Henry Smeathman facts for kids

Henry Smeathman (1742–1786) was an English scientist who studied nature, especially insects. He is famous for his research in Sierra Leone and for helping to start a new settlement there.

In 1771, a doctor named John Fothergill and two other important scientists, Sir Joseph Banks and Marmaduke Tunstall, helped Smeathman. They sponsored him to spend four years in Sierra Leone. His goal was to study the local natural history, especially its insects.

Smeathman's Life and Work

Journey to Sierra Leone

Smeathman traveled to Africa on a trade ship called the Fly. The ship carried barrels of rum to the West African coast. Smeathman arrived in Sierra Leone on December 12, 1771. He had important contacts there, including families involved in trade.

He was allowed to stay on the Banana Islands, arriving on December 17, 1771. He lived there for over three years. When he arrived, Smeathman met King James Cleveland, a local leader. King Cleveland helped him settle and explore by talking with other important local leaders. In return for gifts, Smeathman was allowed to live on the islands and received help with his research.

He relied on local people to help him build a house and trade for supplies. This was because there were not many Europeans living in that area. Soon after he arrived, Smeathman got sick with what he thought was malaria. He said he cured himself with advice from Dr. Fothergill and his medical books. However, he had symptoms of the illness until he died from a fever fifteen years later.

Research and Local Interactions

Even though his trip was supported by people like John Fothergill, who were against slavery, Smeathman worked with individuals involved in slave trading. He relied on people like British trader Miles Barber for help. Smeathman and his assistant, Andreas Berlin, often spent time with merchants involved in the slave trade. Smeathman seemed to see these traders as important people and tried to act like them.

Smeathman traveled and collected many specimens in the Sherbro area, the Kamaranka River, and the Sierra Leone River estuary. He also visited Bunce Island to send his collected items back to England. Local people helped Smeathman with his collections and research, especially when studying termite mounds. However, he was sometimes slow to accept their knowledge about insects.

At first, he had trouble keeping his specimens safe during the long ocean journey. But he found a solution: placing boxes of specimens on top of open rum barrels helped prevent them from being destroyed.

Family Life in Africa

On July 21, 1772, Smeathman married his first wife. She was an African woman, the daughter of a local leader from the Sherbro River area. At one point, he might have had three wives at the same time. Marrying local women, especially daughters of important people, was a common way for visitors to settle down.

Smeathman wrote openly about his African wives. He seemed to see them as necessary for his life there, similar to his books. He wrote that he spent very little money on his wives. However, he also criticized slave traders for having too many wives and treating them badly.

According to John C. Lettsome, Smeathman first married the daughter of King Tom. Later, he married the daughter of King James Cleveland. Both of these wives sadly passed away.

Returning to England

Smeathman left Sierra Leone in 1775 on a ship that was part of the trade network. However, he became ill and was delayed in the Caribbean because of the American War of Independence while on his way back to England. So, Smeathman spent another four years working in the Caribbean.

After he returned to England, Smeathman created a plan to help poor Black people in England move to Sierra Leone. He presented this idea to a group called the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor and the British government. This plan led to the creation of the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate in 1787.

Andreas Berlin, a botanist who was one of the famous students of Carl Linnaeus, was one of Smeathman's friends and colleagues.

Writings by Smeathman

• Smeathman, H. (1781) Some Account of the Termites, which are Found in Hot Climates. This book is about termites found in warm places.
• Smeathman, H. (1785?) Elocution and Polite Literature. This book is about speaking well and good writing.
• Smeathman, H. (1786) Plan of a Settlement to be Made near Sierra Leone, on the Grain Coast of Africa. This book describes his plan for the new settlement in Sierra Leone.