Company rule in Rhodesia Africa. The Company's charter was duly revoked by Whitehall in 1923, and Southern Rhodesia became a self-governing colony of Britain in October that year. Northern Rhodesia became a directly-run British protectorate in April 1924. Amid the Scramble for Africa during the 1880s, the South African-based businessman and politician Cecil Rhodes envisioned the annexation to the British Empire of a bloc of territory connecting the Cape of Good Hope and Cairo—respectively at the southern and northern tips of Africa—and the concurrent construction of a line of rail linking the two. On geopolitical maps, British territories were generally marked in red or
Joshua Smith (English politician) Northampton. After his death his Erlestoke seat was sold to George Watson-Taylor. Joshua Smith (English politician) Joshua Smith (1732 – 20 March 1819) was an English politician. He was born the son of John Smith, a Lambeth merchant and became a timber merchant himself. He lived at Erlestoke Park, near Devizes, Wiltshire. He became a director of the East India Company in 1771, and was Member of Parliament (MP) for Devizes from 1788 to 1818. In 1766 he married Sarah, the daughter of Nathaniel Gilbert, judge and member of the legislative council of Antigua, with whom he had four daughters.