BIOGRAPHY OF HENRY CARR

Henry Carr (15 August 1863 – 1945) was a distinguished Nigerian educator and administrator. He was among the most notable West Africans of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and served as a member of the Lagos Legislative Council from 1918 to 1924.

Background and Education
Henry Carr was born in the Colony of Lagos on 15 August 1863 to Amuwo Carr and Rebecca Carr, liberated Saro emigrants of Yoruba heritage. Following the death of his father in Abeokuta when Henry was just seven, his mother took on the responsibility of his upbringing. Henry received his elementary education at Wesleyan School, Olowogbowo. Sponsored by Reverend T.B. Thomas, a close friend of his mother, he continued his secondary education at Wesleyan High School in Freetown, British Sierra Leone. At Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone, he earned an honours degree in 1880, becoming the first graduate to achieve this distinction. He furthered his studies in England, enrolling at Lincoln's Inn, St. Mark's College, Chelsea (now University of St Mark & St John), and the Royal College of Science, South Kensington. In 1882, he graduated with an honours B.A. in mathematics and physical science from Durham University. He obtained a B.C.L degree from Lincoln's Inn in 1906 and was made Chancellor of the Diocese of Western Equatorial Africa in the same year. Henry Carr was married to Henrietta Robbin.

Career in West Africa
Returning to Nigeria in 1885, Carr began teaching at CMS Grammar School, Lagos. He joined the Colonial Civil Service in 1889 as chief clerk in the Secretariat and sub-inspector of schools. In 1892, he was appointed inspector of schools, becoming the first Black person to hold this position, and was later made assistant colonial secretary for native affairs in 1900. Carr continued to make significant contributions, serving on the Board of Education, as director of education from 1906 to 1918, and becoming the Resident of the Colony of Nigeria in 1918, making him the first Black man in this role under British colonial rule.

Before World War II, few Africans advanced beyond the role of chief clerk in colonial administration. The influx of expatriates into Nigeria, due to declining European death rates, often resulted in their rapid career advancement, further limiting opportunities for West Africans. The restrictions on African career advancement were partly due to British officials' suspicions following an embezzlement case in Ghana, though some critics questioned the fairness of these policies.

Career Chronology

Dr. Henry Rawlinson Carr, B.A. Dunelm (1882); M.A., B.C.L. Dunelm by examination and private study (1906); Honorary D.C.L. Dunelm (1934); I.S.O. (1920); O.B.E. (1929); C.B.E. (1934).
School master, Lagos Grammar School (1885-1889); inspector of schools of the Colony of Lagos (1900 and 1903–1906); senior inspector of schools of the Western Provinces of the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria (1906-1915); chief inspector of schools of the Southern Provinces of Nigeria (1915-1928).
Commissioner (later renamed Resident) of the Colony of Lagos (1918-1924).
Member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn (registered 1909), worshipful chancellor of the Diocese of Western Equatorial Africa (1906-1919) and of the Lagos Diocese (1920-1945), and First Vice President of the Lagos Institute for the Study of Arts and Letters, among other roles.
Feud with Herbert Macaulay
The animosity between Henry Carr and Herbert Macaulay is well-documented but its origins remain unclear. Carr accused Macaulay of lacking integrity and exploiting his political position for personal gain. In his diaries, Carr referred to Macaulay as a "crooked mind and dangerous fool" and disapproved of Macaulay's influential role despite his criminal convictions. In 1924, Macaulay published a defamatory pamphlet titled "Henry Carr Must Go," falsely alleging that Carr's father was a polygamist who abandoned his family. These attacks shaped public perception of Carr as aloof and distant.

The Henry Carr Library and Contributions to Education
Similar to his rival Macaulay, Carr amassed an extensive collection of books, known as The Henry Carr Library, totaling 18,000 volumes at his residence, "The Haven," in Tinubu Square, Lagos Island. He allowed local schoolchildren to access his library. According to Hope Rossiter, Carr's library reflected his personal selection and was a testament to his remarkable achievements. Carr's library was later acquired by the Nigerian government and became the foundation of the University College, Ibadan's library.

Carr also played a pivotal role in establishing King's College Lagos. As Acting Director of Education, he advised Governor Walter Egerton on the educational framework for the college and persuaded the London Board of Education of the institution's significance to Nigeria's development.