My
name is Victor Hepplethwaite. I am Zambian born in 1953. I am of mixed
race i.e. my paternal grandfather was English and other grand parents blacks.
My grandfather's name was Christopher John Heblethwaite (with one "b").
He was in Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia) between 1906 and 1910. He served
as a District Commissioner at a place in Barotseland (now Western Province
of Zambia).
He
had two children with my grandmother viz:
Kefu Richard Hepplethwaite, born 1908
Mary Getrude Hepplethwaite, born 1910.
He
resigned from the Colonial Service in 1910 after it was found out he had
children with a local woman. In those days the Service was intolerant of
British government officers having relations with blacks. Upon resignation
he moved on to Congo presumably as an Administrator as he possessed a degree
in Law and Languages (French). This was a requisite qualification for serving
in the Colonial Service.
He
was compelled to leave the two children behind. Their mother subsequently
left them as well and the District Officials sent them to a christian orphanage
in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). It is at this point that the name
Heblethwaite was changed to Hepplethwaite by the orphanage officials, presumably
by error. We have thus retained the name Hepplethwaite. I hope it means
the same thing.
My
grandfather's records are in the Zambian Government archives which record
his stay in Zambia, his resignation, his moving to Congo and his dying
in action in Cameroun/Nigeia on 7 April 1915 (First World War). Cameroun
was then a German Colony hence the military action. On his death certificate
Hebblethwaite rather than Heblethwaite was recorded.
Whilst
in London in 1992, I actually found a lead to the record of his parents/birth
details (in St. Catherine's) but could not proceed further with my research
as I had to return to Zambia. He was born between 1874 and 1884. A search
in St. Catherine's would give the exact date and place of birth as well
as details of his parents.
The
Hepplethwaites in Zambia and Zimbabwe a quite a sizable "tribe" numbering
over forty progeny.
Since
posting the above details, Victor has added the following:
Christopher
John Hebblethwaite was born 1 April 1884 in Victoria Park, district of
Wavertree, county of Lancashire (now Merseyside). His father was
John Herbet Heblethwaite, Cash Broker, presumably from the same area, and
his mother was Sarah Jane Butler. |