Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The important ‘Nyasaland’ campaign group of four awarded to Lieutenant A. G. Sherwell, 1st King’s African Rifles, who was employed as Assistant Resident in the Colonial Legal Service and played a prominent role in putting down the Chilembwe Rebellion of 1915. He was subsequently appointed Assistant Advocate General in Khartoum in 1928, and then President of the District Court, Palestine, where he served as a judge in Haifa and Jerusalem

Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Nyasaland 1915 (Lieut: A. G. Sherwell. Depot Coy 1/K.A.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Lieut. A. G. Sherwell.); Coronation 1937, unnamed as issued, mounted as originally worn, with riband bar, nearly extremely fine (4) £800-£1,200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from an Africa Collection.

View
Collection

Arnold Guy Sherwell was born in London in 1891, and was the son of J. W. Sherwell, who was the Clerk to the Guild of Saddle Makers, City of London. Sherwell was educated at St. Edward’s School, Oxford and Brasenose College, Oxford. He was a useful boxer during his time at the latter, and graduated in August 1914 to become a barrister (Inner Temple) on the South Eastern Circuit and Central Criminal Court.

Sherwell was appointed an assistant resident with the Colonial Legal Service in Nyasaland in late 1914. He was present, and active in this role during the Chilembwe Rebellion of 1915. John Chilembwe was a Baptist pastor who preached resistance to colonialism, and incited a rebellion in January of that year. The plan to create a widespread rebelling largely failed, and devolved mainly on to Chilembwe’s congregation of around 200 men. The planned attack on European estates was largely one on the Bruce estates, where William Jervis Livingstone was killed and beheaded and two other European employees killed. Three African men were also killed by the rebels; a European-run mission was set on fire, a missionary was severely wounded and a girl died in the fire. Apart from this girl, all the dead and injured were men, as Chilembwe had ordered that women should not be harmed. On 24 January, which was a Sunday, Chilembwe conducted a service in the P.I.M. church with Livingstone’s impaled head prominently displayed. However, by 26 January he realised that the uprising had failed to gain local support. After avoiding attempts to capture him and apparently trying to escape into Mozambique, he was tracked down and killed by an askari military patrol on 3 February.

As with all such things, there are at least two sides to the story:

‘It is said that after his farewell, Chilembwe tore apart a white cloth and wrote words of surrender on it. The night before, he had handed in a letter to Isaac Chambo addressed to the Resident at Chiradzulu. This day he gave him the white cloth shaped into a flag and instructed him to lead the women and children to the resident and sue for peace. He assured the women that the Europeans would not kill them. He had treated white women and children kindly.

Isaac Chambo left for the Chiradzulu boma, the white flag raised high on a pole. Following were fifty-two women and twenty-four children, including Mrs Chilembwe and her two children as well as four other youths. Before they had gone far security forces approached them, fully armed. They were under the command of A. G. Sherwell, to whom Chambo handed Chilembwe’s letter. Sherwell asked where Chilembwe himself was. Chambo said he did not know; that the letter and the flag had been sent to him through a third party. The lieutenant was undeceived. He ordered the soldiers to bind Chambo with ropes against a tree. And Chambo was warned if he did not say where Chilembwe was, he would be shot. Chambo again said he had not seen Chilembwe for several days. Another young man was also tied to a tree. Soldiers were detailed to shoot but at that time another white officer arrived. He ordered the two men to be freed. The soldiers and captives then went back to Michezime village where Chilembwe had been left sitting.

As they drew near the village Sherwell put up his telescope and approached it more cautiously. He was afraid in case any army of his own followers protected Chilembwe. Just at that very moment Chilembwe and his nephew saw the security forces. They entered the house by the front door and left by the back door, closing it behind them. The army surrounded the house, thinking Chilembwe had locked himself inside. But Chilembwe had escaped into the bush.’ (The Church History of Providence Industrial Mission by P. Makondesa refers)

Sherwell himself chose to write the following letter to the editors of the St. Edward’s School Chronicle, which was published in July 1922:

‘It is always a pleasure to see the Chronicle, and it is interesting to me as an ex-acting magistrate of Nyasaland to read Dudley Smith’s letter. I know Nyasaland pretty well ‘all ways and in every way.’.... I know Smith’s country well as it was not so far from his place that the Chilembwe Rebellion occurred in 1915, in which I had the diversion of rounding up the rebels and capturing the corpse of the rebel (some police patrol in my charge met and shot him in flight) and his unfortunate wife. I say ‘unfortunate’ in that she was a puppet of his, and forced to ape the European against her inclination, and her instincts and upbringing.

My own experience is that the planters are unjustifiably down on the Government on most occasions. Usually the local D.C. or A.D.C. has a great deal to contend with in regards to the funds at his disposal for Public Works etc. After all it has been the planter who exploited the country and the native, and in regard to the returns obtained by such exploitation the planter pays very little to the local treasury or the native for their assistance. I think one cannot have a better testimonial to the Colonial Government than the fact that ‘everyone seems agin it.’ It almost merits criticism! I spent 21 months alone, except for natives. I think this also speaks to the credit of the native administration. My district was 4,500 square miles roughly and the native population was about 40,000 to the one European.

I apologise for rambling on like this, but the letter brings back interesting and happy memories, as I had about the last piece of real pioneer work to do after this country ceased to be a Protectorate.

The scarcely improved it, for the time being, and rather applied in somewhat summary many a very intensive education to the locals which can scarcely be without its dangers, and these may mature in ugly form where many years pass, as is evidenced by the recent happenings in Kenya Colony...’

Sherwell lectured at the LSE, prior to being appointed Assistant Advocate General in Khartoum in 1928. He was appointed a government advocate in 1929, and then President of the District Court, Palestine, where he served as a judge in Haifa and Jerusalem. He died in Jerusalem, where he is buried, in February 1942.

John Chilembwe is today celebrated as a hero of independence in modern day Malawi, and ‘John Chilembwe Day’ is observed there annually on 15 January.

Sold with copied research.