John Augustus Abayomi-Cole

Dr. John Augustus Abayomi-Cole (1848–1943) was a Sierra Leonean Christian minister, medical doctor and herbalist.

Early life

Abayomi-Cole was born in Ilorin, Nigeria in 1848. He was educated in Sierra Leone first in a school set up by A. B. C. Sibthorpe. His secondary education was at C. M. S. Grammar School (now known as Sierra Leone Grammar School) in Freetown.[1] He later attended Fourah Bay College where he trained as a medical doctor.[2]

Christian ministry

On graduating from secondary school Abayomi-Cole taught at the Evangelical United Brethren Church School. In his mid-twenties he travelled to the United States (U.S.) to continue his studies. Whilst in the U. S. he was ordained a Minister in the American Wesleyan Methodist church.[3] He attended their General Conference in 1887, where he pleaded for missionaries to be sent to Sierra Leone. This led to a small mission led by Rev. Henry Johnston being dispatched there in 1889.[4] Abayomi as part of this mission became superintendent of the Maroon Chapel but differences with the congregation led to his resignation. By 1905 Abayomi-Cole had set up his own church, the Gospel Mission Hall.[3]

Herbalist

Following his departure from the Maroon Chapel Abayomi ventured into growing herbs and spices. Initially starting with ginger, which was in high demand in Europe, he expanded to farm a range of other crops and branched into using herbs and spices to treat common ailments such as rheumatism.[3] The popularity of Abayomi-Cole's herbalism led to him becoming a medical adviser to the Sierra Leone governor Leslie Probyn.

Due to his commitment to sustainable farming methods and crop diversification, Abayomi-Cole founded the Sierra Leone Farmers' Association in 1909 and the Agricultural Society in 1922.[5]

Political career

Abayomi-Cole was a member of the Sierra Leone National Defence Fund set up in 1908 to support Africans subjected to racial bias accusations by the British colonialists.[5]

Works

  • The Hope of Sherbro's Future Greatness: A Lecture Delivered at Shaingay (1885) Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House
  • Revelation of the Secret Orders of Western Africa: Including an Explanation of the Beliefs and Customs of African Heathenism (1886) Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House

References

  1. ^ G, Wyse, Akintola J. (1846–1943). "Abayomi-Cole, John Augustus". Dictionary of African Christian Biography. Retrieved 16 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Johnson, Elizabeth Ofosuah (10 August 2018). "British colonialists in West Africa survived Malaria in the early 1900s thanks to this Nigerian-born herbalist". Face2Face Africa. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Sandiford, Keith A. P. (2008). A BLACK STUDIES PRIMER Heroes and Heroines of the African Diaspora. Hansib Publications. ISBN 978-1906190064.
  4. ^ "The Discipline of the Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone" (PDF). wesleyan.org. Annual District Conference of The Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone. 1985. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  5. ^ a b eap_admin (29 January 2024). "ABAYOMI-COLE, JOHN AUGUSTUS". Encyclopaedia Africana. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  • Wyse, Akintola J. G. (1985). "The Sierra Leone Branch of the National Congress of British West Africa, 1918–1946". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 18 (4): 675–698. doi:10.2307/218802. JSTOR 218802.
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