“Mute astonishment was excited a few
days ago in the London Bankruptcy
Court, by the appearance there,
briefs in hand, with work to do, of a
gentleman of colour – of the darkest
tint. He was received by all the other members of the bar
with the courtesy which might be expected from English
gentlemen. His address to the learned recorder, Sir Thomas
Chambers, for mercy towards a young offender against
the law, showed an unusual command of ‘the tongue
that Shakespeare spoke’, a felicity of expression, good
taste and intellectual force.” Thus ran a document
from 1883 introducing England’s first black barrister,
Christian Frederick Cole.
Cole was born in the village of Waterloo, in the British
colony of Sierra Leone, in 1852. His parents – Jacob, a
reverend, and May Cole – were described as “a negro and
negress of the purest type”. They obtained their son a
scholarship to attend the oldest western-style college in
sub-Saharan Africa, Fourah Bay College in Freetown,
which was known as the ‘Athens of west Africa’ for its high
standards in Latin and Greek.
At Fourah Bay, Cole had a role model in the school’s
principal, Reverend Edward Jones, who had been the first
African-American to graduate from the US’s Amherst
College. He encouraged Cole to apply for one of the world’s
most prestigious universities: Oxford. Cole’s bid wasn’t
unprecedented – another Fourah alumnus, Africanus
Horton, had become one of the first black graduates from a
British university when he’d earned a medical degree from
Edinburgh in 1859 – but it was audacious. Nevertheless
Cole applied, and was accepted after passing ‘Responsions’- exams in Greek, Latin, arithmetic and algebra.
In 1872, Cole’s father died,
and his uncle assumed his
guardianship. Cole arrived in
England in 1873 at the height
of British colonialism, amid a
prevailing iconology that depicted
black people as an educationally
inferior sub-species. In enrolling
at University College – one of
Oxford’s most venerable colleges - to read for an honours degree in
‘classical moderations’ (classics),
he became the first black African to study at the university.
Cole’s degree was deemed one of the most difficult to
obtain. The future imperialist Cecil Rhodes, who came
up to Oxford in the same year, was rejected by University
College when he applied for a pass degree in classics – an
easier qualification. He enrolled at Oriel College instead.
Cole was a non-collegiate student – an arrangement
that helped poorer students who might struggle to afford
college fees. He lodged in rooms in the city, with his uncle
providing support for his fees and living expenses.
His presence inevitably attracted comment. One diary
entry by Florence Ward, sister of William Ward – best friend
of the Irish playwright Oscar Wilde – is telling. Describing
a promenade event at Christ Church in June 1876, Florence
wrote: “I spied the Nigger Coal [sic], hair as curly and skin
as black as Coal.” The Oxford Chronicle, reporting on the
1878 Encaenia ceremony (an annual celebration of Ox-
ford’s founders), noted: “Some amusement was caused by
‘Three Cheers for Christian Cole’, a gentleman of colour, of
University College, who had entered the Theatre a few
moments previously and was standing in the area.” Fellow
student Colonel Thomas Higginbottom reportedly gave
him the nickname ‘Old King Cole’.
Cole was also an object of curiosity outside the universi-
ty. An Oxford Journal article of 1877, under the heading
‘A negro in the parish church’, read: “On Saturday last, the
lessons in the morning and evening services in the parish
Church were read by a negro, Mr Christian F Cole... In the
afternoon, Mr Cole delivered an address on mission work
in Sierra Leone, west Africa. Afterwards, he spoke to the
inmates at the union workhouse on the same topic.”A precarious existence
As a member of the Oxford Union debating society, Cole
contested numerous subjects, once arguing in favour of the
death penalty. Academically, he was no idler; his essays
were commended by no less a figure than Benjamin Jowett
of Balliol, a renowned translator of Plato who would later
become the university’s vice-chancellor. After four years of
hard study, Cole achieved his honours degree, thereby
becoming a full member of the college in 1877.
By his last year, though, Cole had incurred a significant
debt of £200. His uncle, with a family of his own to sup-
port, had been forced to cease his remittance. Determined
not to lean on his friends for money, Cole looked aroundChristian Frederick Cole
England’s first black barristerBorn in rural Sierra Leone in 1852, Cole fought his way to Oxford University and
qualified as England’s first black barrister. PAMELA ROBERTS applauds a singular
character who took on some of the west’s most entrenched institutions – and wonAt Oxford he
joined the debating
society, and his
work was applauded
by the renowned
classicist JowettAmazing Lives“Muteastonishmentwasexciteda few
daysagointheLondonBankruptcy
Court,bytheappearancethere,
briefsinhand,withworktodo,ofa
gentlemanofcolour– ofthedarkest
tint.Hewasreceivedbyalltheothermembersofthebar
withthecourtesywhichmightbeexpectedfromEnglish
gentlemen.Hisaddresstothelearnedrecorder,SirThomas
Chambers,formercytowardsa youngoffenderagainst
thelaw,showedanunusualcommandof‘thetongue
thatShakespearespoke’,a felicityofexpression,good
tasteandintellectualforce.”Thusrana document
from 1883 introducingEngland’s first black barrister,
ChristianFrederickCole.
ColewasborninthevillageofWaterloo,intheBritish
colonyofSierraLeone,in1852.Hisparents– Jacob,a
reverend,andMayCole– weredescribedas“anegroand
negressofthepuresttype”.Theyobtainedtheirsona
scholarshiptoattendtheoldestwestern-stylecollegein
sub-SaharanAfrica,FourahBayCollegeinFreetown,
whichwasknownasthe‘Athensof west Africa’ for its high
standardsinLatinandGreek.
AtFourahBay,Colehada rolemodelintheschool’s
principal,ReverendEdwardJones,whohadbeenthefirst
African-AmericantograduatefromtheUS’sAmherst
College.HeencouragedColetoapplyforoneoftheworld’s
mostprestigiousuniversities:Oxford.Cole’sbidwasn’t
unprecedented– anotherFourahalumnus,Africanus
Horton,hadbecomeoneofthefirstblackgraduatesfroma
Britishuniversitywhenhe’dearneda medicaldegreefrom
Edinburghin 1859 – butit wasaudacious.Nevertheless
Coleapplied,andwasacceptedafterpassing‘Responsions’- exams in Greek, Latin,arithmeticandalgebra.
In1872,Cole’sfatherdied,
andhisuncleassumedhis
guardianship.Colearrivedin
Englandin 1873 attheheight
ofBritishcolonialism,amida
prevailingiconologythatdepicted
blackpeopleasaneducationally
inferiorsub-species.Inenrolling
atUniversityCollege– oneof
Oxford’smostvenerablecolleges - toreadforanhonoursdegreein
‘classical moderations’ (classics),
hebecamethefirstblackAfricantostudyattheuniversity.
Cole’sdegreewasdeemedoneofthemostdifficultto
obtain.ThefutureimperialistCecilRhodes,whocame
uptoOxfordinthesameyear,wasrejectedbyUniversity
Collegewhenheappliedfora passdegreeinclassics– an
easierqualification.HeenrolledatOrielCollegeinstead.
Colewasa non-collegiatestudent– anarrangement
thathelpedpoorerstudentswhomightstruggletoafford
collegefees.Helodgedinroomsinthecity,withhisuncle
providingsupportforhisfeesandlivingexpenses.
Hispresenceinevitablyattractedcomment.Onediary
entrybyFlorenceWard,sisterofWilliamWard– bestfriend
oftheIrishplaywrightOscarWilde– is telling.Describing
a promenadeeventatChristChurchinJune1876,Florence
wrote:“IspiedtheNiggerCoal[sic],hairascurlyandskin
asblackasCoal.”TheOxfordChronicle, reportingonthe
1878 Encaeniaceremony(anannualcelebrationofOx-
ford’sfounders),noted:“Someamusementwascausedby
‘ThreeCheersforChristianCole’,a gentlemanofcolour,of
UniversityCollege,whohadenteredtheTheatrea few
momentspreviouslyandwasstandinginthearea.”Fellow
studentColonelThomasHigginbottom reportedly gave
himthenickname‘OldKingCole’.
Colewasalsoanobjectofcuriosityoutsidetheuniversi-
ty.AnOxfordJournalarticleof1877,undertheheading
‘Anegrointheparishchurch’,read:“OnSaturdaylast,the
lessonsinthemorningandeveningservicesintheparish
Churchwerereadbya negro,MrChristianF Cole...Inthe
afternoon,MrColedeliveredanaddressonmissionwork
inSierraLeone,westAfrica.Afterwards,hespoketothe
inmates at the union workhouse on the same topic.”A precariousexistence
Asa memberoftheOxfordUniondebatingsociety,Cole
contestednumeroussubjects,oncearguinginfavourofthe
deathpenalty.Academically,hewasnoidler;hisessays
werecommendedbynolessa figurethanBenjaminJowett
ofBalliol,a renownedtranslatorofPlatowhowouldlater
becometheuniversity’svice-chancellor.Afterfouryearsof
hardstudy,Coleachievedhishonoursdegree,thereby
becominga fullmemberofthecollegein1877.
Byhislastyear,though,Colehadincurreda significant
debtof£200.Hisuncle,witha familyofhisowntosup-
port,hadbeenforcedtoceasehisremittance.Determined
not to lean on his friends for money, Cole looked aroundChristian Frederick Cole
England’s first black barrister
BorninruralSierraLeonein1852,ColefoughthiswaytoOxfordUniversityandqualifiedasEngland’sfirstblackbarrister.PAMELAROBERTSapplaudsa singularcharacter who took on some of the west’s most entrenched institutions – and wonAtOxfordhejoinedthedebatingsociety,andhiswork wasapplaudedbytherenownedclassicist JowettAmazing Lives