Key details: Thomas Birch Freeman was baptised in Hampshire in 1809. He
worked as an experienced horticulturalist to a titled family in
Suffolk. His letters contain detailed references to plants and their
Latin names. In the 1830s, began missionary work in Africa. He remained
there for 50 years and had a major impact on Ghana and on Freeman’s
Methodist colleagues in Britain who financed the mission.
Freeman became General Superintendent of the Gold Coast
Mission since 1838. The Mission had been established in 1835. It had
begun with nearly 20 missionaries but only 9 had survived, just over a
year later. Freeman’s first wife was among the dead.
There are photos of an early black presence in the book The
History of African and Caribbean Communities in Britainby Hakim Ali.
One shows three children in Liverpool c.1890, one of John Ocansey
c.1881 and one of Thomas Birch Freeman taken some time before his death
in 1890.
Key works: His work was celebrated in two biographies: ‘Son of an
African’ (1929 and 1950).
source:
http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=6835&page=2
Angela Allison
Coventry, UK
On 18 Sep 2008, at 07:45, Marika Sherwood wrote:
> Thank you. What a very elegant man. Clearly a gentleman. Do we have a
> date?
>
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