Cecil John Rhodes, St Michaels Church, Bishop Stortford, Herts, UK
Posted by: bill&ben
N 51° 52.257 E 000° 09.447
31U E 304315 N 5750504
A bronze plaque on the wall of the North aisle to Cecil John Rhodes, the founder of Rhodesia, who was born in Bishop Stortford.
Waymark Code: WMBG7B
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 05/18/2011
Views: 3
Cecil Rhodes was born and educated in Bishops Stortford, and
later Oriel College, Oxford. At the age of seventeen
Rhodes emigrated to Africa, initially to work in
agriculture, but later to invest in the diamond fields of Kimberley. By 1880
Rhodes had established the De Beers Mining Company.
Rhodes entered the politics of the Cape region, becoming an
MP and later Prime Minister of the Cape Colony. His political career took a
severe blow in the Jamieson Raid, an unsuccessful attack on the Transvaal. He
did, however use his wealth to pursue territorial gains to the North of the
Cape, creating the country of Rhodesia in the process.
The bronze plaque reads:-
IN MEMORY OF
CECIL JOHN RHODES
PREMIER OF THE CAPE
COLONY AND
THE FOUNDER OF
RHODESIA
FIFTH
SON OF THE VICAR.
BAPTISED IN ST
MICHAEL’S CHURCH
SUNDAY AUGUST 25TH
1853
EDUCATED AT THE
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
(NOW ST
MICHAEL’S PARISH ROOM)
BORN IN SOUTH ST,
BISHOP STORTFORD, HERTS
TUESDAY JULY 5TH
1853
DIED AT MUIZENBERG,
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
WEDNESDAY MARCH 26TH
1902
BURIED AT THE
MATTAPPOS IN RHODESIA
THURSDAY APRIL 10TH
1902
“THERE SHALL HE
PATIENT MAKE HIS SEAT”
“AS WHEN THE
DEATH HE DARED”
(UNARMED AT THE REBEL
MATABELE INDABA FRIDAY AUGUST 21ST 1896)
“AND THERE AWAIT
A PEOPLE’S FEET”
“IN THE PATHS
WHICH HE PREPARED”