The People: Traders |
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Richard E. Dennett was born in Valparaiso, the son of Rev. Richard Dennett, Rector of Ashton, near Chudleigh in Devon. Educated in England, he was employed by the Liverpool firm of Hatton & Cookson in the lower Congo area in 1879.
He started a manuscript newspaper, the "Congo Mirror" and was instrumental in the formation of the Congo Reform Association which campaigned against the excesses of Belgian colonial rule in the Congo Free State. He gave a substantial collection of figurines and other objects from the Lower Congo area to the Museum in 1889. Many of these are on display in the Central Africa case. The most spectacular item is the priest's costume.
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Robert Treffry was the eldest of three brothers. George, the youngest, managed a tea warehouse in Fore Street, Exeter. He had friends and relatives in Cornwall, Canada and New Granada.
Robert and John both went out to South America to work for mining companies, Robert to New Granada and John, the middle brother, to Brazil. Robert was also appointed Vice-Consul in Honda, New Granada, now part of northern Colombia.Robert Treffry donated thirty-one items of archaeological material from Colombia, including the six-legged stone quern.
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John Gould Veitch |
Veitch & Sons, the Exeter firm of nurserymen, was established in 1832. Between 1840 and 1880, plant collectors were sent to many parts of the world; the South America, South-east Asia, India, Japan, China, the Pacific Islands and Africa. They brought back or sent back artefacts in amongst the carefully packed plant specimens.
The company built up a collection which it displayed to the public when it moved to Kings Road, Chelsea in 1853. After 1880 some of the objects were returned to Exeter to be given to the Museum.
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A
portrait of an older James Veitch can be seen on the Devon
County Council website.
