J. E. Casely Hayford

**Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford** (29 September 1866 – 11 August 1930), wey people too know am as Ekra-Agyeman, be one big Fante man from Gold Coast wey be journalist, editor, author, lawyer, educator, plus politician wey support pan-African nationalism. Ein 1911 novel *Ethiopia Unbound* be one of de earliest novels wey African person write for English.

## Biography
Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford born on 29 September 1866 for Cape Coast inside de British Gold Coast colony, wey now be Ghana.

Ein family be part of de Fante Anona clan den demma descendants be from dynasty of *omanhenes* den *okyeames*, so dem be part of de Fante coastal elite. Ein poppie, Joseph de Graft Hayford (1840–1919), get education plus ordination as Methodist minister, den he be top figure for Ghanaian politics insyd. Ein mommie, Mary de Graft Hayford, come from de Brew family, wey be descendants of 18th-century Irish trader Richard Brew den ein African concubine. Brew settle for dat area around 1745.

"Casely" be one of Joseph ein middle names; he take Casely Hayford as ein double surname but no add hyphen. Ein brothers be Ernest James Hayford, wey be doctor, den Reverend Mark Hayford, wey be minister.

### Early life
Casely Hayford go Wesley Boys' High School (wey now dey call am Mfantsipim) for Cape Coast, den Fourah Bay College for Freetown, Sierra Leone. As he dey Freetown, he turn hard follower of Edward Wilmot Blyden, wey be de top pan-African figure for dat time, wey edit *Negro*, de first pan-African journal for West Africa.

As he come back Ghana, Casely Hayford turn high-school teacher. Dem later promote am to principal for Accra Wesleyan Boys' High School, but dem sack am from dat position sake of ein political activism.

Insyd 1885, he start work as journalist for Western Echo, wey ein mommie ein uncle James Hutton Brew own. 

By 1888, Casely Hayford turn editor, den he change de paper ein name to Gold Coast Echo. From 1890 go 1896, he be co-proprietor of de Gold Coast Chronicle. He too write articles for *Wesleyan Methodist Times.*

## Inner Temple den de bar
Insyd 1893, Casely Hayford travel go London go study law as barrister for Honourable Society of de Inner Temple, plus Peterhouse, Cambridge. Dem call am to de Bar on 17 November 1896. Dat same year, he come back Ghana plus ein second wife Adelaide, come do private law practice for Cape Coast, Axim, Sekondi, den Accra. He still continue ein journalism work, wey he edit de *Gold Coast Leader*. For 1904, he help start Mfantsipim School. For 1910, he take over from John Mensah Sarbah as president of de Aborigines' Rights Protection Society, wey be de first anti-colonial organisation wey dem form for de Gold Coast.

## Political activism
Casely Hayford write plenti books, mostly as commentary plus opposition against land management laws wey de colonial government bring, like de Crown Lands Bill of 1897, plus de Forest Ordinance of 1911. Ein view be say African identity plus African social stability dey tightly connect to how dem preserve de existing customs wey concern land rights.

Insyd ein 1903 book *Gold Coast Native Institutions*, Hayford analyse Fanti plus Asante government structures, den argue say de Gold Coast for get ein own self-government insyd a federal system under Greater Britain.

Casely Hayford visit London den time wey dem dey protest against de Forest Ordinance of 1911, he join group wey support Dusé Mohamed Ali dem financially make dem fit start de *African Times and Orient Review*. Dis group include Francis T. Dove den C. W. Betts from Sierra Leone, plus Dr. Oguntola Sapara from Lagos.

Casely Hayford too deeply involve insyd de political struggle for African freedom. He dey write letters to W. E. B. Du Bois den he join Booker T. Washington ein *International Conference on the Negro* wey happin for 1912. De letters wey he dey write give Washington help push pan-African movement both for Africa top den insyd de United States.

Casely Hayford ein work insyd public office start for 1916 wey dem nominate am go de Legislative Council of de Gold Coast. As legislator, he serve for different public commissions, den for 1919 dem dash am MBE insyd de Birthday Honours because of de support wey he give de Prince of Wales ein Patriotic Fund. Still for 1919, he form West Africa ein first nationalist movement—*de National Congress of British West Africa*—one of de earliest proper groups wey fight for African freedom from colonial rule.

Insyd 1920, he represent de Congress for London, go demand constitutional reforms from de colonial secretary den address de League of Nations Union. Some people criticize am say de concessions wey he accept from de colonial powers no strong enough. Even though he dey push African nationalism wey dey call for unity plus cultural awareness among Africans, Casely Hayford dey only push for constitutional reforms wey go still keep Ghana as colony. Insyd 1925, he become de first patron of *de West African Students' Union*, den for September 1927, dem elect am as municipal member for Sekondi. After he die for 1930, de National Congress wey he form dissolve.

He publish novel *Ethiopia Unbound* for 1911, one of de first novels in English wey African person write. People dey see am as de earliest pan-African fiction. De story dey happin for both Africa den England. E take philosophical debate between African man den ein English friend, plus current African events den old African history to explore African identity den de struggle for freedom.

## Marriage den family
Casely Hayford be de one wey start de Casely-Hayford family for Ghana plus Britain. Ein descendants later become part of de Black British elite for Britain.

Ein first wife be Beatrice Madeline Pinnock. Dem born one son, Archie Casely-Hayford, wey turn barrister, district magistrate, plus Ghana ein first Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources insyd de First Republic.

As Casely Hayford dey London study for de Inner Temple for 1893, wey he dey lodge for hostel for African bachelors, he meet Adelaide Smith, one lady wey come from Sierra Leone Creole background. Later dem marry, den she follow am come back Gold Coast for 1896 after dem call am to de bar. Adelaide turn prominent writer plus she open one vocational school for girls for Freetown. Adelaide plus Joseph get one daughter, Gladys May Casely-Hayford (1904–1950), wey be teacher, artist, den poet. She publish some of ein poems under de pen name Aquah Laluah.

## Bibliography

* *The Truth About The West African Land Question* (1898. Reprinted, 1913. Reprinted London: Frank Cass, 1971)
* *Gold Coast Native Institutions: With Thoughts Upon A Healthy Imperial Policy for the Gold Coast and Ashanti* (1903. Reprinted London: Frank Cass, 1970, )
* *Ethiopia Unbound: Studies in Race Emancipation* (1911. Reprinted London: Frank Cass, 1969, . Black Classic Press, with an Introduction by Molefi Kete Asante, 2011)
* *Gold Coast Land Tenure and the Forest Bill* (1911)
* *William Waddy Harris, the West African reformer* (1915)
* *United West Africa* (1919)
* *West African Leadership: Public speeches delivered by the Honourable J. E. Casely Hayford*; edited by Magnus J. Sampson (1951)

## References


## External links

* Brittany Rogers, "Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford (1866-1930)", *BlackPast, 28 March 2009.*