Sidney Shippard

Sir Sidney Godolphin Alexander Shippard, KCMG (29 May 1837 – 29 March 1902) was a British barrister and colonial administrator, who served as Resident Commissioner of the Bechuanaland Protectorate 1885–1895.

Shippard, while at Oxford in 1878, had discussed with Cecil Rhodes the plan of the projected British advance in south central Africa.

Consequently, when after the Warren expedition of 1885 he was chosen to organize the newly acquired British possessions in Bechuanaland he saw in his appointment an opportunity for forestalling the Germans, and also the Boer adventurers who likewise sought to be beforehand with Britain in the countries north of the Limpopo.

At the end of 1887 he went to Graham's Town with the hope of inducing the high commissioner (Sir Hercules Robinson afterwards Lord Rosmead) to sanction the conclusion of a treaty with Lobengula binding that ruler not to cede any part of his territory to any other power than England.

"I used all my power of persuasion," Sir Sidney writes, "but failed to induce Lord Rosmead either to act on his own responsibility in the matter or to approach Her Majesty's government on the subject.

As a last resource I telegraphed to Mr Rhodes, who was then busily engaged at Kimberley, to come down at once to Graham's Town and try the effect of his eloquence.

He came, and by taking upon himself all pecuniary responsibility succeeded in obtaining the requisite sanction" (see article "Bechuanaland," by Sir S Shippard, in British Africa, London, 1899).