Charles Lennox Stretch

Charles Lennox Stretch MLC (6 May 1797 – 13 October 1882), known locally as "Xolilizwe" ("peacemaker"), was a humanitarian, philanthropist, and a prominent member of the Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope.

Stretch was a fervent supporter of the policies of Andries Stockenström, in bringing a degree of peace to the frontier and reining back white settlers from moving into Xhosa lands.

For much of his career, Stretch was involved in a long-running struggle against the influential missionary Henry Calderwood – a fierce imperialist who worked to evict the Xhosa from their lands.

However he continued his activism unofficially, passing information on to his few remaining political allies in London and writing polemics against British frontier policies.

[1] Stretch was elected as Member of the Assembly (lower house) of the Cape Parliament when it was first formed in 1854, representing Fort Beaufort on the frontier together with Richard Joseph Painter.