COLONIAL WARS IN AFRICA

      The 19th century saw the rapid expansion of the Empire on which 'the sun never set'. The period is marked by a series of wars -- mostly minor but some major -- that were waged throughout Asia, Africa ad Pacific Oceana. In most cases these wars were waged in connection with or led to commercial, social and religious development. In some cases, settlement was also an objective.

      Macphersons were associated with some of these developments as were most of the other subjects of HRH Queen Victoria. In much of the 19th century service in the military was one of the few avenues to fame that was open to them as it was for most Highlanders. In the 20th century that changed as we will demonstrate in subsequent Panels.

      Panels 40 (British East India Company) and 51 (the Indian Mutiny) examine some of the incidents and contributions of individual Macphersons that led to developments in Asia. This panel examines the contributions of some Macphersons in Africa. Of the many opportunities for involvement on the 'dark continent' three are of particular interest -- the Ashanti campaign in what was then the Gold Coast but now Ghana (1873-4), the Egyptian campaign (Tel-el-Kebir 1882), and the Boer War in South Africa (1899-1902).