108 x 143 mm. A half-length studio portrait of John William Colenso (1814-1883) taken in Durban in 1882.

Colenso, born of a poor family in St. Austell, showed a marked aptitude for mathematics and had a brilliant student career at St. John's Cambridge to which college he was elected a fellow. From 1838-42 he was a tutor of mathematics at Harrow and after his marriage in 1846 held a living in Norfolk. He was appointed Bishop of Natal and Zululand in 1853 and arrived permanently in Natal in 1855. A remarkable scholar of the Zulu language, Colenso's achievements in this field were overshadowed in contemporary eyes by his controversial interpretation of the scriptures and his advocacy of Zulu rights. His heretical teachings culminated in his excommunication from his See in 1863, but this verdict was overturned on appeal. A fervent supporter of Cetshwayo, Colenso's support played a great part in his reinstatement to the Zulu kingship.