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Richard Wildman Kettlewell

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undertake arduous and unpaid manual labour. The soil conservation and land use legislation which he believed would protect the environment involved government agricultural officers forcing many African subsistence farmers into compulsory labour on government-mandated conservation projects, which also took some of their cultivable land out of use. Kettlewell himself accepted that many Africans resented this enforcement action and acknowledged that it promoted nationalist sentiments, although he claimed that the initial resistance had soon subsided. However, the measures he supported were never effective in some parts of Nyasaland, particularly in the less-populated north of the protectorate, where there were too few agricultural officers to enforce compliance in the face of widespread resistance.
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monopoly on the purchase of what the legislation termed 'African produce' would be justified by it paying fair prices to producers. However, the board's prices were biased against peasant producers, who also suffered a compulsory levy on their sales. This levy was supposed to meet the board's costs, but was pitched at a higher level than needed solely for this, and the excess was used to fund schemes that benefitted European commercial farmers rather that the Africans paying the levy. The board's initial operations were so unsatisfactory that the
200:, leaving the agriculture departments of in the two northern territories responsible only for African agriculture. This proposal had political implications, as it would allow the federal government to use its funds to promote European estate agriculture, leaving the funding of African agriculture to the limited resources of the two territorial administrations. This proposal was strongly supported by the leading settler politician, 164:, commonly used to make traditional beer. Kettlewell, who was Director of Agriculture at the time, was also heavily involved in setting up the Agricultural Production and Marketing Board, which combined boards that had previously been separate, controlling maize, tobacco and cotton production and sale by smallholders. 132:, the Congress leader wished to assume the important National Resources portfolio, Kettlewell became Minister of Lands and Surveys from 1961 to 1962. He regarded independence with disfavour and retired in 1962 after the British Government had agreed that Nyasaland would become self-governing with Banda as its 26:
apart from three years of wartime army service. He became Director of Agriculture in 1951 and Secretary for National Resources then Minister of Lands and Surveys between 1960 and 1962. He was influential in the late colonial administration of Nyasaland, and responsible for the introduction of several
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The environmental catastrophe that Kettlewell predicted never took place, and in 1998, over 50 years after he first predicted it, most soils in Malawi were adequate for growing maize, as fertility had declined much less rapidly than he forecast. As early as the 1950s, a few tropical agriculturalists
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In each case, Kettlewell sponsored several pieces of agricultural legislation that he considered necessary to meet his objectives. These provided for coercive measures, including fines or, in a limited number of cases, imprisonment for disregarding the regulations, and in some cases a requirement to
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Kettlewell, as Director of Agriculture at the time, was heavily involved in setting up an Agricultural Production and Marketing Board, which combined boards that had previously been separate, controlling maize, tobacco and cotton production and sale by smallholders. He claimed that the new board's
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Kettlewell's own analysis of agricultural developments in Nyasaland from 1945 to 1960, covering most of the 18 years during which he held senior positions in departments responsible for agriculture, concentrated on cash crops, in particular those grown commercially by European farmers. His view of
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On his return from Nyasaland, Kettlewell and his wife moved to the Cotswolds, where he lived for the remainder of his life. Between 1962 and 1980, Kettlewell undertook part-time consulting work for Hunting Technical Services, applying his expertise in tropical land use, mainly in South-East Asia,
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After his war service, Kettlewell returned to the Nyasaland Agricultural Department, occupying several senior posts, from 1943 to 1950. At this point in his career, further promotion would normally have involved a move to another colony, to gain greater experience. He was offered a transfer to
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soon called for the revision of its pricing policy. The worst deficiencies of the scheme were not remedied until after Kettlewell's retirement in 1962, when a new Farmer's Marketing Board was created, although this, like its predecessor, operated a strict regime of heavy fines and possible
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on the same basis. Kettlewell opposed the transfer of responsibility, firstly, on the technical grounds that it would be difficult to divide departmental responsibilities on the basis of land ownership and, secondly, because of the almost universal objection of Africans to it.
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controversial agricultural and land-use policies that were highly unpopular with African farmers and which he accepted had promoted nationalist sentiments in the protectorate. After leaving Nyasaland in 1962 shortly before its independence, he settled in the
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began to recognise shifting cultivation was sympathetic to the environment, and a much greater number of modern-day tropical agriculturalists consider this system may be more efficient than fixed cultivation in many tropical areas.
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gradually easing into full retirement. During this period, he wrote 'Agricultural Change in Nyasaland: 1945-1960', which summarises his views on the problems facing colonial agriculture in that country and period.
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Richard Wildman Kettlewell was born on 12 February 1910 to George Wildman Kettlewell and Mildred Frances Kettlewell (born Atkinson); he had one brother, John Robert Wildman Kettlewell. Kettlewell was educated at
117:, which advised the governor. He was appointed Secretary, National Resources in 1960, and was described as "one of the most influential civil servants in the late colonial period" by the historian Kalinga. 524:
John McCracken, (2003). 'Conservation and Resistance in Colonial Malawi: the "Dead North" Revisited', in W Beinart and J McGregor (editors). Social History and African Environments, Oxford, James Currey.
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Clement Ng'ong'ola, (1986). 'Malawi's Agricultural Economy and the Evolution of Legislation on the Production and Marketing of Peasant Economic Crops'. Journal of Southern African Studies, Vol. 12, No.
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William Beinart, (1984). 'Soil Erosion, Conservationism and Ideas about Development: A Southern African Exploration, 1900-1960'. Journal of Southern African Studies, Vol. 11, No. 1.
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African subsistence farming was largely negative, concentrating on it supposedly causing soil erosion and destroying soil structure. He strongly disapproved of
56:. After successfully completing his training, Kettlewell was posted to Nyasaland in 1934, and served in different parts of the protectorate from 1934 to 1940. 511:
Richard Kettlewell, (1965). 'Agricultural Change in Nyasaland: 1945-1960'. Stanford University Food Research Institute Studies in Tropical Development No.5.
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wished to retain his services and promoted him to be Deputy Director of Agriculture in 1950 so he could become Director of that department in 1951, and an
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In 1935, he married Margaret Palmer (died 1990), who he had met while studying in Reading, and they had two children, Michael George and Alison Victoria.
48:, where he read agriculture. After graduating, he joined the Colonial Agricultural Service and undertook postgraduate training in tropical agriculture at 114: 113:
In addition to his membership of the legislative council, between 1957 and his retirement in 1962, Kettlewell served as a member of the Nyasaland
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gained a majority of seats in the legislative council, a new executive council was formed in the expectation of a transition to independence. As
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Sieglinde Snapp, (1998). 'Soil Nutrient Status of Smallholder Farms in Malawi'. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis Vol. 29.
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against Italian forces until 1942. During 1942, his battalion was transferred to Ceylon with the 21st East Africa Brigade, part of the
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https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/85f4212f-49ca-344a-a8c0-4a4c10c2e6fc?component=59f2058d-6aaf-3be5-a48b-d1fa4b03b773
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T Jack Thompson (1995). 'Christianity in Northern Malawi: Donald Fraser's Missionary Methods and Ngoni Culture'. Leiden, Brill.
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Reserve of Officers in Nyasaland, 1938-1939. During World War Two he served with the 1/2nd Battalion, King's African Rifles in
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Uganda and a teaching post at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad. However, the Governor of Nyasaland,
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Richard Dawkins, (1994). 'Obituary of Richard Wildman Kettlewell, CMG, 1910–1994, read at his funeral at Chipping Norton'.
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and the consequent movement of villages and, where it existed, particularly in the north of the protectorate, the
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Colin Baker, (1998). ‘Retreat From Empire: Sir Robert Armitage in Africa and Cyprus’. London, IB Taurus.
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Owen Kalinga, (2012). 'Historical Dictionary of Malawi (fourth edition)'. Toronto, the Scarecrow Press.
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for the remainder of his life and undertook part-time consulting work on tropical land use.
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to make non-African agriculture a federal responsibility, as it had already become in
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John McCracken, (2012). 'A History of Malawi, 1859–1966'. Woodbridge, James Currey.
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in 1955 in recognition of his services as Director of Agriculture for Nyasaland.
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and the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad, now part of the
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King's African Rifles, (1984). 'Papers of Major Richard Wildman Kettlewell',
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https://www.richarddawkins.net/wp-content/uploads/.../AFW-web-appendix-3.pdf
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Between 1957 and 1959, there was significant discussion in
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on the proposal made by the federal government of the
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Richard Wildman Kettlewell died on 17 November 1994.
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https://www.myheritage.com/names/richard_kettlewell
8: 82:, and he served there in 1942 and 1943. 360:Kettlewell (1965), pp. 235, 238-9, 261. 218: 106:He was appointed as a Companion of the 7: 204:on political grounds and opposed by 194:Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland 16:British colonial officer (1910–1994) 177:imprisonment to enforce its rules. 342:Kettlewell (1965), pp. 235-7, 264. 14: 378:McCracken (2012), pp. 250, 318-9. 108:Order of St Michael and St George 396:McCracken (2003), pp. 155-6, 162 136:in 1963, and left the country. 62:Kettlewell was a member of the 423:Ng'ong'ola, (1986), pp. 252-3. 414:Ng'ong'ola, (1986), pp. 252-3. 270:King's African Rifles, (1984). 225:King's African Rifles, (1984). 1: 597:British expatriates in Malawi 369:Kettlewell (1965), pp. 247-8. 351:Kettlewell (1965), pp. 238-9. 54:University of the West Indies 613: 459:Baker, (1988) . pp. 204-6. 432:Snapp (1998), pp. 2572-88. 405:Kettlewell (1965), p. 248. 387:Kettlewell (1965), p. 240. 306:McCracken, (2012), p. 381. 206:Nyasaland African Congress 20:Richard Wildman Kettlewell 450:Thompson (2003), pp. 22-3 518:, University of Oxford. 441:Beinart (1984), pp. 61-2 333:Kalinga, (2012), p. 233. 297:Kalinga, (2012), p. 233. 288:Kalinga, (2012), p. 233. 252:Kalinga, (2012), p. 233. 468:Baker, (1998) . p. 210. 80:1st (African) Division 592:Agriculture in Malawi 147:Agricultural policies 126:Malawi Congress Party 64:King's African Rifles 154:shifting cultivation 50:Cambridge University 174:legislative council 101:legislative council 93:Sir Geoffrey Colby 68:British Somaliland 46:Reading University 566:978-9-00410-208-8 542:978-1-84701-050-6 507:978-0-81085-961-6 487:978-1-86064-223-4 202:Michael Blackwood 198:Southern Rhodesia 190:Northern Rhodesia 115:Executive Council 604: 516:Bodleian Library 469: 466: 460: 457: 451: 448: 442: 439: 433: 430: 424: 421: 415: 412: 406: 403: 397: 394: 388: 385: 379: 376: 370: 367: 361: 358: 352: 349: 343: 340: 334: 331: 325: 322: 316: 313: 307: 304: 298: 295: 289: 286: 280: 277: 271: 268: 262: 259: 253: 250: 244: 241: 235: 232: 226: 223: 612: 611: 607: 606: 605: 603: 602: 601: 572: 571: 478: 473: 472: 467: 463: 458: 454: 449: 445: 440: 436: 431: 427: 422: 418: 413: 409: 404: 400: 395: 391: 386: 382: 377: 373: 368: 364: 359: 355: 350: 346: 341: 337: 332: 328: 324:Dawkins, (1994) 323: 319: 315:Dawkins, (1994) 314: 310: 305: 301: 296: 292: 287: 283: 279:Dawkins, (1994) 278: 274: 269: 265: 261:Dawkins, (1994) 260: 256: 251: 247: 243:Dawkins, (1994) 242: 238: 233: 229: 224: 220: 215: 160:cultivation of 149: 88: 42:Clifton College 37: 17: 12: 11: 5: 610: 608: 600: 599: 594: 589: 584: 574: 573: 570: 569: 558: 555: 551: 545: 534: 522: 512: 509: 499: 493: 490: 477: 474: 471: 470: 461: 452: 443: 434: 425: 416: 407: 398: 389: 380: 371: 362: 353: 344: 335: 326: 317: 308: 299: 290: 281: 272: 263: 254: 245: 236: 227: 217: 216: 214: 211: 158:slash-and-burn 148: 145: 134:prime minister 130:Hastings Banda 122:1961 elections 99:member of the 87: 84: 44:, Bristol and 36: 33: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 609: 598: 595: 593: 590: 588: 585: 583: 580: 579: 577: 567: 563: 559: 556: 552: 550: 547:My Heritage, 546: 543: 539: 535: 532: 531:0-85255-951-8 528: 523: 521: 517: 513: 510: 508: 504: 500: 498: 494: 491: 488: 484: 480: 479: 475: 465: 462: 456: 453: 447: 444: 438: 435: 429: 426: 420: 417: 411: 408: 402: 399: 393: 390: 384: 381: 375: 372: 366: 363: 357: 354: 348: 345: 339: 336: 330: 327: 321: 318: 312: 309: 303: 300: 294: 291: 285: 282: 276: 273: 267: 264: 258: 255: 249: 246: 240: 237: 231: 228: 222: 219: 212: 210: 207: 203: 199: 195: 191: 187: 182: 178: 175: 169: 165: 163: 162:finger millet 159: 155: 146: 144: 141: 137: 135: 131: 127: 124:in which the 123: 118: 116: 111: 109: 104: 102: 98: 94: 85: 83: 81: 77: 73: 69: 65: 60: 57: 55: 51: 47: 43: 34: 32: 30: 25: 21: 464: 455: 446: 437: 428: 419: 410: 401: 392: 383: 374: 365: 356: 347: 338: 329: 320: 311: 302: 293: 284: 275: 266: 257: 248: 239: 234:My Heritage. 230: 221: 183: 179: 170: 166: 150: 142: 138: 119: 112: 105: 89: 86:Later career 61: 58: 38: 19: 18: 587:1994 deaths 582:1910 births 576:Categories 213:References 97:ex officio 35:Early life 186:Nyasaland 29:Cotswolds 24:Nyasaland 72:Ethiopia 476:Sources 120:In the 564:  540:  529:  505:  485:  76:Kenya 562:ISBN 538:ISBN 527:ISBN 503:ISBN 483:ISBN 188:and 74:and 578:: 554:2. 103:. 70:, 568:. 544:. 533:. 489:.

Index

Nyasaland
Cotswolds
Clifton College
Reading University
Cambridge University
University of the West Indies
King's African Rifles
British Somaliland
Ethiopia
Kenya
1st (African) Division
Sir Geoffrey Colby
ex officio
legislative council
Order of St Michael and St George
Executive Council
1961 elections
Malawi Congress Party
Hastings Banda
prime minister
shifting cultivation
slash-and-burn
finger millet
legislative council
Nyasaland
Northern Rhodesia
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
Southern Rhodesia
Michael Blackwood
Nyasaland African Congress

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