J. E. Casely Hayford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
J. E. Casely Hayford
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Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford
29 September 1866 Cape Coast, Gold Coast
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| Died | 11 August 1930 (aged 63) |
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Notable work
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Ethiopia Unbound (1911) |
| Spouse(s) | Beatrice Madeline Pinnock Adelaide Smith |
| Children | Archie Casely-Hayford; Gladys May Casely-Hayford |
| Relatives | Ernest James Hayford (brother); Joe Casely-Hayford (grandson); Margaret Casely-Hayford (granddaughter); Gus Casely-Hayford (grandson) |
Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford (29 September 1866 – 11 August 1930) was a very important person from the Gold Coast (which is now Ghana). He was also known as Ekra-Agyeman. He worked as a journalist, editor, author, lawyer, educator, and politician. He strongly believed in pan-African nationalism, which is the idea that all African people should be united and free.
His book, Ethiopia Unbound, published in 1911, is one of the first novels ever written in English by an African author.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford was born on September 29, 1866, in Cape Coast. At that time, Cape Coast was part of the British Gold Coast colony.
His family was part of the Fante Anona clan. They were descendants of important traditional leaders called omanhenes and okyeames. His father, Joseph de Graft Hayford, was a minister in the Methodist church and a well-known figure in politics. His mother's family came from an Irish trader and an African woman.
Joseph had two brothers: Ernest James Hayford, who became a doctor, and Reverend Mark Hayford, a minister.
Casely Hayford went to Wesley Boys' High School in Cape Coast. He also studied at Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone. While in Freetown, he became a big fan of Edward Wilmot Blyden. Blyden was a leading figure in the pan-African movement and edited Negro, a key pan-African newspaper.
After college, Casely Hayford returned to Ghana and became a high school teacher. He was later promoted to principal at Accra Wesleyan Boys' High School. However, he lost his job because of his strong political activities.
Becoming a Journalist and Lawyer
In 1885, Casely Hayford started working as a journalist for a newspaper called the Western Echo. His uncle, James Hutton Brew, owned this paper. By 1888, Casely Hayford became the editor and changed the paper's name to the Gold Coast Echo. He also helped own another paper, the Gold Coast Chronicle, from 1890 to 1896. He wrote articles for the Wesleyan Methodist Times too.
In 1893, he traveled to London to study law at the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. He officially became a lawyer on November 17, 1896. That same year, he returned to Ghana with his second wife, Adelaide. He started his own law practice in various towns like Cape Coast and Accra.
He also continued his journalism work, editing the Gold Coast Leader. In 1904, he helped start the Mfantsipim School, which is a very important school in Ghana. In 1910, he became the president of the Aborigines' Rights Protection Society. This was the first group in the Gold Coast that worked against colonial rule.
Fighting for African Rights
Casely Hayford wrote several books. These books mostly spoke out against laws made by the British colonial government. These laws, like the Crown Lands Bill of 1897 and the Forest Ordinance of 1911, tried to control African land. He believed that African identity and stable African societies were closely tied to keeping traditional land rights.
In his 1903 book, Gold Coast Native Institutions, he looked at how the Fanti and Asante people governed themselves. He argued that the Gold Coast should be able to govern itself, even if it remained part of the larger British Empire.
Casely Hayford was very involved in the movement to free Africa from colonial rule. He wrote letters to W. E. B. Du Bois, another important pan-African leader. He also took part in Booker T. Washington's International Conference on the Negro in 1912. His letters with Washington helped the pan-African movement grow in both Africa and the United States.
His public service career began in 1916 when he was chosen to be part of the Legislative Council of the Gold Coast. This council helped make laws for the colony. He served on different public groups and received an MBE award in 1919 for his good work.
In the same year, he created West Africa's first nationalist movement, the National Congress of British West Africa. This was one of the first formal groups working to free Africa from colonial rule. In 1920, he represented the Congress in London. He asked the colonial secretary for changes to the laws and spoke to the League of Nations Union. He was sometimes criticized for accepting small changes from the British.
While he wanted African people to be united and proud of their culture, he only asked for changes within the system. He wanted Ghana to remain a colony but with more self-rule. In 1925, he became the first patron of the West African Students' Union. He was elected as a local member for Sekondi in September 1927. The National Congress ended soon after Casely Hayford passed away in 1930.
His Famous Book: Ethiopia Unbound
Casely Hayford wrote a novel called Ethiopia Unbound in 1911. This book is considered one of the very first novels written in English by an African author. It is also seen as the earliest work of fiction that promotes pan-African ideas.
The story takes place in both Africa and England. It features deep conversations between an African character and his English friend. The book also mentions current events in Africa and ancient African history. All of this helps the book explore what it means to be African and the fight for freedom.
Family Life
Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford is the ancestor of the Casely-Hayford family, who are well-known in Ghana and Britain.
He was first married to Beatrice Madeline Pinnock. Their son, Archie Casely-Hayford, became a lawyer, a judge, and the first Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Ghana.
In 1893, while studying law in London, Casely Hayford met Adelaide Smith. She was from Sierra Leone. They later married, and she returned to the Gold Coast with him in 1896. Adelaide became a famous writer and started a school for girls in Freetown. Adelaide and Joseph had a daughter, Gladys May Casely-Hayford (1904–1950). Gladys was a teacher, artist, and poet. She published some of her poems under the name Aquah Laluah.
