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Humphrey Gibbs

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The Right Honourable
Sir Humphrey Gibbs
GCVOKCMGKStJOBEPC
Gibbs in 1948
8thGovernor of Southern Rhodesia[a]
In office
28 December 1959 – 11 November 1965[b]
De jure:28 December 1959 – 24 June 1969[c]
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterSir Edgar Whitehead
Winston Field
Ian Smith
Preceded bySir Peveril William-Powlett
Succeeded byDe facto:Clifford Dupont(Acting Officer Administering the Government)
De jure:Christopher Soames, Lord Soames(holding the reinstated office of Governor after 12 December 1979)
Personal details
Born(1902-11-22)22 November 1902
London, England
Died5 November 1990(1990-11-05)(aged 87)
Harare,Zimbabwe
Spouse
Molly Gibbs
​
(m.1934)​
Residence(s)Government House,Salisbury
Alma materTrinity College, Cambridge
  1. ^Called by the internationally unrecognised government the Governor ofRhodesiafrom 24 October 1964. Post reinstated from 12 December 1979 under the original name of Governor of Southern Rhodesia.
  2. ^The post-independence internationally unrecognised Constitution of Rhodesia, which came into force on 11 November 1965, abolished the post of Governor and replaced it with the positions ofGovernor-GeneralandOfficer Administering the Governmentfor when the internationally unrecognisedQueen of Rhodesiadid not appoint a Governor-General. On 17 November 1965, his responsibilities were officially bestowed uponClifford Dupontas Acting Officer Administering the Government.
  3. ^The date his appointment came to an end under United Kingdom law, being the law of the internationally recognised responsible government. No longer recognised by the internationally unrecognised government in Rhodesia from 11 November 1965, whenindependence was unilaterally declared.

Sir Humphrey Vicary Gibbs,GCVOKCMGOBEKStJPC(22 November 1902 – 5 November 1990), was the penultimateGovernorof the colony ofSouthern Rhodesia,from 24 October 1964 described by its internationally unrecognised government simply asRhodesia,who served until, and opposed, theUnilateral Declaration of Independence(UDI) in 1965.

Early history

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Gibbs was born on 22 November 1902 in England, the third son ofThe Hon.Herbert Gibbs,later created, in 1923,The 1st Baron Hunsdon of Hunsdon.He was educated atLudgrove School,EtonandTrinity College, Cambridge.He moved toSouthern Rhodesiain 1928, buying a farm at Nyamandhlovu, nearBulawayo.[1]

He became active in farming administration and helped found the National Farmers Union. He was elected to theLegislative Assemblyat thegeneral election of 1948as aUnited Partymember, representing the constituency ofWankie,serving one term before standing down in 1954.[2]

As Governor of Southern Rhodesia

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In 1959, QueenElizabeth IIappointed Gibbs asGovernor of Southern Rhodesiaand appointed him a Knight Commander of theOrder of St Michael and St George(KCMG) in 1960.

TheUnilateral Declaration of Independence(UDI) by theRhodesian Frontgovernment (underPrime MinisterIan Smith) in November 1965 placed Gibbs in a very difficult position. He was intensely loyal toRhodesia,and was a close friend of Ian Smith, but he was also equally loyal to his office as the Queen'sviceroy.While understanding what had made Smith's government declare the UDI, Gibbs decided that final legality rested withthe Crown,not Smith and his government.

By the time Smith andDeputy Prime MinisterClifford Dupontcalled on Governor Gibbs after the UDI was signed,Whitehallhad directed Gibbs to use hisreserve powerto dismiss Smith and his entire cabinet from office. Gibbs complied with the order without hesitation. He declared that by issuing the UDI, Smith and his government had committed an act of treason.

However, Smith and his ministers simply ignored the dismissal, advising Gibbs that "in view of the new [Rhodesian] constitution..., he no longer has any executive powers in Rhodesia" —and therefore, his power to sack them no longer existed.[3][4]

Under siege

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OfficialFlag of Rhodesiaduring Gibbs's term as Governor

Several high-ranking officers of the Rhodesian military went to Governor Gibbs earlier in the day, made a statement of loyalty to him, and asked Gibbs to issue a warrant so that they could arrest Smith and Dupont. However, Gibbs knew that the bulk of the officer corps, as well as the rank and file of the Rhodesian military, were solidly behind Smith's government and that such a move would lead to acoup d'état.

Gibbs announced that despite the UDI, he had no intention of resigning his office or leavingRhodesia,and that therefore, he would remain inGovernment HouseinSalisburyas the sole legal representative of Queen Elizabeth II.[5]With few exceptions, the international community continued to recognise him as the Queen's sole legitimate representative in the area—and thus, the only lawful authority in what London maintained was still the colony ofSouthern Rhodesia.[6]

In response, Smith declared that Government House was only "temporarily occupied" by Gibbs "in a personal capacity", and would be occupied by Dupont once it became available.[3]This action led to four years of harassment and petty afflictions by the Rhodesian government, resulting in making Gibbs and his wife virtually prisoners in Government House, by cutting off his telephone, electricity and water.[7]

It also took away his ceremonial guard and official cars, and sent him bills for the rent of Government House, which he refused to pay.[8]However, his supporters set up a Governor's Fund to pay for the upkeep of the building, and with the assistance of a small staff, led byJohn Pestell,he managed to remain defiant.[9]

While Gibbs continued to occupy Government House, Dupont and his wife held official receptions at Governor's Lodge in theSalisburysuburb of Highlands.[10]This had previously been used by Gibbs when Southern Rhodesia was part of theFederation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.[11]During this time, Government House had been the residence of theGovernor-General of the Federation.[12]

In 1967, on the second anniversary of UDI, Gibbs declared that his visitors' book would be open to all those who wished to show their loyalty toThe Queen,while Dupont, in response, announced that the visitors' book at his office, on the same street, would be open to all those who wished to show their support for UDI.[13]

In June 1969, Gibbs resigned after Smith's government held and won areferendumthat year making Rhodesia a republic.[8]He remained in Rhodesia and lived the rest of his life on his farm. Throughout the 1970s he was known for supporting the cause of African nationalism, which brought him into conflict with the government of Ian Smith. Later he was appointed toHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Counciland was made a Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Victorian Order(GCVO) by QueenElizabeth II.After independence in 1980 he decided to "stay on" and took up Zimbabwean citizenship. He stayed on his farm where he had been living since 1970 until 1983 when he moved toHarare,where he lived until his death in 1990.[14]

Gibbs died inHarareon 5 November 1990, with his funeral held at theCathedral of St Mary and All Saints, Harare.[15][16]In 2004 a memorial to Gibbs byLettering and Sculpture Limitedwas unveiled inSt Paul's Cathedralin London.

Marriage

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On 17 January 1934, Gibbs married Molly Peel Nelson (b. 13 July 1912,Johannesburg) in Bulawayo, and they had five sons together. Molly Gibbs (LadyGibbs from 1960), was appointed as a Commander of theOrder of St John of Jerusalem(CStJ) in 1960, and a Dame Commander of theOrder of the British Empire(DBE) in 1969.[17][18]Following Gibbs' death in 1990, Molly Gibbs moved to England and died on 20 January 1997 inTunbridge Wells,Kent.

Honours

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Member ofThe Most Honourable Privy Council 1969
Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Victorian Order(GCVO) 9 July 1969[19]
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) 18 November 1965[20]
Knight Commander of theOrder of St Michael and St George(KCMG) NY 1960[21]
Knight of theOrder of St John of Jerusalem(KStJ) NY 1960[17]
Officer of theOrder of the British Empire(OBE; Civil Division) NY 1959[22]
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal Coronation 1953

References

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  1. ^Gibbs ready to quit in Rhodesia,The Glasgow Herald,23 June 1969
  2. ^Review:Humphrey Gibbs, Beleaguered Governor: Southern Rhodesia, 1929-69by Alan Megahey,Michael Carver,The International History Review,Vol. 21, No. 3 (Sep., 1999), pp. 791-793
  3. ^abBulletin,Volumes 3-4, Africa Institute of South Africa, 1965, pages 12-13
  4. ^Rhodesian independence, (Interim history),Robert W. Peterson, Facts on File, 1971, page 34
  5. ^Ian Smith Strips Gibbs Of All Official Privilege,Associated Press,The Morning Record,18 November 1965
  6. ^Rhodesian Government Hangs Two More Despite Protests,Associated Press,Gadsden Times,11 March 1968
  7. ^Sir Humphrey Gibbs; Britain's Last Governor of Rhodesia,Los Angeles Times,11 November 1990
  8. ^abQueen's man resigns,The Age,26 June 1969
  9. ^Sir John Pestell,Daily Telegraph,22 August 2005
  10. ^East Africa and Rhodesia,Volume 42, Africana, 1965, pages 339, 464
  11. ^Year Book and Guide of the Rhodesias and Nyasaland, with Biographies,Rhodesian Publications, Limited, 1962, page 33
  12. ^Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Newsletter,Issues 27-52,, 1960, page 428
  13. ^Power and Pragmatism: The memoirs of Malcolm Rifkind,Malcolm Rifkind,Biteback Publishing, 2016
  14. ^Humphrey Gibbs, Beleaguered Governor: Southern Rhodesia, 1929-69 by A. Megahey, 1998
  15. ^Peterhouse NostalgiaArchived19 September 2004 at theWayback Machine
  16. ^Humphrey Gibbs, 87, of Rhodesia And a Foe of White Rebels, Dies,The New York Times,8 November 1990
  17. ^ab"No. 41930".The London Gazette.15 January 1960. p. 444.
  18. ^"No. 44922".The London Gazette.22 August 1969. p. 8663.
  19. ^"No. 44894".The London Gazette.11 July 1969. p. 7213.
  20. ^"No. 43824".The London Gazette.26 November 1965. p. 11065.
  21. ^"No. 41909".The London Gazette(Supplement). 29 December 1959. p. 4.
  22. ^"No. 41589".The London Gazette(Supplement). 30 December 1958. p. 22.
Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member of Parliament forWankie
1948 – 1954 		Constituency abolished
Government offices
Preceded by Governor of Southern Rhodesia
1959 – 1969 		Succeeded byas Officer Administering the Government
(from 1965)
Vacant
Title next held by
Lord Soames
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