Returned Exile - by Margaret D Rouse-Jones & Estelle M Appiah (Paperback)

About the Book

This is the first full-length biography of George James Christian. Originally from Dominica, Christian qualified as a barrister-at-law in London, participated in the first pan-African conference and migrated to the Gold Coast in 1902 where he made his home and developed a complex extended family.

Book Synopsis

This is the first full-length biography of George James Christian. Originally from Dominica, Christian qualified as a barrister-at-law in London, participated in the first pan-African conference and migrated to the Gold Coast in 1902 where he made his home and developed a complex extended family. He ensured that his children were well educated and they followed his tradition of service to the community. Shortly after his arrival in the Gold Coast, he established a legal practice that successfully served a wide range of clients. His friendship with the renowned Dr James Kwegyir Aggrey, as expressed in their correspondence during the establishment of Achimota College, together with a discussion of the experience of Christian's children as staff and students there, provide fresh data on this important Ghanaian institution. The book also sheds light on Christian's service in the Legislative Council, his role as honorary consul for Liberia, his involvement as a Freemason, businessman and philanthropist.

Review Quotes

"This book illuminates an important dimension of the African experience - returnees from the British West Indies to West Africa. While not entirely overlooked in the historiography, the theme has always lacked adequate biographies. This, therefore, is a welcome addition. It has the additional value that it employs the career of George Christian to illuminate a broader community of English Caribbean professionals who made sterling contributions to the political and economic development of Ghana."
--Franklin W. Knight, Leonard and Helen R. Stulman Professor Emeritus and Academy Professor, Johns Hopkins University