British Empire Article

Margery Perham

Margery Perham became a famous 'Africanist'. She became active in lobbying on colonial affairs, defending the High Commission territories and championing 'indirect rule'. She did much to promote the notion that colonial administration should simply provide a scaffolding, to be removed in due time, within which indigenous institutions could grow.
Her published works include Native Administration in Nigeria (London, Oxford University Press, 1937) and Lugard... The life of Frederick Dealtry Lugard (London, Collins, 1956), West African Passage: a journey through Nigeria, Chad, and the Cameroons, 1931-1932 ed. A.H.M. Kirk-Greene (London, Peter Owen, 1983), and Pacific prelude. a journey to Samoa and Australasia, 1929 ed. A.H.M. Kirk-Greene (London, Owen, 1988). She also helped plan the project which emerged as An African Survey: A study of problems arising in Africa south of the Saharaby Lord Hailey, etc. (London, Oxford University Press, 1938).
C Brad Faught has written a biography of her entitled: to Africa: The Imperial Life Of Margery Perham
Image courtesy of Oxford Today