The object of the Gazette is to inform officials, and the general public, who otherwise might not have the opportunity, of the different Regulations, Orders, Postal arrangements, legal information, etc., affecting Protectorates.
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This collection provides the opportunity to explore official periodicals published by successive British governments in ten African countries between January 1808 and December 1919. It is an important resource for the study of Britain's imperial projects throughout Africa.
During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the British government published gazettes relating to their colonial territories on an annual basis. This collection, drawn from British Foreign & Commonwealth Office files held at The National Archives (UK), brings together numerous gazettes from British administered territories in Africa. Thus, the volumes within this collection are divided by country—Kenya, Lagos (Nigeria), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), Nyasaland (Malawi), Sierra Leone, Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), The Gambia, Gold Coast (Ghana), Uganda, and Zanzibar (Tanzania).
Some documents address major historical events such as the Boer War, the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, and the First World War. Importantly, the gazettes supply key historical data and information, such as shipping records, legislation, probate records, and records of land sales. The collection also sheds light upon government finances and trading, as imports, exports, and colonial finances are detailed in some gazettes. These publications likewise offer insights into aspects of colonial society. For example, they supply notices of official appointments, as well as statistics regarding population, communications, crime, and the incidence of disease.
British Online Archives has curated two related Colonial Law in Africa collections, covering the years 1920–1945 and 1946–1966, which offer an excellent accompaniment to this collection. A rich resource for students and researchers interested in Africa and the themes of colonialism and race in modern history, this collection, as well as its two related collections, provide an extensive overview of British rule throughout Africa.
These gazettes provide insights into a key period in the development of British influence throughout West Africa. This followed the abolition of Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and the declaration of Sierra Leone as a British colony.
The name of each gazette tended to change as the colony grew and official borders shifted.
The gazettes feature notices regarding new or amended laws. Studying these notices reveals issues that were considered important at that time. For example, decisions to legislate are indicative of cultural shifts away from traditional practices such as witchcraft. The range of gazettes included in this collection, spanning ten African territories over an extensive period, facilitates broad, comparative surveys of legal priorities and cultural trends.
Colonial Law in Africa, 1808–1919 is a substantial resource. The collection provides students and researchers with official reports, details of colonial finances, court records, shipping records, licence applications, the names of colonial officers, and details of imports and exports. Some of the gazettes also contain weather recordings.
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