Sherbro Tuckers
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Tuckers of Sherbro are an Afro-European clan from the Southern region of
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 clan's progenitors were an
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
trader and agent, John Tucker, and a Sherbro princess. Starting in the 17th century, the Tuckers ruled over one of the most powerful chiefdoms in the Sherbro country of Southern Sierra Leone, centered on the village of Gbap.


Clan History

In the 1620s, there were a number of European agents in the Sherbro region of Sierra Leone; these traders were looking for camwood, ivory, and other such items, and traded with the locals. They were also looking for slaves to fulfill a growing demand for slave labor in European colonies in the Americas. In the late 17th century, the Gambia Adventurers and the
Royal African Company The Royal African Company (RAC) was an English trading company established in 1660 by the House of Stuart and City of London merchants to trade along the West African coast. It was overseen by the Duke of York, the brother of Charles II of Eng ...
began sending many agents to the region. In 1665, an agent in the service of the Gambia Adventurers called John Tucker left England and went to Sierra Leone alongside Zachary Rogers (progenitor of the Afro-European clan the Rogers). Upon arriving in Sherbro Country, John Tucker and Zachary Rogers took the daughters of a Sherbro chief as their wives as was customary in order to gain trading rights in the region. Being a matrilineal society, the descendants of John Tucker were able to maintain claims to the chieftaincy throne. The children of John Tucker and the Sherbro princess gained control of their mother's kingdom and utilised their father's name. Politically, the Tuckers would become one of the most influential and prominent Sherbro families during the 17th and 18th centuries, and were able to expand their powerful chiefdom into other territories. Although they maintained European connections (some of them going to England to attend school), they remained thoroughly 'Africanised' taking part in local cultural institutions such as the
Poro The Poro, or Purrah or Purroh, is a men's secret society in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast, introduced by the Mane people (the Mandé peoples, Mande Elites leading large-scale migrations from the Mali Empire into the southern ...
society. It was only through such local institutions that they were able to gain control over more territory. Besides maintaining claims to chieftaincy, some Tucker descendants became powerful traders and middlemen between African and European business interests. Their strong ties to European culture and language helped them expand their influence over the Sherbro trade industry. Particularly in the Southern Sierra Leone
slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...
, members of Afro-European clans such as the Rogers, the Caulkers, and the Tuckers played an integral role as middlemen, allowing them to accumulate material wealth as an emergent merchant class. In the mid-19th Century, elements of the
American Missionary Association The American Missionary Association (AMA) was a Protestant-based abolitionist group founded on in Albany, New York. The main purpose of the organization was abolition of slavery, education of African Americans, promotion of racial equality, and ...
moved to the
colony of Sierra Leone The Colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone (informally British Sierra Leone) was the British colonial administration in Sierra Leone from 1808 to 1961, part of the British Empire from the Abolitionism in the United Kingdom, abolitionism era un ...
, evangelizing in the Hinterland, with a zeal spurred on by the
Amistad Revolt Amistad ("friendship" in Spanish) may refer to: Places * Amistad, New Mexico, US * Amistad, Texas, US * Amistad National Recreation Area, including the Amistad Reservoir, Texas *Amistad Reservoir, a reservoir on the Rio Grande near Del Rio, Texas ...
. On land granted to Sengbe Pieh and the ''
La Amistad ''La Amistad'' (; Spanish for ''The Friendship'') was a 19th-century two-masted schooner owned by a Spaniard living in Cuba. It became renowned in July 1839 for a slave revolt by Mende captives who had been captured and sold to European slav ...
'' returnees, the association would go on to establish an American Mission School in territory under the control of Sherbro Chief Harry Tucker. Graduates of such schools would go on to secondary schools such as
Albert Academy The Albert Academy (AA) is a High school, secondary school in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The school's motto is ''Esse Quam Vederi'' (Rather to be than to Seem). It is situated at Berry Street in Freetown. AA students have also been referred to as ...
and The
Harford School for Girls Harford Secondary School for Girls is a secondary school for girls in Moyamba, Sierra Leone. History The roots of the school lie in the Mary Sowers School for Girls, founded by Church of the United Brethren in Christ, United Brethren in Christ (UB ...
in Moyamba. After receiving a Western education at such schools locally, hinterland youth, including many Tucker descendants would become integrated into the colonial government apparatus. Along with Freetown's Krios, such Western-educated hinterland youth would also help in the negotiations of Sierra Leone's independence.


Notable Tuckers

*
Thomas DeSaille Tucker Thomas DeSaille Tucker or Thomas DeSaliere Tucker (July 21, 1844 – 1903) was an African-born lawyer, educator, and missionary. He was the first president of the State Normal College for Colored Students, which eventually became Florida Agricu ...
; educator, lawyer, and co-founder of Florida A&M University. *Francis Tucker; Chicago IL


References

{{Reflist


Further reading

Tucker, Peter L. ''The Tuckers of Sierra Leone, 1665-1914'' Sherbro people