The web has thousands of pages on Jameson but unless British colonial history excites you, try my ‘back of an envelope’ version, which tells you just enough to know where the name came from:
A qualified MD, ‘Doctor Jim’ moved into politics and became Administrator General of Matabeleland (now Zimbabwe). In 1895 he led a force of soldiers into the Dutch colony of the Orange Free State. This is what is known as the ‘Jameson Raid’. The idea was to start an uprising among the British settlers and to overthrow the Boer government, who the British believed put unreasonable taxes on it’s subjects. They also happened to control the land where all the gold and diamonds were discovered. Too :-) “The British didn’t like to say they thought it wasn’t fair...”
Jameson and his force surrendered after achieving not much. Curiously, the Dutch handed Jameson to the British for trial and he spent 15 months in Jail. The long term consequences of the raid led to The Boer War, which resulted in these states becoming a single colony under British Rule. Several things don’t add up about this story. The official line was that he was a hot headed, alcoholic buffoon who acted on his own initiative without orders:
“Dr. Jim and all his men were waiting for the wire, three times they told him not to shoot, told him not to fire... later on he got things wrong as he scratched his double chin, he ordered his men forward, whilst drinking on their gin and men with liquor in their heads, you know they just can’t fight!”
Others believe the whole plot was cooked up by the British Government. They got cold feet at the last minute, thus dropping Jameson in it. Dr.Jim became the fall guy, took all the blame but kept his mouth shut. Most people would be finished politically after such a debacle but curiously Jameson rapidly rebuilt his career, became Prime Minister of the Cape Colony in 1904, was granted a peerage and died a baronet back in England in 1917.
Rudyard Kipling is supposed to have written his poem ‘If’ about Jameson:
‘If you can make a heap of all your winnings and risk it at one turn of pitch and toss and lose, and start again from your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss... If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you...’.
Can’t stand the damn poem myself! For the definitive version of events I suggest you consult ‘The Raid’ by Jameson Raid.
“So remember as you go home tonight, protected by the law, The Raid lives on inside this band, so bolt your f*ckin’ door!!!”
