Papers of George Gordon Hake

The papers include correspondence (1891-1903) from George Hake, mainly to his wife and children during the time of his work in South Africa. Also miscellaneous material collected by Hake including extracts of correspondence relating to the British South Africa Company in Mashonaland and Matabeleland, and copies of the Rhodesia Chronicle and Mashonaland Advertiser (1892-1893).

George Gordon Hake was born in 1847. He spent thirteen years from 1891 working in South Africa, initially with the British South Africa Company and later with the Tanganyika Telegraph Service during 1889 and 1903 in the Mashonaland area. He died in 1903 and was buried at Port Herald.

George Gordon Hake was closely connected to the Rossetti family in their later years, acting as a 'minder' to Dante Gabriel Rossetti during one of their family holidays. Christina Rossetti was also godmother to his daughter Ursula.

The correspondence is arranged in chronological order.

Open

Donated in 1964.

Unpublished finding aid

Related Collections at SOAS: Hake, Andrew [PP MS 46].

Associated Material held elsewhere: Letters to the Hakes from Christina Rossetti are held at the British Library.