Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery have been raising money to provide a headstone for a man who was a friend to the Zulu.
In 1825 Charles Rawden Maclean (a.k.a John Ross) was shipwrecked off the east coast of Africa aged only 10. He was taken under the wing of Zulu King Shaka and was one of the very first white men to witness the events of the King's court. Aged 12 he walked 600 miles to obtain essential medical supplies, and on his return named a hero by the Zulu.
He spent the rest of his life fighting for black liberty, died on a ship in the Solent, and was interred in an unmarked grave in the Cemetery
With the help of his home town Fraserburgh, Scotland, we will be holding a rededication service in May. There are numerous monuments to him in Durban, South Africa but not even a headstone here. For more information, or if youd like to donate to this fund, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..