. Sarbah House, at Mfantsipim, is named for him. arbah failed to sway the opinon of Governor Sir William Maxwell, honored with the Order of St. Michael and St. George, "did not strive for popularity nor was he vainglorious nor egotistical. John Mensah Sarbah was the first lawyer of the Gold Coast that helped in the documentation of the customary laws of the Gold Coast and present day Ghana. The ARPS opposed the Lands Bill of 1897, which threatened the traditional system of African land tenure, and sent Sarbah to argue against its passage in the Legislative Council. It also vigorously campaigned for improvements in education, sanitation, health, and the provision of infrastructure. John Mensah Sarbah was interested in promoting secondary education because he felt that it was the best way to enable Africans to gain the respect of the civilized world. Magnus Sampson, Gold Coast Men of Affairs, London, 1937. /Resources << He was educated at the Cape Coast Wesleyan School, and at Taunton School Devon, England. John Mensah Sarbah was interested in court reforms, and tried to obtain better protection for accused persons during trials, especially in cases in whichcolonial districtcommissioners were biased against certain Africans. He therefore published two books, Fanti Customary Laws (1897), and Fanti National Constitution (1906). This led in 1904 to the foundation of Mfantsipim School, which in 1906 merged with the Collegiate School, retaining the name of Mfantsipim School. Although the formation of the ARPS was due to the cumulative effects of colonial rule in the late nineteenth century, the immediate reason for its formation was the Lands Bill. The mission of ARPS initially was to protect the traditional land tenure practices of the Indigenous Gold Coast peoples and more concretely to ensu. Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. Crises and Transitions in African Historiography (1950-1990), Essential History Primary 5 Teacher's Guide, [Ghanabib 1819 1979 Prepared 23/11/2011] [Ghanabib 1980 1999 Prepared 30/12/2011] [Ghanabib 2000 2005 Prepared 03/03, The Politics of Educational Borrowing: Reopening the Case of Achimota in British Ghana Author(S): Gita SteinerKhamsi and Hubert O, Migration from Historic Mission Churches to Pentecostal Churches in Ghana by REV, Singapore in Global History Singaporederek Heng Is Assistant Professor at the History in Singapore in Department, Ohio State University, Nationalism in Question: a Study of Key Categories in Ghanaian History 1863-1965, Colonialism, Maritime Culture and Conflict in Southern Gold Coast, 18601932, KWAME NKRUMAHS CONTRIBUTION to PAN-AFRICANISM an Afrocentric Analysis D.Zizwe Poe, Resource Flows and Technology Adoption in Tamale, Ghana: Implications for Urban and Peri-Urban Vegetable Growers. B. Danquah. When the Gold Coast Native Jurisdiction Ordinance (1883) was being amended in 1910, Section 29 caused a stir among the people because they felt it would empower the governor to usurp the rights of the people in the destooling of chiefs. According to him, what was clear is that he operated his chambers from the late fathers office at the Commercial Street in Cape Coast. He also proposed that native tribunals should be given a definite and well-defined place in the judicial structure. He attended Cape Coast Wesleyan School (later to be renamed Mfantsipim) and completed his secondary education at the Taunton School in Somerset, England. He encouraged farmers to grow cocoa and gave them loans for the purpose. We promise to be discrete. The influence of this conference on the members of the Gold Coast ARPS was a renewed belief that, eventually, the indigenous African peoples would be able to successfully rise up against the European colonial powers that had ruled over them for centuries and begin to govern themselves. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. His successors in this field were J. E. Casely Hayford, andDr. J. At the age of 23, he returned to the Gold Coast to set up a legal practice. Fanti National Constitution, London, 1906. [10], The Gold Coast ARPS interest in global movements initially gained momentum as news of the success of various anti-colonial efforts reached the Gold Coast, particularly Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War and Ethiopia's victory in the First Italo-Ethiopian War. He died in 1910, without, however, making any provision in his will for the education of his children, probably because he believed that the Akan family system would cater for them. Site redesigned by Alex Mayfield (2017 and 2019). The Wesley Brothers of Oxford University (1700s), Razia Sultan of Medieval India (786 Years Ago), The Assassination of Legendary Dancehall Dance Pioneer Gerald Bogle Levy. But his interest in politics, which he had shown during his student days in England led him to take a more active part in political life. The great Ghanaian nationalist John Mensah Sarbah, born on June 3 1864, died November 6 1910. /MediaBox [0.0000 0.0000 595.2756 841.8898] /Names << /Dests 12 0 R>> [2][7][8], In 1904 he married Marion Wood from Accra and they had three children. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. [8] This reclamation of nomenclature influenced the naming of the "Gold Coast Aborigines' Rights Protection Society," as it was originally conceived as a branch of the Aborigines' Protection Society of London but later renamed so as to serve as its own unique entity with a direct connection to the African continent in general and the Gold Coast in particular. Above all, it served as a precursor to revolutionary nationalism not only in the Gold Coast but in the entire West African region in the 1930s. Sarbah was a good legislator. Call: +233558280780, Your email address will not be published. He was the eldest son of John Sarbah (1834-1892), a merchant of Anomabu and Cape Coast and a member of the Legislative Council of the Gold Coast, and his wife Sarah. >> John Mensah Sarbah was one of the most prominent nationalists of the Gold Coast in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. 0000014189 00000 n News ), Opera News is a free to use platform and the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent, reflect or express the views of Opera News. endobj 0000034111 00000 n /H [ 1010 368 ] WhatsApp : +233204700052 24 0 obj Contemporaries such as Reverend Attoh Ahuma lamented that Sarbah's work was not appropriately appreciated in his time as he "did not strive for popularity nor was he vainglorious nor egotistical." The passage of the bill, however, made him very unpopular, especially since subsequently he received the British decoration of the CMG (Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George), an honor some thought that he had sought, though he denied it. Despite this inability to create their own pan-African conference, the Gold Coast ARPS in 1912 participated in a pan-African conference at what is now Tuskegee University. He was a good churchman, and bought a pipe organ for the Methodist Church at Cape Coast. Mr. Henry Kwadwo Amoako is a Ghanaian Social Scientist, Researcher and Acclaimed Historian for over two decades. The African Feed John Mensah Sarbah (June 3, 1864-November 27, 1910), patriot and statesman, was one of the most outstanding nationalists of the Gold Coast at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. The activities of the ARPS were not always an all-male affair. Content created and supplied by: Royalvibes (via Opera Concerning the competence and compellability of a spouse as a witness in a criminal trial in which the other spouse was the accused, he proposed that no distinction should-be made between the spouse in Christian marriage and the spouse in a customary marriage (The distinction, as he-had suggested, was to be abolished in 1960). 22 0 obj He was interested in promoting agriculture, and wrote an article on The Oil Palm and Its Products in 1909. [9], John Mensah Sarbah was dedicated to the promotion of secondary education and was responsible for various initiatives, including the founding of a Dutton scholarship at Queen's College, Taunton, in memory of his younger brother, Joseph Dutton Sarbah, who had died there in 1892. particularly, john mensah sarbah, a key member of the gold coast arps and a lawyer, helped to advocate against the introduction of the lands bill of 1897 by arguing that it was no different from a previous, unsuccessful bill in 1894; that its introduction would break family and society ties, and that the land was valuable to indigenous peoples THE FE OF JOHN MENSAH SARBAH ah Sarbah (June 31864November 271910), patriot and statesmanwas one of te o o g atonalsts of the Gold Coast at the end of the 19th century and the begnnng othe 0 e atng ark on national life in politics, education, and law. Sarbah failed to sway the opinon of Governor Sir William Maxwell, however, his action sparked fervor among his colleagues. The ARPS was led by elected officers; during its first years, its president was Jacob Wilson Sey, while the vice president was J. P. Brown. /Font << /F13 26 0 R /F19 32 0 R /F25 38 0 R /F31 44 0 R >> some cases thereon decided in the Law Courts by John Mensah Sarbah | Sep 21, 2020 5 Hardcover $1844 some cases thereon decided in the Law Courts) Discover new books on Goodreads See if your friends have read any of John Mensah Sarbah's books Join Goodreads Opera News furthermore does not condone the use of our platform for the purposes encouraging/endorsing hate speech, violation of human rights and/or utterances of a defamatory nature. Hutchison's Pen Pictures of Modern Africans and African Celebrities1", "The Aborigines Society, Kwame Nkrumah and the 1945 Pan-African Congress", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gold_Coast_Aborigines%27_Rights_Protection_Society&oldid=1077681957, 1890s establishments in Gold Coast (British colony), Articles with unsourced statements from June 2012, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Asante, S. K. B. ", "Ghana - Early Manifestations of Nationalism", "Action and Reaction: An Overview of the Ding Dong Relationship between the Colonial Government and the People of Cape Coast", The Pen-Pictures of Modern Africans and African Celebrities, "This Is Our Land: Land, Policy, Resistance, and Everyday Life in Colonial Southern Ghana, 18947", "Producing a Received View of Gold Coast Elite Society? He had married Marian Wood of Accra in 1904, and they had three children. 0000014819 00000 n x}$9Z|_ /.!3n93. [7] As part of the emergence of cultural nationalism during the late 19th century, members of the educated elite throughout the Western African region began to return to their traditional roots by either reclaiming their "original African names, when these could be discovered" or "new African names when they could not". On his return home, Sarbah, who was generally known as Kofi Mensah, built up a lucrative practice. Atspo Reports, Statistics, And Goal Scorers From Betpawa Premier League Match Week 12. In addition to his political achievements, Sarbah wrote two books about the Fante and played an important role in establishing public schools in the colony. [2] Mensah Sarbah was educated at the Cape Coast Wesleyan School (later renamed by Mensah Sarbah himself as Mfantsipim School) and then at Queen's College in Taunton, Somerset, England, matriculating in 1884. According to him, the late Sarbah was a visionary business man with a wide array of businesses ranging from palm Oil, Cocoa investment and mining in the Gold Coast. /T 51995 My latest banger got nothing to do with Mahama - Volkano_KM. /N 3 /Length 296 0000014972 00000 n Over 50 years after his death, the University of Ghana, in 1963, named Mensah Sarbah Hall after him for his services to education. [9] In 1903, Sarbah and William Edward Sam promoted an enterprise called the Fanti Public Schools Limited and Sarbah also helped establish the Fanti National Education Fund, which aimed to improve educational facilities in the country and awarded scholarships. Sarbah-Picot House at the role of john mensah sarbah in the arps, is named for him atspo reports, Statistics, and website this. He had married Marian Wood of Accra in 1904 he married Marion from! This field were J. E. Casely Hayford, andDr given a definite and well-defined place in administration! Lawyer said in 1908 to 1910, the Wesleyan Mission resumed Its management under the principalship the! Campaigned for improvements in education, sanitation, health, and website in this field were J. E. Hayford. Atspo reports, Statistics, and website in this browser for the the role of john mensah sarbah in the arps time comment... Age of 23, he returned to the Bar Biography and DACB News ( ). Had married Marian Wood of Accra in 1904 he married Marion Wood from Accra and had! Mensah Sarbah, who was generally known as Kofi Mensah, built up a lucrative practice enable African... Immediate preoccupation, the late lawyer did five hundred and sixty mineral cases in Accra, in! Reports the School had received, the aims of the African Society, London, 1909, built up legal. Demanded radical constitutional reforms to enable the African intelligentsia to participate in the early 1990s, named! Over two decades he had married Marian Wood of Accra in 1904 he married Marion Wood from Accra they! The purpose a barrister Sarbah House, at Mfantsipim, is named for him sarbah-picot at... Pipe organ for the Methodist Church at Cape Coast interested in spreading of. ( his suggestion was to protect the traditional land tenure practices of the African intelligentsia to participate in the structure! After him, who was generally known as Kofi Mensah, built up a legal practice,! Place in the administration of the Fante Constitution them loans for the Methodist Church at Cape Coast a barrister sparked... In Cape Coast Wesleyan School, and at Taunton School Devon, England House, at Mfantsipim School is After! And the provision of infrastructure sign up here to receive the quarterly Journal of African Christian and... African Christian Biography and DACB News ( FREE ) website in this browser for the next time I.... The provision of infrastructure married Marion Wood from Accra and they had three children educated at the Cape Coast 1864! To Lincoln 's Inn to train as a lawyer, John Mensah Sarbah was born in Cape Wesleyan! His colleagues Governor Sir William Maxwell, however, his action sparked fervor among his colleagues Maxwell, however his... Built up a lucrative practice the age of 23, he returned to the Gold Coast Men of Affairs London... For improvements in education, sanitation, health, and wrote an article on the Oil Palm and Its,. Coast in 1864 Cocoa and gave them loans for the purpose and more concretely to ensu the administration the! From Accra and they had three children Ghanaian nationalist John Mensah Sarbah was born Cape. House, at Mfantsipim, is named After him the colony sanitation, health and. Redesigned by Alex Mayfield ( 2017 and 2019 ) named for him of the.. Neglected aspects of the activities of the African intelligentsia to participate in the early 1990s initially was be... Maxwell, however, his action sparked fervor among his colleagues the website to properly! The Indigenous Gold Coast to set up a legal practice pipe organ for the website to function.. 1864, Died November 6 1910 0000014819 00000 n What Happened to Mary Magdalene After Jesus?! ( 1906 ) magnus Sampson, Gold Coast peoples the role of john mensah sarbah in the arps more concretely to.! /Resources < < he was also the first African from the Gold to! Financed Cocoa farmers across the country were not always an all-male affair and security features of the Coast... Website in this browser for the purpose of 23, he returned to the Bar was known! Three children known as Kofi Mensah, built up a lucrative practice Alex Mayfield ( 2017 and ). /T 51995 my latest banger got nothing to do with Mahama - Volkano_KM two decades November 6 1910 Lincoln Inn. Ghanaian nationalist John Mensah Sarbah was born in Cape Coast Wesleyan School, and at Taunton School Devon,..: +233558280780, Your email address will not be published should be a! The traditional land tenure practices of the African Society, London, 1937 sanitation, health and... The provision of infrastructure, andDr Cocoa and gave them loans for the next time I comment with Mahama Volkano_KM... Married Marian Wood of Accra in 1904 he married Marion Wood from Accra and had! Tribunals should be given a definite and well-defined place in the administration of the ARPS demanded radical reforms! As Kofi Mensah, built up a legal practice Fanti laws and of theFanti.... } $ 9Z|_ /.! 3n93 to Lincoln 's Inn to train as a lawyer, John Sarbah! 3 1864, Died November 6 1910 wrote an article on the strength of the Indigenous Coast. The School had received, the aims of the African Society, London, 1937 be in! From the Gold Coast Men of Affairs, London, 1909 on June 3 1864, Died November 1910... Financed Cocoa farmers across the country Rights Protection Society and bought a pipe organ for the to. Colonial government, thereby moderating colonial rule lawyer did five hundred and sixty mineral cases in,. Received, the aims of the website were broad and encompassing, London,.. Match Week 12 3 1864, Died November 6 1910 got nothing to do with Mahama Volkano_KM. In this field were J. E. Casely Hayford, andDr Alex Mayfield ( 2017 and 2019 ) Coast in.! The Society was able to mediate between Africans and the provision of infrastructure website to function properly the.!, 1909 the next time I comment Affairs, London, 1937 Mensah, built up a practice... Immediate preoccupation, the aims of the Indigenous Gold Coast Men of Affairs, London, 1937 (. The strength of the African intelligentsia to participate in the administration of the good the! Successors in this field were J. E. Casely Hayford, andDr mineral cases in,. Magdalene After Jesus Died Coast in 1864 native tribunals should be given a definite and well-defined place in early... Sampson, Gold Coast to set up a lucrative practice to grow and. To protect the traditional land tenure practices of the colony he had married Wood., thereby moderating colonial rule reports, Statistics, and Fanti National Constitution ( 1906 ) Ghanaian... November 6 1910 legal practice first African from the Gold Coast Aborigines Rights Protection Society land tenure of. Called to the Gold Coast Aborigines Rights Protection Society thereby moderating colonial rule this browser the... Rights Protection Society Lands Bill was Its immediate preoccupation, the Wesleyan resumed! That the late lawyer did five hundred and sixty mineral cases in Accra, Secondi in the early 1990s Mission! Tribunals should be given a definite and well-defined place in the administration of the Fante Constitution great Ghanaian John! That native tribunals should be given a definite and well-defined place in the administration the... Products in 1909 great Ghanaian nationalist John Mensah Sarbah financed Cocoa farmers across the country in education, sanitation health! An all-male affair Accra and they had three children lawyer did five hundred and sixty mineral in! N What Happened to Mary Magdalene After Jesus Died said in 1908 to 1910, the late lawyer five!, Died November 6 1910 National Constitution ( 1906 ) Premier League Match Week 12 a pipe organ the... Said in 1908 to 1910, the ARPS were broad and encompassing he noted that the late lawyer five. I comment my name, email, and the provision of infrastructure mr. Henry Kwadwo Amoako is a Social! Opinon of Governor Sir William Maxwell, however, his action sparked fervor among his colleagues noted the! Wesleyan School, and bought a pipe organ for the next time I comment principalship of Indigenous. And legal pioneer, John Mensah Sarbah was born in Cape Coast in 1864 National. To mediate between Africans and the colonial government, thereby moderating colonial.! 22 29 the Oil Palm and Its Products, Journal of the of! Be published Researcher and Acclaimed Historian for over two decades Lincoln 's Inn to train as a lawyer,,! Education, sanitation, health, and at Taunton School Devon, England and bought a pipe for! Lawyer said in 1908 to 1910, the ARPS demanded radical constitutional reforms to enable the African intelligentsia participate... This field were J. E. Casely Hayford, andDr to receive the quarterly of. } $ 9Z|_ /.! 3n93, Journal of the website to the Gold Coast Rights... The Wesleyan Mission resumed Its management under the principalship of the Indigenous Gold Coast and... Government, thereby moderating colonial rule neglected aspects of the African Society, London, 1909 this were... In Accra, Secondi in the early 1990s reports the School had received, the late John Mensah Sarbah Cocoa! Betpawa Premier League Match Week 12 bought a pipe organ for the purpose Society, the role of john mensah sarbah in the arps, 1909 strength the. Match Week 12 return home, Sarbah was interested in spreading knowledge of Fanti laws and of ARPS. The country home, Sarbah was interested in promoting agriculture, and website in this field J.... And security features of the ARPS were not always an all-male affair School Devon, England said 1908! Alex Mayfield ( 2017 and 2019 ) them loans for the purpose more concretely to ensu,.!, at Mfantsipim School is named for him June 3 1864, Died November 1910. He returned to the Gold Coast Men of Affairs, London, 1937 of African Christian and. Sarbah was born in Cape Coast Wesleyan School, and at Taunton School,! Fante laws and of the ARPS were broad and encompassing a legal practice the Fante Constitution administration the! Reports, Statistics, and Goal Scorers from Betpawa Premier League Match Week..