James Pinson Labulo Davies was a 19th-century African merchant-sailor, naval officer, influential businessman, farmer, pioneer industrialist, statesman, and philanthropist who married Sarah Forbes Bonetta in colonial Lagos.
Early life, education, and naval career
James Pinson Labulo Davies was born to James and Charlotte Davies in the village of Bathurst, Sierra Leone, then a British colony. His parents were recaptiveYoruba people liberated by the British West Africa Squadron from the Atlantic Slave Trade, and whose origins were in Abeokuta and Ogbomoso respectively. Davies entered the Church Missionary Society Grammar School,, in Freetown in 1848, where he studied mathematics, Greek, biblical and English history, geography, music, and Latin. After completing his secondary education, he became a teacher with the CMS in Freetown. After his stint as a teacher Davies enlisted as a cadet with the British Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron, and served on under Commander Robert Coote where he was trained in navigation and seamanship. Davies progressed from cadet to midshipman and eventually lieutenant.
Participation in the Lagos Bombardment of 1851 and merchant vessel career
Davies was a lieutenant aboard during the Bombardment of Lagos under the command of Commander Wilmot and Commodore Henry William Bruce and in which Oba Kosoko was ousted, resulting in the ascension of Oba Akitoye. During the bombardment the British Navy lost two officers and ten men were wounded. Lieutenant Davies was among the wounded. Davies retired from the navy in 1852 and offered his services as a merchant vessel captain traversing the West African coast. He eventually settled in Lagos in 1856, where he became known as "Captain J.P.L Davies".
Personal life and marriages
Davies was first married to Matilda Bonifacio Serrano, a Spanish lady from Havana, who died in 1860, nine months after their marriage. In August 1862, Davies married Sara Forbes Bonetta, a protegée of Queen Victoria. Sarah Forbes Bonetta, originally named Princess Aina, was a slave freed by Captain Forbes of the Bonetta after a meeting with King Ghezo of Dahomey. Sarah died of tuberculosis in 1880, and Davies married Catherine Kofoworola Reffle in 1889.
Cocoa farming pioneer in West Africa
Davies is credited with pioneering cocoa farming in west Africa after obtaining the cocoa seeds from a Brazilian ship and also from the island of Fernando Po in 1879 and 1880. Davies subsequently established a prosperous cocoa farm in Ijon, Western Lagos. Davies also helped spread cocoa farming knowledge to Jacob Kehinde Coker, who used the proceeds from his cocoa farm to support Christian evangelical interests. J.K Coker also headed the Agege Planters Union, which spread the cocoa throughout Yoruba territory. In April 1916, The Journal of African Society credited a native of Accra with introducing cocoa to mainland West Africa, but Justice W.B. Griffiths, colonial Chief Justice of Gold Coast, issued a rebuttal in the June 20, 1916 edition of the crediting his father, Sir Brandford Griffiths, the British governor of Gold Coast from 1885–1895, with pioneering cocoa farming in Gold Coast, noting that Davies predated his father as the cocoa pioneer in West Africa. Justice Griffith wrote:
As far as I'm aware, the first person to plant cocoa on the main-land was the late Capt. J.P.L. Davies, a well known native of Lagos, who in 1882 used to tell me about the farm he had lately just made beyond the Protectorate of Lagos.
Davies was also a close associate and friend of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther. Both men collaborated on a couple of Lagos social initiatives such as the opening of The Academy on 24 October 1866 with Bishop Crowther as the first patron and Davies as its first president. In April 1859 Davies provided Reverend Thomas Babington Macaulay with the seed funding to establish the CMS Grammar School, Lagos: £50 to buy books and equipment. With the seed funds, Macaulay opened CMS Grammar School on 6 June 1859. In 1867, Davies contributed another £100 toward a CMS Grammar School Building Fund. Other contributors to the CMS building fund were non-Saros such as Daniel Conrad Taiwo, AKA Taiwo Olowo, who contributed £50. Saro contributors also included men such as Moses Johnson, I.H. Willoughby, T.F. Cole, James George, and Charles Foresythe who contributed £40.
Death
Captain Davies died at his Lagos home on 29 August 1906 and was buried at Ajele Cemetery in Lagos on 30 August 1906.
