Harmon Lambourne
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The Right Honourable Harmon Lambourne | |
|---|---|
| File:CM Harmon Lambourne 1900.jpg Official portrait of Harmon Lambourne, 1900 | |
| 1st Chief Minister of Imagua | |
| In office 29 June, 1892 – 27 December, 1908 | |
| Deputy | none (1892-1908) Dick Parlow (1908) |
| Preceded by | position created |
| Succeeded by | Dick Parlow |
| Member of Parliament for New Burdale | |
| In office 29 June, 1892 – 27 December, 1908 | |
| Preceded by | position created |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Harmon Lambourne 1 October 1828 Lambourne House, Saint Ellen's, Imagua, Estmere |
| Died | 27 December 1908 (aged 80) Lambourne House, Saint Ellen's, Imagua, Estmere |
| Resting place | King's Cemetery |
| Nationality | Estmerish |
| Political party | Lambournite |
| Spouse | Hannah Lambourne |
| Children | 8 |
Harmon Lambourne (1 October, 1828 - 27 December, 1908) was an Imaguan landowner and politician who served as the first Chief Minister of Imagua after the Colony of Imagua was granted self-government by Estmere in 1892, until his death in 1908.
Born to the descendants of large landowners near New Burdale in Saint Ellen's Parish who have been present since the 1670s, and whose family previously owned slaves until slavery was abolished in the Estmerish Empire in 1795, Harmon Lambourne grew up in wealth and privilege: in 1857, he would inherit the family sugar plantation, and would acquire land until by 1871, he became one of the wealthiest persons in the Colony of Imagua at the time.
His wealth made him into a philanthropist, giving much of his wealth to create community institutes in New Burdale, which helped increase his popularity, and led to his election as Mayor of New Burdale in 1880, upon which he would serve for the next ten years. During his tenure as Mayor, he became more involved in colonial politics, advocating for limited self-government within the Estmerish Empire that would be to the benefit of the dominant Eucleo-Imaguan popualtion. After his defeat in 1888, he would advocate for limited self-governance, and in 1890 founded the Sotirian Country Association, which would form the basis of the Lambournite faction.
After the colony was granted self-government, Harmon Lambourne would become the first Chief Minister (now known as Prime Minister). During his tenure, he oversaw the passage of legislation that instituted anti-Sunday trading laws, restricted the franchise to men over 21 who owned property, expanding the island railway, restricted immigration from Dezevau which effectively led to the end of gowsa migration to Imagua, and expanding the colonial civil service.
Early life and career
Harmon Lambourne was born on 1 October, 1828 as the eldest son of Jonas Lambourne and Joan Lambourne near New Burdale. As descendants of large landowners who previously owned slaves until slavery was abolished in 1795, Harmon Lambourne grew up at the family plantation, where Lambourne received his education via private tutors, with his studies being largely influenced by both the classics and by preparations for him to some day inherit the Lambourne plantation.
In 1857, when Jonas Lambourne died, Harmon Lambourne took over the plantation. Harmon built on his father's wealth, acquiring more land until by 1870, Lambourne had "control over almost all the land this side of the Glen River between New Burdale and Blackburn." By 1871, Harmon Lambourne's estate was measured at around 75 square miles (194.25 km2), and his net worth was estimated to be around 255,961 shillings (in today's money, 289,800,751ſ04 or €36,104,953.84), making him among the wealthiest persons in the colony at the time, and the largest landowner in Saint Ellen's Parish. Lambourne at the time was noted for employing 752 workers "of Coian origin," with most of them being of gowsa origin, with a handful of Senrians "who arrived in the past few years."
Lambourne's wealth allowed him to finance community institutions in New Burdale, which helped boost his popularity among townsmen as being "a kind and benevolent benefactor" for their town. In 1880, Lambourne became the Mayor of New Burdale, and would in this period gain prominence across the colony for his wealth and for his philanthropy.
Political career
Early years
By the late 1880s, Harmon Lambourne became an advocate for Imaguan self-governance, with Lambourne saying that "while we are not yet ready to fully become a sovereign state, after over two centuries of Estmerish settlement and presence" [over Imagua], "it is no longer sustainable for Imaguans to wait for Morwall to speak before we do anything."
In 1888, Harmon Lambourne was succeeded by radical reformer Bertrand O'Devine, who was the son of a Caldish immigrant and a champion of Bahio-Imaguans, as Mayor of New Burdale, having been defeated by O'Devine by a narrow margin. While Lambourne was disappointed by his loss to O'Devine, his newly freed time could now be spent on advocating for colonial self-government.
Harmon Lambourne sought a system "similar to that of our motherland, where there is a Chamber of Commons to represent the commoners, a Legislative Council for the propertied class, and to have some control over our own affairs," primarily over immigration from "outside the empire," property, taxation, education, and "passing laws in accordance with local conditions." This was supported by many landowners, whose families have lived on Imagua for at least a century, and who now wanted some degree of autonomy within Estmere. Thus, in 1890, he created the Sotirian Country Association to advocate for his policies.
In 1892, the Colony of Imagua was granted self-government. While Lambourne assumed that his leadership in the self-government movement would guarantee him "no opposition at all" to be the first Chief Minister, Cornelius Suthemeer would form a faction which was opposed to his own faction, and which sought to institute free trade.
Despite this challenge, Lambourne was able to successfully lead his faction to government in the first general elections, taking 20 of the 36 seats in the Chamber of Commons of the Imaguan Parliament on 27 May, 1892.
Chief Minister
On 29 June, 1892, Harmon Lambourne was sworn in as the first Chief Minister of the Colony of Imagua. He would unveil his cabinet on that day, with ministers for Finance, Justice, Education, and Agriculture being appointed, reflecting the level of authority given to the Colony by the Estmerish government at the time.
During his first term as Chief Minister, Harmon Lambourne passed legislation that forbade Sunday trading within the colony, defining those eligible to vote as "men over the age of 21 who owned more than a half-acre of land," and raising the school leaving age from 10 to 13 in 1896. As well, Harmon Lambourne would oversee the expansion of the railway system, including the completion of the Glen Valley line up to New Burdale. In 1895, Lambourne's government officially banned new immigration of gowsa from present-day Dezevau, but an exemption was made to permit those from Senria to continue to immigrate to Imagua.
By the time the 1896 general elections rolled around, Harmon Lambourne led his faction to a second term, and to a larger majority government, having increased their seat count to 22 seats. However, his popularity was not to last: in 1898, Lambourne faced his workers going on strike over poor working conditions on his plantation. Lambourne took a harsh approach, deploying the Imaguan Constabulary to arrest 62 workers, which in the incident led to the deaths of five people. This enraged the labour movement, and energised opponents of Lambourne's government.
However, the 1900 general elections saw the Lambournites maintain their majority, as opposition candidates were split between various independent candidates and the Suthmeerites. The Lambournites failed to gain seats, but they did not lose seats.
During his third term as Chief Minister, Harmon Lambourne's popularity began to recover, particularly as Lambourne sought to position himself as a "benevolent leader." In addition, his accusations of Cornelius Suthmeer bankrolling the "strikers" and the Union of Sharecroppers and Manufacturing Workers helped diminish the popularity of the Suthmeerites. During this period, Lambourne began to expand the country's civil service, allowing Bahio-Imaguans to begin entering the service, while the Wensley Spur opened in 1902 to rail traffic.
Thus, by 1904, Harmon Lambourne was able to secure a fourth majority government, and an increase of four seats for the governing Lambournite, as he was able to capitalise off his popularity. However, by this point, questions as to Lambourne's successor began to loom large, as Lambourne's age led to speculation that he might die during his fourth term in office. This was further exacerbated by Lambourne's refusal to appoint a Deputy Chief Minister, with Lambourne fearing that it would erode his authority and influence over his own faction, and the Colony as a whole.
Despite these questions, Lambourne's popularity and his "strong record" meant that in 1908, although he saw a decrease in votes, Lambourne maintained a majority government, with the Lambournites controlling 22 of the 37 seats in the Chamber of Commons. However, by this point, pressure from within the party forced Lambourne to choose a deputy Chief Minister to take over in the event of his death. He chose longtime Justice Minister Dick Parlow, who was an ally of Lambourne, and was thus likely to continue the course that Lambourne had set out.
Personal life
Family
Harmon Lambourne married 18-year old Hannah Clarke in 1859, and would remain married until her death in 1904 at the age of 63 from ovarian cancer. Lambourne would never remarry after her death, describing Hannah as being "the love of my life," and that "no other woman, barring that of my mother can ever come close to Hannah's tender affection."
Together, they had six sons: Reginald (1860-1924); Tyler (1862-1933); Wilfred (1866-1922); twin brothers Enoch (1868-1941) and Lindsay (1868-1895), and Earl (1872-1971). They had two daughters: Patricia (1864-1865) and Donna (1870-1956).
At the time of Harmon Lambourne's death on 27 December, 1908, he was survived by six of his eight children, twelve grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Language
Harmon Lambourne's native language was Estmerish, although Lambourne described himself as knowing "some Solarian and Ancient Piraean" due to his education as a boy.
Until the 1990s, it was believed that Harmon Lambourne spoke "standard Estmerish in all situations," with Lambourne never using Eastern Imaguan Creole "even to talk to his servants." However, since then, both written and audio records have shown Harmon Lambourne having "simplified his Estmerish to talk to servants and to the less-educated," which has led linguist Louis O'Friel from the University of Cuanstad to believe that Lambourne "must have had some understanding of Eastern Imaguan Creole in order to communicate with the less-educated and with the Coian population who worked on his plantation."
Religion
Harmon Lambourne was a devout member of the Embrian Communion, having been baptised in the faith and having grown up in it. Biographies have given conflicting accounts as to whether or not Lambourne was a High Embrian or a Low Embrian, with biographies claiming that Harmon Lambourne was primarily fond of one or the other.
However, according to Harmon's youngest son, Earl Lambourne, Harmon Lambourne's preferred alignment was "based on what he needed at a given moment: in times where he needed stability, he would go with the High Embrians, what with their traditions and what not, and in times when he needed to calm down from a stressful situation, he would go with the Low Embrians, where he knew it would not be as solemn or as serious as the High Embrians."
Political views
Harmon Lambourne was a conservative who sought to "maintain things as they were, and to only change them if absolutely necessary."
Economically, he supported maintaining Imagua's sugarcane and nutmeg industries, with Lambourne saying in 1898 during the strike at his plantation that "to attack sugarcane production by refusing to harvest them and cultivate them is an attack on not just my estate, but on this Colony as a whole." While he did support importing gowsas and Senrians to work on the plantations to replace Bahio-Imaguans, by the 1890s, Lambourne felt that the "gowsas were worse than useless" when it came to harvesting sugarcane, and that "Senrians are far more willing to do the work that the gowsas and the [blacks] have abandoned so long ago."
Socially, Lambourne was a devout member of the Embrian Communion, and felt that "the best way to maintain the Colony's social order is to maintain biblical principles." This led to the passage of Sunday laws that restricted Sunday trading and the ability for most businesses to operate on Sundays and on Nativity.
In addition, Harmon Lambourne was a staunch supporter of Estmerish rule over the Colony of Imagua, with Lambourne saying in 1904 that "until the white population is ready to take on the burden of governing the [blacks] and the Coians, we must allow Estmere and its King to guide us in the proper direction, to teach us how to govern this Colony so that one day we may be its equal." Lambourne also said in 1907 that "there are some who want Imagua to break away from Estmere, for us to go at it alone: this is not a wise idea. We need to slowly transition towards freedom within the empire, we need to be taught the tools of statecraft the way the master grooms his apprentice into taking on the responsibilities of a cobbler."
Racial views
Harmon Lambourne believed in the superiority of Eucleo-Imaguans, saying in 1904 that "the white man has the burden of ensuring the development of a civilised society on Imagua, so that one day the [black] and the Coian who form the majority may govern in a civilised manner." Lambourne consistently felt that the white man had a burden to "civilise the [non-white] population," with a speech in 1875 dedicating a library in New Burdale expressing his hopes that "this knowledge shall help civilise the [non-whites], that it shall teach you how to be white, to be just as civilised as an Estmerish man like myself," and stated that he wanted "...New Burdale to be just as Estmerish as Morwall or Bouley in one hundred years."
While he did take some steps to end racial discrimination in some areas, such as allowing Bahio-Imaguans to join the Imaguan civil service in 1902, most of the policies that he implemented during his tenure as Chief Minister was, according to historian Dione Deiana from the Università di San Pietro, "for the benefit of the Eucleo-Imaguan population, particularly the propertied classes among them, and to the detriment of the Bahio- and Coian-Imaguans."
Until the 1940s, Lambourne's racial views were believed to be progressive, particularly by the Eucleo-Imaguan population, as according to Prime Minister Lucas Pembroke, "he had only the noblest interests in heart: whereas many other white men of his day sought to degrade the blacks and treat them poorly just for the colour of their skin, Lambourne sought to turn them into Estmerish subjects." However, beginning in the 1940s, Lambourne's views have become more negative, with Bahio-Imaguan politician Eric Fleming decrying Lambourne's racial policies as being "a textbook case of paternalism, who sought to get rid of what made us unique in favour of being nothing more than black-skinned Estmerish men."
Health and death
For most of his life, Harmon Lambourne was "an exemplar of health," with journal records noting that Lambourne engaged in long walks across his plantation at Lambourne House "from his house to the other end of the estate and back again." Harmon Lambourne was known to rarely drink any alcohol, only preferring "the finest Estmerish ale." Lambourne was known to be a "big eater," preferring Estmerish cuisine for his meals.
However, beginning in July 1907, Harmon Lambourne's health began to deteriorate, with Lambourne "suddenly gaining weight and losing his energy." This concerned Arthur Philpott, Lambourne's physician, who tried to figure out "the sudden change in the health of the Chief Minister" was unable to find any conclusive disease with which to diagnose him, but advised Lambourne to reduce his food intake, go on longer hikes, and to retire from the position of Chief Minister.
While Lambourne agreed with the first two points of Philpott's advice, Harmon Lambourne was hesitant to leave the position of Chief Minister, fearing that Cornelius Suthmeer would succeed him. However, concerns from within his faction forced him to appoint a Deputy Chief Minister, Dick Parlow, in order to facilitate a smooth transition after the 1908 general elections.
By September 1908, Harmon Lambourne began suffering a fever. Philpott was called to Lambourne, who diagnosed him with malaria, although Philpott doubted that "the malaria was all that [Harmon Lambourne] had." Despite attempts by Philpott to treat Lambourne with gin and tonic containing quinine, Lambourne's condition continued to deteriorate.
After the rise of the winter session for Nativity recess in November 1908, on Philpott's advice, Lambourne returned to Lambourne House to recuperate. There, Lambourne's condition got worse, and by the start of December, Philpott recounts that Lambourne "was now in a delirious state and no longer thinking rationally." Throughout December, Lambourne's body shut down, and on 27 December, 1908, just "a few minutes before nine [in the morning]," Lambourne's heart ceased beating, and he was declared dead by Arthur Philpott at 9:05 am.
While Lambourne's cause of death was officially recorded as malaria, an autopsy revealed "extensive stomach ulcers" and concluded that "Lambourne may have suffered from stomach cancer, which in conjunction with malaria contributed to his death."
Following his autopsy, his body was embalmed and transported to Cuanstad, where he was laid in state from 2 January to 9 January, 1909, in order to accomodate "the mourners who want to catch one last glimpse of the late Chief Minister." A funeral was then held at the Cuanstad Embrian Cathedral on 10 January, with the cathedral "being packed to the brim with mourners from all walks of life," including Harmon Lambourne's successor, Dick Parlow, who gave an eulogy praising Harmon Lambourne and his achievements.
Following the ceremony, per Harmon Lambourne's wishes, his body was transported to Lambourne House, where he was buried next to his wife, who died in 1904 from ovarian cancer.
Legacy
At the time of his death, and for many decades after, Harmon Lambourne's legacy was largely assessed in positive terms, with his successor, Dick Parlow praising Lambourne as being "a genius man who created an outpost of Estmerish civilisation in the West Arucian Sea," and as one who "cared for his servants, for the people of New Burdale, and for his people on this little island that we call home."
Throughout the early twentieth century, places were named after Lambourne, including countless schools across the island, streets, and a neighbourhood in Cuanstad. During this period, Harmon Lambourne was lionised as a figure "who was responsible for shepherding the Colony of Imagua towards liberty."
However, beginning in the late 1940s, Harmon Lambourne's legacy began to be questioned, particularly due to Harmon Lambourne's racial views and his opposition to labour rights. While it was initially only by academics and members of the fledgling Democratic Labour Party, by the 1970s, Lambourne's legacy was seen by historian Clarence Bright as "one of complications: while he was the first Imaguan-born person to lead their own colony, and while he did institute self-government, his own personal views and attitudes on racial and labour rights have clouded his reputation and make it hard to justify his actions."
Well into the early 2000s, Harmon Lambourne's name and statues were still relatively widespread on the island of Imagua, while the Assimas Islands receiving few statues or things named after Harmon Lambourne, but as work from historians like Dione Deiana began to present arguments that Harmon Lambourne's views "vastly outweigh his accomplishments, as all he did was to entrench a system of minority rule" over the island, Lambourne's legacy was further damaged, with activists advocating for removals of Lambourne's statues and for the renaming of all institutions associated with Harmon Lambourne, which has led to backlash from many Eucleo-Imaguans, who see the removal of Lambourne's legacy as "removing our history."