Dates

• Existence: 1847 - 1916

Biography

Thomas Joshua Alldridge was born in 1847, the son of R.W. Alldridge. He was educated at the City of London School and Blackheath Proprietary School. From 1871 to 1872 he was the acting U.S. Consular Agent, Sierra Leone. For several years Alldridge was Randall and Fisher's agent on York Island. From November 1889 to 1894 he was in the Sherbo hinterland as a Travelling Commissioner, with duties relating to treaty making with Protectorate chiefs on behalf of the colonial government. In 1890 he made an extended trip into the hinterland from Sulima to Pendeme. From 1894 to 1905 he was District Commissioner of Sherbro. He went on a special mission to Sama country in 1894. He accompanied Governor Cardew as topographical and astronomical observer on a trip of 617 miles into the interior. In 1900 he was awarded the Cuthbert Peek grant for geographical work in Sierra Leone. He was the Honorary Correspondent Secretary, Sierra Leone, for the Royal Colonial Institute. Alldridge died on 28th June 1916.

Likenesses: see RCS Y30446F/1 and RCS R.C.I. 3/164.

Alldridge photographed scenery, people and the economic productions of Sierra Leone. Many of his prints are reproduced in his published works:

Alldridge, T. J. (1901), 'The Sherbro and its Hinterland', [S.l.] : Macmillan and Co.

Alldridge, T. J. (1910), 'A transformed colony : Sierra Leone as it was and as it is', London.

Sources:

Abraham, Arthur (1978), 'Mende government and politics under colonial rule', Freetown: Sierra Leone University Press; Oxford: Distributed by Oxford University Press.

Fyfe, Christopher (1962), 'A history of Sierra Leone', London: Oxford University Press.

Services of colonial officers 1907.

Sierra Leone Blue Books.

'Who was who' (1992). Fifth edition, volume 2 -1916-1928. London: A. and C. Black Ltd.

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