John Cato Nottingham (25 February 1928 – 2018) was a British-born Kenyan colonial administrator, political activist, and publicist.

Early life

John Cato Nottingham was born on 25 February 1928 in

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. He was the son of Captain Eric Cato Nottingham, who had served in the British military in the colonies of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

and the

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

. He was educated at

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into the ...

and, after graduating in 1946, was conscripted into the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, being subsequently stationed in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

and Germany. In 1949 he left the army and enrolled in

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, studying politics, philosophy and economics. At the urging of his father, he applied for a job with the British colonial service. In July 1952 the service accepted his application and made him a cadet on probation, while he received specialised training at Oxford for a colonial posting, including instruction in

Kiswahili Swahili, also known by its local name , is the native language of the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique (along the East African coast and adjacent litoral islands). It is a Bantu language, though Swahili ...

Colonial administration career

Nottingham traveled by ship to

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

Kenya Colony The Colony and Protectorate of Kenya, commonly known as British Kenya or British East Africa, was part of the British Empire in Africa. It was established when the former East Africa Protectorate was transformed into a British Crown colony in ...

in December 1952 and was immediately appointed District Officer of Nyeri.

Later life

For several years Nottingham was Publishing Director at

East African Publishing House The East African Publishing House (EAPH) was a publishing company established in Nairobi in 1965. It was the first indigenous publishing firm in East Africa. History The East African Institute of Social and Cultural Affairs started to consider the ...

,John Nottingham, 'Establishing an African publishing industry: a study in decolonization', ''

African Affairs ''African Affairs'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published quarterly by Oxford University Press on behalf of the London-based Royal African Society. The journal covers any Africa-related topic: political, social, economic, environmental an ...

'', Vol. 68, No. 271 (April 1969), pp.139-44. helping

General China Waruhiu Itote (1922 – 30 April 1993, aged 70-71), ''nom de guerre'' General China, was one of the key leaders of the Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960) in British Kenya alongside Dedan Kimathi, Stanley Mathenge, Kurito ole Kisio, Musa Mwariama an ...

write his two books on Mau Mau and publishing ''

Song of Lawino ''Song of Lawino'' (Acholi dialect, Acholi: ''Wer pa Lawino'') is an epic poem written by Ugandan poet Okot p'Bitek. It was first published in 1966 in an English translation by the author, although Chapter 14, its final chapter, was removed. It w ...

'' by

Okot p'Bitek Okot p'Bitek (7 June 1931 – 19 July 1982) was a Ugandan poet, who achieved wide international recognition for '' Song of Lawino'', a long poem dealing with the tribulations of a rural African wife whose husband has taken up urban life and wis ...

. Nottingham later founded his own publishing company, Transafrica Publishers. Nottingham eventually retired to Cherry Tree Farm in Redhill,

Kiambu County Kiambu County is a county in the former Central Province of Kenya. Its capital is Kiambu and its largest town is Thika. Kiambu County is the second most populous after Nairobi County. Kiambu County borders Nairobi and Kajiado Counties to the So ...

, Kenya. He died in 2018, and was buried at Cherry Tree Farm.

Works

* 'Sorcery among the Akamba in Kenya, ''Journal of African Administration'', Vol. 11 (1959), pp. 2-14 * (with Clyde Sanger) 'The Kenya General Election of 1963', ''

Journal of Modern African Studies The ''Journal of Modern African Studies'' is a quarterly academic journal of African studies covering developments in modern African politics and society. Its main emphasis is on current issues in African politics, economies, societies, and inter ...

'', Vol. 2, No. 1 (March 1964), pp. 1-40 * (with Carl Gustav Rosberg) ''The myth of "Mau Mau": nationalism in Kenya''. Stanford, Calif.: Published for the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace by Praeger, New York, 1966. * 'Establishing an African Publishing Industry: A Study in Decolonization', ''

'', Vol. 68, No. 271 (April 1969), pp. 139-144

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nottingham, John 1928 births 2018 deaths British people of the Mau Mau Uprising British expatriates in Kenya