for other sources of income. He was a talented musician,
and for a while he taught music to undergraduates, among
them the Dean of Winchester’s children. He also taught
Responsions, as well as preparing students for the div-
inity exam, which they had to pass to graduate.
However, his attempts to secure sufficient income
proved too precarious, and Cole was forced to seek the
assistance of the master of University College, George
Granville Bradley. Bradley produced a circular requesting
aid to relieve Cole, stating “the absence of extravagance in
his expenditure” and noting that “the exceptional nature
of Mr Cole deserves and calls for the sympathy of and
assistance of those in Oxford in which he lived with so
much credit to himself ”. University College alumnus
Herbert Gladstone, son of former prime minister William
Ewart Gladstone, also backed the circular, but despite their
efforts Cole was forced to return home.
Cole wouldn’t be exiled from Britain for long. By 1879,
his friends in Sierra Leone had raised enough funds for
him to return to London, where he pursued his dream of a
career in the law. It was a dream he realised. In September
1879, Cole became the first black African member of the
Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, one of London’s
four prestigious Inns of Court. Then, after four more yearsof study, he achieved another significant landmark: he was
called to the bar as the first African barrister to practise in
the English courts.
It had been a long journey from the village of Waterloo
to the imperial capital, but Cole remained keenly aware of
his African roots. While in Sierra Leone, he had been
drawn to pan-Africanism, which advocated the political
union of all the indigenous inhabitants of the continent.
Now, back in Britain, his developing political conscious-
ness manifested itself in a poem, Reflections on the Zulu
War, and a pamphlet, What Do Men Say About Negros?,
in which he responded to the author and lawyer Frederic
Edward Weatherly’s criticism of Africans.
Despite being called to the bar, Cole was unable to secure
any chambers in Britain and so secured a role as a barrister
at the consular court of Sayyid Barghash bin Said Al-Busaid
in Zanzibar. His success was short-lived. Just a year later,
Cole contracted smallpox and died on 7 December 1885,
aged 33. In his brief life, he had navigated the racial and
cultural barriers of Victorian Britain
to carve out two historic firsts. His
untimely death curtailed any further
achievements this remarkable man
may have attained.Pamela Roberts is a historian and
the author of Black Oxford: The Untold
Stories of Oxford University’s Black
Scholars (Signal, 2013)ILLUSTRATION BY ELEANOR SHAKESPEARE
PORTRAIT OF CHRISTIAN COLE: BODLEIAN LIBRARYforothersourcesofincome.Hewasa talentedmusician,
andfora whilehetaughtmusictoundergraduates,among
themtheDeanofWinchester’schildren.Healsotaught
Responsions,aswellaspreparingstudentsforthediv-
inityexam,whichtheyhadtopasstograduate.
However,hisattemptstosecuresufficientincome
provedtooprecarious,andColewasforcedtoseekthe
assistanceofthemasterofUniversityCollege,George
GranvilleBradley.Bradleyproduceda circularrequesting
aidtorelieveCole,stating“theabsenceofextravagancein
hisexpenditure”andnotingthat“theexceptionalnature
ofMrColedeservesandcallsforthesympathyofand
assistanceofthoseinOxfordinwhichhelivedwithso
muchcredittohimself ”.UniversityCollegealumnus
HerbertGladstone,sonofformerprimeministerWilliam
EwartGladstone,alsobackedthecircular,but despite their
effortsColewasforcedtoreturnhome.
Colewouldn’tbeexiledfromBritainforlong.By1879,
hisfriendsinSierraLeonehadraisedenoughfundsfor
himtoreturntoLondon,wherehepursuedhisdreamofa
careerinthelaw.It wasa dreamherealised.InSeptember
1879,ColebecamethefirstblackAfricanmemberofthe
HonourableSocietyoftheInnerTemple,oneofLondon’s
four prestigious Inns of Court. Then, after four more yearsofstudy,heachievedanothersignificantlandmark:hewas
calledtothebarasthefirst African barrister to practise in
theEnglishcourts.
It hadbeena longjourneyfromthevillageofWaterloo
totheimperialcapital,butColeremainedkeenlyawareof
hisAfricanroots.WhileinSierraLeone,hehadbeen
drawntopan-Africanism,whichadvocatedthepolitical
unionofalltheindigenousinhabitantsofthecontinent.
Now,backinBritain,hisdevelopingpoliticalconscious-
nessmanifesteditselfina poem,ReflectionsontheZulu
War, anda pamphlet,WhatDoMenSayAboutNegros?,
inwhichherespondedtotheauthorandlawyer Frederic
EdwardWeatherly’scriticismofAfricans.
Despitebeingcalledtothebar,Colewasunabletosecure
anychambersinBritainandsosecureda roleasa barrister
attheconsularcourtofSayyidBarghashbinSaidAl-Busaid
inZanzibar.Hissuccesswasshort-lived.Justa yearlater,
Colecontractedsmallpoxanddiedon7 December1885,
aged33.Inhisbrieflife,hehadnavigated the racial and
culturalbarriersofVictorianBritain
tocarveouttwohistoricfirsts.His
untimelydeathcurtailedanyfurther
achievementsthisremarkable man
may have attained.PamelaRobertsis a historianand
theauthorofBlackOxford:TheUntold
StoriesofOxfordUniversity’s Black
Scholars (Signal, 2013)ILLUSTRATIONBYELEANOR SHAKESPEAREPORTRAIT OF CHRISTIAN COLE: BODLEIAN LIBRARY