User:Malcolm Scrimshire/Sir Walter Ernest Stanford

Sir Walter Ernest Stanford ...

                                                                                                    Sir Walter Ernest Mortimer Stanford (1850-1933) was born in Alice, South Africa, and educated at Lovedale. He married Alice Sarah Walker in 1883 and they had 3 sons and 4 daughters. Stanford worked as a clerk with his uncle, Joseph Cox Warner, who was agent with the Thembu, then in the civil service where he was stationed at Queenstown, East London and Glen Grey. In April 1876 he was appointed magistrate to the Qwathi chief, Dalasile, and settled at Engcobo. In 1885 he was promoted to chief magistrate of Griqualand East at Kokstad. Stanford was involved in negotiations with the Mpondo and in December 1886 reached an agreement with them which settled outstanding issues and provided for future relations. He was awarded the C.M.G. in 1891 and then became responsible for the administration of eastern Pondoland. In 1897 Stanford was appointed under-secretary for native affairs, where his main concern was the administration and amendment of the Glen Grey Act (1894). He became the first chief magistrate of the Transkeian territories in 1902. In 1904 Stanford was reappointed under-secretary for native affairs without relinquishing his chief magistracy. Special duties during this period included his attendance as an adviser at the inter-state customs conference, 1903, membership of the native affairs commission, 1903-1905, and acting as adviser to Lord Selborne on Swazi affairs in 1906. Ill health compelled Stanford's retirement in 1907, but did not end his public life, as he entered the Cape Legislative Assembly in 1908 as an independent member for Tembuland. From 1910-1929, Stanford served in the Senate, being nominated on the grounds of his thorough acquaintance with the needs of the coloured races in South Africa. In 1924 he was appointed a K.B.E. and an honorary LL.D. was conferred on him by the University of Cape Town in 1927.

Early Years Walter Stanford was descended from the South African 1820 Settlers on both his father (William Stanford) and his mother’s (Joanna Warner) sides. Walter Ernest Mortimer was their second son, born at Alice on 2nd August 1850. His father died in 1856 at the early age of 36 following amputation of a leg after a riding accident. His mother ‘was a small woman of indomitable courage who continued trading, farming and transport-riding, while still finding time to encourage her sons to read and write”.

Walter was in “poor health” so was sent at the age of 7 to live with his uncle in the Queenstown district where the altitude might improve his strength, a strategy which seems to have been effective as judged by his long and strenuous career. He received some schooling form a maiden aunt, Mary Stanford, and for two years attended the Lovedale Missionary Institution, finishing his formal education just before he turned twelve.

On July 1st 1863, just before his 13th birthday, Walter became a clerk under his uncle, the Government Agent to Tambookie at Glen Grey. He thus entered the service of the Dept of Native Affairs in which he was to remain for 45 years and through which “he was destined to exercise a profound influence on the development of South Africa”. Responsibility came early: in his uncle’s absence when barely 13 he became in effect the Agent, Her Majesty’s representative to a semi-independent African tribe. He continued at Tambookie for 6 years, before moving to Queenstown and then East London as a servant of the Department.

Magistracy Walter advanced steadily and in 1876 was appointed Magistrate to the Ama-Qwati tribe. He was commissioned and fought in the Gcalekaland Campaign with “gallantry, energy and judgement”. This was followed by further skirmishes and tribal unrest, before Walter returned to Magisterial duties in 1881. His first task was to relocate the defeated tribes, in negotiation with the European squatters. The Report of the Tembuland Commission testifies to “the fairness of the magistrates and the tenacity with which they attempted to ensure their native charges were justly treated.” He was also appointed to the Native Laws and Customs Commission, which was responsible for drafting a criminal code which recognised both Native custom and European principles of justice.

The Native Laws and Customs Commission 1882. WS is seated far left

In 1883 Walter married Alice Walker of Port Elizabeth, a long and happy marriage, with seven children: Walter, Dorothy, Robert, Alice, Arthur, Helen and Eileen.

Two years later he was appointed chief Magistrate and administrative head of Griqualand East, headquartered in Kokstad. This was a tricky appointment as there were constant border skirmishes, raids and friction with the neighbouring Pondo tribe until Stanford negotiated a treaty, signed in 1886, despite unhelpful instructions from the Government and Prime Minister in Cape Town, which Stanford was able to ignore because of the distance by horse! In due course he was awarded the CMG for his achievement.

In 1894 the chief of the Pondo died, leaving a leadership vacuum which led to a decision by Rhodes to annex Pondoland. That this contentious act was achieved without bloodshed was largely due to the diplomacy of Stanford and other magistrates. Rhodes was not entirely pleased by the magistrates’ commitment to just treatment of the natives, leading to some acrimony (for which Rhodes apologised to Stanford much later).

Cape Town Stanford’s skills were however recognised and in 1896 the Prime Minister, Gordon Sprigg, appointed him Under-Secretary for Native Affairs, in Cape Town. Stanford accompanied the next Prime Minister, William Schreiner on a tour of the Eastern Province in 1899, explaining the native culture so coherently that Schreiner described the tour as “his road to Damascus” so profound a change did it make to his views on native policy.

During the South African (Boer) war Stanford was the liaison between the Cape Authorities and the Transkeian Territories and soon was placed in charge of a field force there. Following the war the Territories were consolidated under one Magistrate, to which post Stanford was appointed in 1902. Remarkably the two assistant Magistrates were his brothers: Robert at Kokstad and Arthur at Umtata.

From 1903 to 1905 Walter Stanford was a member of the Native Affairs Commission which recommended, inter alia “that a central Native College be established for training native teachers and to afford opportunity for higher education to native students”, although these high principles came to nothing. Walter also advocated the Commissions recommendations that natives should have separate native representation in Parliament, In 1904 he was recalled to Cape Town to head the Native Affairs Department but by 1907 his heart was under strain and he retired on medical advice. However by 1908 he was so recovered that he stood for Parliament and was returned for Tembuland, as an Independent.

National Convention An election in 1908 brought in John Merriman as Prime Minister of the Cape, opening the way to union of the four rival South African colonies (Cape, Natal, Transvaal and Orange Free State). A National Convention was set up to advise on the nature and constitution of the Union, and Stanford was appointed as one of the 30 members, to reflect the liberal view and the interests of the Transkei and other native peoples. He argued strongly for enfranchisement of the Native Peoples and asserted “there must be a just native policy”. He proposed “that all subjects of His Majesty resident in South Africa shall be entitled to the franchise irrespective of race or colour…” The natives, he maintained, saw the use of the franchise in their own General Council and took full benefit of it. He argued that the franchise was the crux of the whole native question in South Africa.

Despite his reputation and his experience of native life he was unable to persuade the Convention to adopt a general native franchise. The Convention did however agree to preserve the existing Cape franchise and to entrench it in the South Africa Act which created the Union of South Africa, passed by Parliament in London in May 1910,

Later Years Following the Union Stanford was nominated to the Senate on the basis of his experience with the native peoples, and continued to champion their causes until the outbreak of the First World War when he took up recruiting work for the army, and founded the Cape Corps, of which he later became Hon Colonel. In November 1914 he was sent to Griqualand where there were fears of an armed uprising. Stamford identified genuine grievances (related to sheep dipping regulations) made recommendations and negotiated a peaceful settlement. He returned to Cape Town and in 1918 became Director of Recruiting. At the end of the war he was appointed Commissioner for Returned Soldiers. His lifelong services were recognized in 1919 with the KBE.

After the war Stanford remained busy. He helped found the 1820 Memorial Settlers Association and served as a steward of the South African Turf Club for 20 years. He gave his time and energy to the Western Province Agricultural Society, the Church, and the Community Chest of Cape Town. In 1927 he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Law by the University of Cape Town, an honour he greatly valued. Senate work continued until he retired in 1929.

In 1933 Walter and Alice celebrated their golden wedding, surrounded by their children and grandchildren. Soon afterwards Walter was taken ill and died on September 9th.

Following his death Jan Smuts (Prime Minister 1919-1924) wrote to Alice: “I counted Sir Walter Stanford among those of my friends on whom I could rely for wise counsel and support and it is a deep sorrow that he has passed away. He has had an exceptional record of service to his country, and leaves behind a record of which we are all very proud”

Conclusions Sir Walter Stanford spent much of his professional life as a Magistrate and administrator for the Transkei Territories, the lands north-east of Cape Colony occupied by Native Africans. He was a caring public servant who developed great bonds with, and love for, the native peoples. He was a pioneer for the rights of the Native Africans, and in particular strongly advocated their enfranchisement in the newly forming Union of South Africa in 1906. This far-sighted concept was not accepted and took many decades, much hardship, and many battles to be achieved.

It is probably no coincidence that Walter Stanford’s grandson, Gavin Relly, CEO of Anglo-American Corporation, led a small delegation to meet Oliver Tambo, leader of the ANC, in August 1985, in Zambia. This was the first meeting of high profile South African businessmen with the ANC and caused President Botha and the ruling Nationalist Party severe international embarrassment. The Nationalist Party resigned and apartheid was abandoned not long after.

Walter Stanford age 80 painted by his grand-daughter Allison

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