John Naimbanna (1768–1793) was a Temne Prince who visited London in 1791–1793.He was the son of Nemgbana, the regent of the Koya Temne. He met an untimely death after being educated in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, where he was known as Prince Naimbana. He had anticipated becoming a missionary in his homeland but died on his return. John was the son of

Naimbanna II Naimbanna II (c. 1720 – 11 November 1793) was Obai (King) of the Temne people of Sierra Leone. He was known to be a kind ruler. In 1786, the British government agreed to help the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor in relocating freed Af ...

, the

Obai The Kingdom of Kquoja or Koya or Koya Temne, or the Temne Kingdom (1505–1896), was a pre-colonial African state in the north of present-day Sierra Leone. The kingdom was founded by the Temne ethnic group in or around 1505 by migrants from th ...

(King) of the Temne people of Robanna, near

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

. The king had three sons and resolved to send one each to

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Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

to study

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

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and

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

respectively. Thus in 1791 John was sent to

on the small merchant sloop ''Lapwing''. There he came under the tutelage of the reformer Henry Thornton. While in London he became a Christian, adopting the forenames Henry and Granville to honour Henry Thornton and

Granville Sharp Granville Sharp (10 November 1735 – 6 July 1813) was an English scholar, philanthropist and one of the first campaigners for the Abolitionism in the United Kingdom, abolition of the slave trade in Britain. Born in Durham, England, Durham, he ...

Early life

John Frederick Nemgbana, also known as the Black Prince, was sent to England for education in 1791, funded by the

Company. His elder brother, Pedro, also known as Bartholomew, had previously been educated in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. During his voyage, Nemgbana was accompanied by Alexander Falconbridge, an agent of the company. Falconbridge’s wife, Anna Maria, who would later write Narrative of Two Voyages to the River Sierra Leone (1794), took it upon herself to teach him reading and writing, recognizing his intelligence

Influence in England

Upon arriving in England, Nemgbana caught the attention of Granville Sharp, a prominent abolitionist and Member of Parliament. Sharp, who was also the founder of the Province of Freedom for freed slaves, arranged for Nemgbana’s education under a Church of England clergyman, certified by two bishops. The hope was that Nemgbana would become as beneficial to Africa as historical figures like Alfred and Peter had been to their nations. His virtues were highlighted in a pamphlet titled The African Prince, which depicted him rejecting an inappropriate book.

Return To Sierra Leone And His Death

John Frederick’s father, the regent, died in February 1793. Later that year, Nemgbana returned to

with aspirations of preaching the gospel and converting others. However, upon his arrival in Freetown, he was found gravely ill and soon died, having contracted an illness during his return journey. His brother Pedro alleged that John Frederick had been poisoned to prevent him from disclosing secrets about the white men to his fellow countrymen. This accusation led to a prolonged dispute between the ship’s captain and the family, further complicating the circumstances surrounding Nemgbana’s death. Naimbanna died of unknown causes in July 1793.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Naimbanna, John 1793 deaths Year of birth unknown Temne people Black British history 1768 births