Christian Frederick Cole

Christian Frederick Cole (Known as "Christian Cole")

Barrister, Scholar, First Black Oxford University Graduate

Born 1852-01-01

Waterloo, Sierra Leone

Passed Away 1885-01-01 Zanzibar, Tanzania

Lifespan 33 years old

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Notice / Correction

"Diligence and intellect are the true measures of an African's capacity to stand equal among men."

Archival Overview

Historic Sierra Leonean scholar and barrister who in 1876 became the first Black African to graduate from the University of Oxford and was called to the English Bar at the Inner Temple.

Biographical Record

Christian Frederick Cole was born around 1852 in Waterloo, Sierra Leone, the grandson of a liberated slave. Educated at CMS Grammar School in Freetown, he travelled independently to England in 1873, matriculating at University College, Oxford.

Financing his studies through classical tuition and musical performance, Cole graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1876, making history as Oxford University's first Black graduate. In 1883, he was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple, practicing in London before travelling to East Africa, where he died of smallpox in Zanzibar in 1885.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Zanzibar Anglican Cathedral Cemetery
Zanzibar City, Tanzania

                         GPS: -6.1639, 39.1919                    

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