William Winstanley Pearson: the Natal Experience
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William Winstanley Pearson: The Natal Experience by Anil Nauriya HE year 2014 marks 100 years described him as “the best loved since the arrival in Natal of Englishman in India”.2 This article is Ttwo Englishmen, Charles Freer primarily on Willie Pearson and his Andrews (1871-1940) and William connection, a century ago, with Natal. (“Willie”) Winstanley Pearson (1881- Willie Pearson’s father, Dr 1923), from India to assist in the Samuel Pearson, was a well-known concluding stages of the Gandhi- Congregationalist Minister in England, led Indian struggle in South Africa. while his mother, Mrs Bertha Pearson, Andrews is the better known of the belonged to a famous Quaker family two and there are biographies on him.1 of London. Willie had studied at Pearson was a decade younger than Cambridge and Oxford, majoring in Andrews and also pre-deceased him by the natural sciences and producing a nearly two decades. Andrews’ published thesis on the teleological aspects of corpus is vast. His work involved him evolution. Having joined the London in discussions with, among others, high Missionary Society (LMS), he had imperial functionaries in South Africa, come out to India in 1907, inter alia, to India and England. There are few such teach botany at an LMS Institution in high imperial interactions in Pearson’s Calcutta. By 1909 he had also prepared life which otherwise had a focus similar an edition of Mazzini’s Duties of Man. to Andrews’. Not surprisingly, Pearson Accompanied with a preface and is much lesser known although on biographical introduction by Pearson, his death the Manchester Guardian this was published from Calcutta. For 70 Natalia 44 (2014), Anil Nauriya pp. 70 – 78 Natalia 44 (2014) Copyright © Natal Society Foundation 2014 William Winstanley Pearson: The Natal Experience Gokhale (1866-1915) who had become anxious with Gandhi having been arrested and this having been followed by the harassment and unexpected arrest on 25 November 1913 of an English associate of Gandhi, Albert West (b. c1880), who was then Acting Editor of the Indian leader’s journal, Indian Opinion.4 West was charged with “harbouring indentured people”.5 Gandhi, who had been arrested earlier in November, would recall: Mr West was in charge of the English section of Indian Opinion and of the cable correspondence with Gokhale. At a time like the present, when the situation assumed a new aspect every moment, correspondence by post was out of the question. Cablegrams had to be dispatched, no shorter in length than letters, and the delicate Gandhi (centre) with C.F. Andrews (left) and W.W. Pearson (right), 1914 (photograph courtesy of the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, Dell) various reasons, including ill-health, Pearson returned to England in 1911. But he was soon back in India with teaching assignments in Delhi and would later find his way also to the Indian poet-laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s educational institution, Shantiniketan at Bolpur, near Calcutta. To Natal and Back The trip to South Africa materialised rather unexpectedly for Willie Pearson towards the end of 1913. By the time C.F. Andrews and Pearson reached Durban by ship, on 2 January 1914, M.K. Gandhi (1869-1948) and many other passive resisters had been released Rev. C.F. Andrews and W.W. Pearson 3 from prison. Andrews was sent by (photograph courtesy of Indian the Indian statesman Gopal Krishna Opinion, 1914) 71 Natalia 44 (2014) Copyright © Natal Society Foundation 2014 William Winstanley Pearson: The Natal Experience responsibility regarding them was against the ill-treatment of Indians shouldered by Mr West.6 in South Africa”.8 Not surprisingly, That was the reason why therefore, it was actually Susil Kumar Rudra, the eminent Indian Christian [a]s soon as the news of the arrest Principal of St Stephen’s College in of West was cabled to Gokhale, he Delhi, who suggested that Pearson initiated the policy of sending out accompany Andrews on the tour; the able men from India …. No sooner, therefore, did he hear of West’s arrest, two then visited the Nobel laureate than he inquired of Andrews by wire Rabindranath Tagore to secure his if he was ready to proceed to South blessings before setting out for South Africa at once …. His beloved friend Africa.9 A farewell meeting was held for Pearson also got ready to go the same the two and Tagore wrote: “Along with moment, and the two friends left India Mr Gandhi and others, you are fighting for South Africa by the first available for our cause.”10 The Nobel Prize for 7 steamer. Tagore had also come in late 1913, According to Gandhi’s journal, making the poet’s work, and Gitanjali before leaving for South Africa, Pearson in particular, widely known. Andrews had already been “the spokesman and Pearson sailed from Calcutta via for the European community at the Madras. great Delhi demonstration, addressed Although in his multifarious pursuits recently by the Hon. Mr Gokhale, Pearson seldom suffered from a lack Pearson and Rabindranath at Santinikatan (photograph courtesy of Modern Review, 1923) 72 Natalia 44 (2014) Copyright © Natal Society Foundation 2014 William Winstanley Pearson: The Natal Experience of self-belief, he tended, especially in a mass meeting of 3 000 Indians on periods of solitude or on long voyages, the Indian Football Ground in Durban to indulge an exaggerated sense of his at which Andrews, Pearson, Albert own vulnerabilities. From the ship he West, H. Kallenbach (1871-1945), and wrote to Tagore: “The very thought that H.S.L. Polak (1882-1959) were present I go to South Africa as a messenger … along with Gandhi. The terms of the will strengthen me and help me to herd agreement reached with Jan Smuts in the broken threads of my life’s purposes the negotiations at Pretoria, to which in that service of love.”11 In spite of this Andrews had also contributed, were self-deprecating tendency, Pearson’s explained. Before explaining the terms cheery temperament ensured that his of the agreement, Gandhi referred to the company was sought after, especially letter that Andrews had received from on long journeys during which he England preparing him for the death of would tend to liven things up, at least his mother.19 Andrews would leave for for others.12 England later in February. During the sea voyage, there was also Pearson spent the bulk of his time indirect criticism of functionaries of the in South Africa studying the labour church: Pearson wrote, “ Our time with conditions in the sugarcane plantations the Bishop of Madras was very helpful. in Natal.20 He was at the Phoenix He is taking such a firm, uncompromis- Settlement itself for no more than ing stand on the South African question two or three weeks. He studied the …. He seems to me very unlike most working of Magistrates’ Courts and of Bishops!”13 the Office of the Protector of Indian On their arrival in Durban, Andrews Immigrants. In the period that Pearson and Pearson explained their plans.14 spent at Phoenix, writes one inmate Pearson referred to the Quaker back- of the settlement, Pearson “became ground of his family and to their belief one with the children”.21 Prabhudas in spiritual force which he shared.15 Gandhi, who was at Phoenix at the Andrews expected to stay for at least time, writes: six weeks, Pearson for a month. During While Mr Andrews spent his time this period they would, among other discussing political problems with things, “endeavour to see the condi- Gandhiji, Mr Pearson studied the life tions under which Indians work on the of the people. He walked for most of estates, coal mines and factories” and the day around Phoenix and saw how they would also be taken to the districts Indian indentured labourers lived. He where Indians worked “independently also visited Africans’ homes and found 22 as gardeners and small farmers, as ar- out what their problems were. tisans and traders”.16 Visits to the Cape At the end of January 1914, Pearson Colony and the Transvaal were also gave evidence before the Inquiry Com- scheduled. On 18 January Pearson at- mission that had been set up in South tended a reception given by G.M. Moo- Africa to go into Indian grievances daley of Umgeni where he could meet which had culminated in the famous farmers of the district.17 Pearson then 1913 agitation and strike led by Gan- visited the farmers of Sea Cow Lake dhi and his colleagues such as Thambi before returning to Gandhi’s Phoenix Naidoo (1875-1933).23 In his evidence Settlement.18 On 25 January there was before the Commission, Pearson sought 73 Natalia 44 (2014) Copyright © Natal Society Foundation 2014 William Winstanley Pearson: The Natal Experience children of St. Oswald’s School under their headmaster, Mr Ephraim.” 27 The headmaster, Abdial Massieka Ephraim, had actively supported the struggle and the school’s hall had been the venue of a meeting of Newcastle Indians on 13 October 1913.28 At the place of the reception, where Pearson and Kallenbach were escorted, were present, among many others, Messrs Vawda, Joshie, Ballaram, and Dwarkasingh, Mrs S. Ephraim and Mrs D. Lazarus.29 Dossen Lazarus presided. The women had been active. Lazarus’s sister-in-law, Miss Thomas, and his wife, Mrs D.M. Lazarus, whose home Pencil sketch of W.W. Pearson by in Newcastle at 37 Murchison Street Abanindranath Tagore had become the virtual headquarters (photograph courtesy of Visva- of the struggle in the area, had been Bharati Quarterly, May 1939) greatly praised by Gandhi for their the removal of the £3 tax which, he contribution.30 told the panel, was levied unfairly and Pearson’s report on his visit to South lacked justification.24 Africa deals substantially with the Pearson visited the coal-mining question of indentured labour in Natal.