Gilbert Thomas Carter
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Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter (also Gilbert-Carter) (14 January 1848 – 18 January 1927) was an administrative officer in the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
and a colonial official for the
British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
. Starting as a Collector of
Customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...
for the Gold Coast, he then became a
Treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...
of the Gold Coast and
the Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
. Moving on to colonial administration, he started as the
Administrator Administrator or admin may refer to: Job roles Computing and internet * Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database * Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum * N ...
for the Gambia, where he dealt with the aggression of the native king of Gambia. His next post was as
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
for the
Lagos Colony Lagos Colony was a British Empire, British colonial possession centred on the port of Lagos in what is now southern Nigeria. Lagos was Lagos Treaty of Cession, annexed on 6 August 1861 under the threat of force by Commander Beddingfield of HMS ...
where he negotiated treaties with the local chiefs which protected Christian missionaries and ending human sacrifies. He later served as the Governor for
The Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of ...
and
Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
and finally as the Governor for
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
.


Early life and Naval career

Carter was born in Topsham, Devon in 1848. He was the only son of
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
Thomas Gilbert Carter ( R.N.). He was educated at the
Royal Hospital School The Royal Hospital School (also known as "RHS" and historically nicknamed "The Cradle of the Navy") is a British co-educational fee-charging international boarding and day school with naval traditions. The school admits pupils aged 11 to 18 ...
in
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. Carter joined the Royal Navy in 1864, serving as an Assistant Clerk on , being transferred in 1866 to . On 5 July 1866, Carter was promoted to Clerk, while still serving on HMS ''Malacca''. Between 1867 and 1869, he served on a variety of ships as a clerk, until 1 December 1869 (while serving on ), when he was promoted to Assistant Paymaster (being added to the
Navy Directory A Navy Directory, Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a co ...
). Following a posting to for the first nine months of 1870, Carter's final posting was to the Colonial steamer ''Sherbro'' from August 1870. During his time on ''Sherbro'', he was involved with the Third Anglo–Ashanto War on the Gold Coast. When
Elmina Elmina ( Fante: ''Edina'') is a town and the capital of the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem District on the south coast of Ghana in the Central Region. It is situated on a bay on the Atlantic Ocean, west of Cape Coast.Straight line distances ...
was sold to the British by the Dutch Government, he was a
commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...
, responsible for valuing the stores and ordnance left behind by the Dutch. He married Susan Laura Hocker, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Hocker, in 1874 (later having 3 sons and 2 daughters — his second son
Humphrey Humphrey is both a masculine given name and a surname. An earlier form, not attested since Medieval times, was Hunfrid. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Medieval period :''Ordered chronologically'' *Hunfrid of Pr ...
1884–1969 was the first Director of the
Cambridge University Botanic Garden The Cambridge University Botanic Garden is a botanical garden located in Cambridge, England, associated with the university Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Department of Plant Sciences (formerly Botany School). It lies be ...
). Lady Carter died in 1895. He retired from the Navy on 21 July 1875.


Initial Postings

Carter became the private secretary to Sir
George Berkeley George Berkeley ( ; 12 March 168514 January 1753), known as Bishop Berkeley (Bishop of Cloyne of the Anglican Church of Ireland), was an Anglo-Irish philosopher, writer, and clergyman who is regarded as the founder of "immaterialism", a philos ...
, Governor of the
Leeward Islands The Leeward Islands () are a group of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. Starting with the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico, they extend southeast to Guadeloupe and its dependencies. In Engl ...
, in 1875. In August 1879, he was appointed Collector of
Customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...
and
Treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...
of the Gold Coast, an appointment he kept until 1882.


The Gambia

From 1882 until December 1888, Carter administered the Settlement on
the Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
as a Treasurer and Postmaster. From 1886, he was acting
Administrator Administrator or admin may refer to: Job roles Computing and internet * Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database * Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum * N ...
of the Colony of the Gambia, and on 1 December 1888 he was appointed Administrator on that colony's separation from Sierra Leone. His term saw the signing of the Anglo-French Convention of 1889, which formalized the boundary between Gambia and
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
. Carter was therefore tasked with establishing a boundary commission and imposing British power and law on the
Protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...
and its various local rulers. This was a reversal from the decades-old policy against colonial expansion. In particular, he attempted to protect British-aligned towns from raiding by
Fode Kaba Fodé Kaba Doumbouya, also spelled Dumbuya, was a Diakhanke marabout in the 19th century, one of the leaders resisting French and British colonial expansion in Senegambia. Early life Fode Kaba Doumbouya was born in 1818 in Goumbel in Boundou, i ...
and
Musa Molo Mussa Moloh (mid to late 1800s-1931), also written as Musa or Moussa Molo was the last king of Fuladu in the Senegambia region. A ruthless and powerful ruler, he played different colonial powers off of each other for decades before being defeated ...
, who were often at odds with each other. While working in the Gambia, he was appointed
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...
(CMG) on 1 January 1890.


Lagos (Nigeria)

Carter was appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the
Colony of Lagos Lagos Colony was a British colonial possession centred on the port of Lagos in what is now southern Nigeria. Lagos was annexed on 6 August 1861 under the threat of force by Commander Beddingfield of HMS ''Prometheus'' who was accompanied by th ...
on 3 February 1891. Carter ordered an attack on the Ijebu "in the interest of civilization" in 1892. Afterwards, he continued to justify this attack as a war to end slavery and promote civilization. Carter travelled to various parts of
Yorubaland Yorubaland () is the homeland and cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa. It spans the modern-day countries of Nigeria, Togo and Benin, and covers a total land area of . Of this land area, 106,016 km2 (74.6%) lies within Niger ...
, accompanied by soldiers, in an attempt to demonstrate the might of the British. Carter was not well received at Oyo, and the
Egba The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is the Brussels-based trade association representing the leading online gambling operators established, licensed and regulated within the EU. EGBA works together with national and EU authorities ...
chiefs advised him not to interfere with slavery, while the
Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the List of Nigerian cities by population, third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano (city), Kano, with a total populatio ...
chiefs said they were afraid that their slaves would "assert their freedom by running to the
Resident Resident may refer to: People and functions * Resident minister, a representative of a government in a foreign country * Resident (medicine), a stage of postgraduate medical training * Resident (pharmacy), a stage of postgraduate pharmaceut ...
" – and they refused to sign a treaty with Carter that would impose a Resident on the city. However, in January 1893 the Egba chiefs signed a Treaty of Independence with the British Government. It was agreed that freedom of trade between the Egba Nation and Lagos was to be guaranteed by the British Government, in return for which no road would be closed without the approval of the Governor. They further agreed that complete protection and "every assistance and encouragement" would be afforded to all Christian ministers. The Crown agreed that "no annexation on any portion of Egba Nation shall be made by her Majesty's Government without the consent of the lawful authorities of the nation, no aggressive action shall be taken against the said nation and its independence shall be fully recognized." The Egba chiefs further promised to abolish human sacrifices. He was promoted
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...
(KCMG) on 3 June 1893, "in recognition of his services in conducting a mission to the Yoruba country which resulted in the negotiation of important treaties and brought to an end a long-standing war." Carter was given Ife works of art in 1896 by the recently crowned King of Ife, Adelekan, in the hopes that a decision in his favour would be made about the resettlement of
Modakeke Modakeke is a town near Ile-Ife in Osun State, South West Nigeria, with a population of about 120,000 people. The Modakekes are also known as the "Akoraye" and have a history of valor at war and are prosperous farmers. A sub-hub or community under ...
residents outside the city. These works (including three known as the ''Ife marbles''), were sent by Carter to Europe. While serving in Lagos, Lady Carter, his first wife, died on 13 January 1895, shortly after arriving in Lagos. The
Carter Bridge Carter Bridge built in 1901 is one of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, the other are the Third Mainland and Eko bridges. At the time of its construction, this was the only bridge connection between the mainland and Lagos I ...
, first built in 1901 and linking
Lagos Island Lagos Island () is the principal and central Local government areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos, Nigeria. It was the capital of Lagos State until 1957. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian ce ...
with
Iddo Island Iddo Island is a district in Lagos Mainland LGA of Lagos. Opposite Lagos Island, Iddo used to be an island, but due to land reclamation, is now part of the rest of Lagos Mainland. Iddo Island is connected to Lagos Island by the Eko Bridge and ...
, was named after him.


Later life, retirement and death

Carter was transferred to Bahamas as Governor and Commander-in-Chief in 1898, and after a temporary transfer to Trinidad, in July 1904 he was transferred to the Barbados as Governor and Commander-in-Chief. Carter met an American artist (see Stamp) from Boston, Gertrude Codman Parker (6 February 1875 – 12 November 1953, Boston), in the spring of 1903 when she was travelling in the Bahamas with her parents, Francis Vose Parker and his wife. She became his second wife on 25 August 1903, when they were married in the Church of the Advent in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
and had a son, John Codman Carter. Carter continued working in senior colonial positions — being appointed the
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
and Commander-in-Chief of the Island of
Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
and its Dependencies in 1904, and as
Administrator of the Government An administrator (administrator of the government or officer administering the government) in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth is a person who fulfils a role similar to that of a governor or a governor-general. ...
of the Colony of
Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
, and its Dependencies in the absence of the Governor from 1907 until 1910, whereupon he retired. In 1919, he changed his surname to ''Gilbert-Carter''. In the early 1920s, he moved back to Barbados, and lived at Ilaro Court, which had been designed and built by Lady Gilbert Carter. He died there on 18 January 1927. When his will was
probate In common law jurisdictions, probate is the judicial process whereby a will is "proved" in a court of law and accepted as a valid public document that is the true last testament of the deceased; or whereby, in the absence of a legal will, the e ...
d on 22 March of that year, the total value of his effects was £6859 9s 11d.


References


Bibliography

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External links


Carter Coat of Arms
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Gilbert Thomas British governors of the Bahamas Governors of Barbados Governors of the Gambia Gold Coast (British colony) people British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Ashanti War Royal Navy logistics officers 1848 births 1927 deaths Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Governors of the Lagos Colony