Olive Susan Miranda Temple (; 18 February 1880 – 16 May 1936) was a Scottish writer and traveller, known for her work in natural history and ethnography. In 1910–1911, she journeyed 6,000 km (3,700 mi) through parts of Africa little known to Europeans to visit her fiancé's grave, and later published a book based on her observations. In Africa, she later met and married the colonial official

Charles Lindsay Temple Charles Lindsay Temple (20 November 1871 – 9 January 1929) was Lieutenant-Governor of Northern Nigeria from January 1914 until ill health caused him to relinquish the post in 1917. Temple was the only child from the second marriage of Sir Rich ...

, and wrote a second book about the geography and ethnography of

Northern Nigeria Northern Nigeria was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962 it acquired the territory of the United Kingd ...

. The couple eventually settled in

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

Origins

Olive Susan Miranda MacLeod was born on 18 February 1880, the younger daughter of Sir

Reginald MacLeod of MacLeod Sir Reginald MacLeod of MacLeod (1 February 1847 – 20 August 1935) was the 27th Chief of Clan MacLeod. Life Sir Reginald MacLeod of MacLeod was born on 1 February 1847. He was the son of Norman MacLeod of MacLeod (1812–1898), 25th Chief ...

, the Chief of Clan MacLeod, by his wife, Lady Agnes Mary Cecilia. Her older sister was

Flora MacLeod of MacLeod Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod, (3 February 1878 – 4 November 1976) was the 28th Chief of Clan MacLeod. Biography Flora Louisa Cecilia MacLeod was born at 10 Downing Street, London, in 1878, the home of her grandfather Sir Stafford Northco ...

First journey

Olive MacLeod was noted in her day as "one of the most intrepid of lady explorers". Her fiancé, the explorer Lieutenant

Boyd Alexander Lieutenant Boyd Alexander (16 January 1873 – 2 April 1910) was an English officer in the British Army, as well as an explorer and ornithologist. Early life Boyd was the oldest son (with a twin brother) of Lt Colonel Boyd Francis Alexander. ...

, was murdered in 1910 during a dispute with some local inhabitants while travelling on the borderlands of Wadai to the north-east of Lake Chad. He was buried beside his brother Claud at Maifoni, a British Post near Lake Chad. MacLeod, who was distraught, endeavoured to visit his distant grave. She journeyed roughly 6,000 km (3,700 mi) through Africa, including areas previously unknown to Europeans. Six months of the expedition was spent in country which had never been visited by white women. French colonial authorities later named certain waterfalls after her as a tribute to her courage. MacLeod travelled both on foot and on horseback, and was carried in

litter Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. Litter can also be used as a verb; to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, ...

s on three days through swampy land."Miss Olive MacLeod"
''Every Woman's Encyclopædia''. Vol. 4. London, 1910. p. 2938. MacLeod kept many souvenirs of her journey, some of which entered the collection of the

Maidstone Museum Maidstone Museum is a local authority-run museum located in Maidstone, Kent, England, featuring internationally important collections including fine art, natural history, and human history. The museum is one of three operated by Maidstone Boro ...

. She also made many recordings of natural history and ethnographic matters, and published them in her first book, ''Chiefs and Cities of Central Africa'' (1912).

Later life

In 1912 MacLeod married

, who was later

Lieutenant-Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

.Harris, Samantha (29 June 2017)
"An early 20th Century female traveller to Africa"
''Maidstone Museum''. Retrieved 18 November 2022. Her husband's position gave her privileged access to official documents which informed the writing of ''Notes on the Tribes, Provinces, Emirates and States of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria'' (1919).Olive, O. (1919).
Notes on the Tribes, Provinces, Emirates and States of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria
'. Temple, C. L. (ed.). Cape Town: The Argus Printing & Publishing Company, Limited. The couple eventually settled in

, and there Charles died on 9 January 1929. Olive Temple then returned to Britain, and lived for some time in Kent. She died on 16 May 1936 at Carmen de los Fosos, Granada, and was interred next to her husband in the local cemetery.

Gallery

File:Chiefs and cities of Central Africa, across Lake Chad by way of British, French, and German territories (1912) (19982705734).jpg, Sketch map showing cessions of territory in Equatorial Africa provided for by the Franco-German Treaty of Nov. 1911 File:Chiefs and cities of Central Africa, across Lake Chad by way of British, French, and German territories (1912) (20418654869).jpg, (1, 3) Fireplace (2) Quern (4) Leg-armour (5, 6) Bedstead and goat-pen (7) Banana doorway (8) Doorway File:Chiefs and cities of Central Africa, across Lake Chad by way of British, French, and German territories (1912) (20579195966).jpg, (1) Lamy on his Travelling Cage (2, 3) Type of Kotoko Woman File:Chiefs and cities of Central Africa, across Lake Chad by way of British, French, and German territories (1912) (20417464728).jpg, (1) A Kotoko musician (2) A musician playing a calabash rattle (3) Kotoko drummers File:Chiefs and cities of Central Africa, across Lake Chad by way of British, French, and German territories (1912) (20417517030).jpg, Buduma compound, surrounded by wind-screen File:Chiefs and cities of Central Africa, across Lake Chad by way of British, French, and German territories (1912) (20417540788).jpg, (1) Facsimile of typical letter of appointment issued to Emirs in Northern Nigeria (2) The Shehu of Bornu

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Temple, Olive 1880 births 1936 deaths 20th-century women writers 20th-century travel writers British expatriates in Spain British women travel writers Scottish travel writers