Papers of Sir John Pestell

Material relating to Rhodesian independence, the Unilateral Declaration of Independence and the role of the Governor after 11th November 1975.
Material from Sir Humphrey Gibbs' office includes a folio of public statements dated 11th November 1965 to 20th February 1966, transcript notes on The Six Principles and a small selection of correspondence. Other papers concern the Constitutional Commission and Rhodesian Constitutional Association, 1967-1969; the 1969 Constitutional Referendum; churches' political activities, 1965-1969; the Centre Party, 1968-1969; the Rhodesian Front; the Candour League; The Forum, 1967-1969; the Joint Africa Board, 1966-1967; sanctions and the Rhodesian economy, 1966-1969.

Sir John Pestell was as private secretary and comptroller to Sir Humphrey Gibbs, governor of Southern Rhodesia, 1965-1969, during the four years in which Gibbs remained as Governor after the colony rebelled and declared independence. Sir John had worked for the British South African Police in Southern Rhodesia, 1939-1965 and served as Major in the Cyrenaica Defence Force, 1944-1949. He was Secretary and Comptroller to the Governor of Southern Rhodesia, 1965-1969 and Adjudicator, Immigration Appeals, Harmondsworth, 1970-1987. He was made KCVO in 1969. In 1951 he married Betty Parish, with whom he had three daughters.

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws.

Sir John Pestell was as private secretary and comptroller to Sir Humphrey Gibbs, governor of Southern Rhodesia, 1965-1969, during the four years in which Gibbs remained as Governor after the colony rebelled and declared independence. Sir John had worked for the British South African Police in Southern Rhodesia, 1939-1965 and served as Major in the Cyrenaica Defence Force, 1944-1949. He was Secretary and Comptroller to the Governor of Southern Rhodesia, 1965-1969 and Adjudicator, Immigration Appeals, Harmondsworth, 1970-1987. He was made KCVO in 1969. In 1951 he married Betty Parish, with whom he had three daughters.

Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.

Further accruals are not expected.

Papers of Sir John Pestell, 1965-1994, held at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford (GB 161 MSS. Afr. s. 2208).

The items were filmed from the collection of Sir John Pestell.

Published

GB 193