Papers of Sir John Smith Moffat

Single Item

MSS. Afr. s. 2523

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Papers, 1954-1964, of Sir John Smith Moffat concerning proposed constitutional changes in Northern Rhodesia and the Monckton Commission. Comprises

(file 1) correspondence, 1955-1962, including letters from Viscount Malvern (Godfrey Huggins), Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Sir Arthur Benson, Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Sir Evelyn Hone, Governor of Northern Rhodesia, Hugh Gaitskell and Garfield Todd. Includes evidence submitted to the Monckton Commission by Moffat and Hardwicke Holderness.
(file 2) background material, 1954-1964, including speeches and papers by Moffat, leaflets of Northern Rhodesian political parties and one photograph

Dates

Creation: 1954-1964

Extent

1 box

Language of Materials

English

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MSS. Afr. s. 2523].

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Shelfmark:

MSS. Afr. s. 2523

Collection ID (for staff)

CMD ID 12186

Additional Description

Abstract

Papers of Sir John Smith Moffat

Biographical / Historical

Sir John Smith Moffat (1905-1985) entered the Northern Rhodesian government service in 1927 and in 1948 was appointed Commissioner of National Development. He retired from the service in 1951 and embarked on a political career, being appointed as a nominated member of the Northern Rhodesian Legislative Council in 1951, representing African interests. In 1954 he proposed the Moffat Resolutions on race relations policy. He was a member of the Federal Parliament from 1954 to 1962, representing the Central Africa Pary, and became leader of the Liberal Party when it was formed in Northern Rhodesia in 1959. He served as chairman of the African Affairs Board, 1955-1958.

Following the dissolution of the Central African Federation in 1963 and the independence of Northern Rhodesia as Zambia in 1964, Moffat returned to his farm at Mkushi. He later moved to Scotland and then to New Zealand where he died.