Big Blue 1840-1940: Nyasaland Protectorate

Map salvaged from Gerben Van Gelder’s now sadly defunct

"stamp world history" web site

Bud's Big Blue

Bud's Observations

Nyasaland, now Malawi, followed a well-worn historical path for British intervention in Africa:

· First explorers (David Livingston, 1850s),

· followed by missionaries (Church of England, Church of Scotland and others, 1860s),

· then came British settlers, farmers, and traders (1870s onward),

· closely followed by commercial export interests (Cecil Rhodes’ British South Africa Company and others, initially for ivory and native rubber, later for coffee and tea),

· then a protectorate (The British Central Africa Protectorate, 1889, to defend British interests against the Portuguese), and first stamps (British South Africa Company stamps overprinted BCA, 1891),

· followed by a name change (Nyasaland Protectorate, 1907), and new stamps with the changed name (1908) and dropping the “protectorate” designation (1934),

· finally, independence under African control (Malawi, 1964), new stamps inscribed Malawi.

Nyasaland symbol, a leopard against a rising sun,

appearing on Scott #38 and thereafter

Nyasaland, Scott #46, orange and black

The British Central Africa (BCA) and Nyasaland Protectorate stamps were used almost entirely by the tiny white minority population, which in 1908 accounted for 0.057 percent of the total (1). For many years I’ve searched for a cover with stamps clearly used by an African native, but have found none. I suspect such might exist, especially because many Africans migrated out of Nyasaland in protest against colonists taking over their land for plantations. Mostly able-bodied men, they may have wanted to communicate with family member left behind.

The closest I’ve come to finding native use of stamps, likely not by them personally but perhaps in their behalf, is two larger denomination BCA stamps (shown below) which may have been receipts for paying “hut taxes.” The amount is right but, given the single circle cancel, they may be postal usage.

British Central Africa, Scott #s 53 carmine and black and 52 gray green and black

The British forced native Africans to pay a tax on all residences to help defray the cost of government. Not being able to stop emigration, the Government taxed it, too. Those who sought employment in Rhodesia and South Africa had to pay twice the rate of those who stayed behind. Moreover, they were also taxed in their destination countries.

South Africa issued “hut tax” stamps well into the 1950s. “Hut tax” stamps may be found readily on stamps auction sites, sometimes masquerading as postally used.

South Africa, YO 137-8, green and red brown

Census: 33 in BB spaces, one tip-in, nine on supplement page.

1) Caution: Native African populations are notoriously underestimated in early colonial reports. https://libsysdigi.library.illinois.edu/ilharvest/Africana/Books2011-05/469188/469188_1907_1908/469188_1907_1908_opt.pdf

Jim's Observations

Bud, Kudos for the information on "Hut Taxes" - I learned something.

Some information from my blog post....

Cecil Rhodes's British South Africa Company (BSAC) was actually in charge of the protectorate when their authority was withdrawn in 1907, and direct British rule was instituted.

One of the legacies of British Central Africa and the BSAC is white settlers were brought in who developed coffee plantations using African labor.

Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland between 1953-1963, but became independent as the nation of Malawi in 1964.

Nyasaland Protectorate Blog Post & BB Checklist

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