28 Facts About Walter Egerton

Sir Walter Egerton, was a British colonial administrator who was Governor of Lagos Colony from 1904 to 1906, Governor of Southern Nigeria from 1906 to 1912, and Governor of British Guiana from 1912 to 1917.

Walter Egerton was admitted to the Middle Temple on 27 April 1888 and was Called to the Bar on 17 June 1896.

Walter Egerton acted as the Colonial Secretary for the Straits Settlements between 1899 and 1901.

Walter Egerton was Resident in the protected state of Negeri Sembilan.

Walter Egerton decided that this was contrary to Sharia law, and that the children belonged to their mothers.

When Walter Egerton became Governor of Lagos Colony in 1903 he already had more than twenty years of experience in the colonial service in the far east.

Walter Egerton became Governor of Lagos Colony, covering most of the Yoruba lands in the southwest of what is Nigeria, in 1903.

On that date the two territories were formally united and Walter Egerton was appointed Governor of the new Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, holding office until 1912.

On taking office, Walter Egerton began a policy of sending out annual pacification patrols, which generally obtained submission through the threat of force without being required to actually use force.

Walter Egerton had a somewhat abrupt manner in his dealings with the Colonial Office.

Walter Egerton favored rail over river transport, and pushed to have the railway further extended to Kano by way of Zaria.

Walter Egerton sponsored extensive road construction, building on the legislative foundation laid by his predecessor Moor which enabled use of unpaid local labor.

Walter Egerton shared Moor's views on the damage that was being done to the Cross River trade by the combination of indigenous middlemen and traders based in Calabar.

The established traders at first got the Colonial Office to pass rules inhibiting competition from traders willing to set up bases further inland, but with some difficulty Walter Egerton persuaded the officials to reverse their ruling.

Walter Egerton believed in deficit financing at certain periods of a colony's growth, which was reflected in his budgets from 1906 to 1912.

Walter Egerton had a constant struggle to obtain approval for these budgets from the colonial office.

Walter Egerton endorsed the development of rubber plantations, a concept familiar to him from his time in Malaya, and arranged for land to be leased for this purpose.

Walter Egerton thought there could be great potential in the tin fields near Bauchi, and thought that if proven a branch line to the tin fields would be justified.

Walter Egerton came into conflict with the administration of Northern Nigeria on a number of issues.

Walter Egerton had reason on his side in objecting to the proposed line terminating at Baro on the Niger, since navigation southward to the coast was restricted to the high water season, and even then was uncertain.

Walter Egerton's administration imposed policies that tended towards segregation of Europeans and Africans.

Walter Egerton himself did not always approve of these policies, and they were not strictly upheld.

The legal relationship between the Lagos government and the Yoruba states of the Lagos Colony was not clear, and it was not until 1908 that Walter Egerton persuaded the Obas to accept the establishment of the Supreme Court in the main towns.

In 1912, Walter Egerton was replaced by Frederick Lugard, who was appointed Governor-General of both Southern and Northern Nigeria with the mandate to unite the two.

Walter Egerton was Governor of British Guiana from 1912 until 1917.

In May 1914 it was reported that Walter Egerton had a plan to build a railway from the coast to the Brazilian border, a distance of 340 miles.

Walter Egerton was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in November 1901, and in 1905 became a Knight Commander of the same order.

Walter Egerton's wife died on 20 December 1934, and Egerton survived her until 22 March 1947.