Papers of Eileen and Michael Haddon

Press cuttings and documents on Zambia and on black politics in Rhodesia, and on welfare societies in Southern Rhodesia.
File 1: Zambia: Press cuttings, miscellaneous documents.
File 2: Rhodesia: Press cuttings and mimeographed documents on black politics; press statements from the Front for the Liberation of Zimbabwe (FROLIZI); Zimbabwe Youth Council Constitution; Zimbabwe African Watch Committee documents.
File 3: Records of the Inter-Racial Association of Southern Rhodesia, Salisbury Branch.
3A: Branch correspondence 1957-1958, mainly dealing with membership subscriptions, club activities, political policies, letters from members, legal discrimination against Africans, membership forms etc. c. 300 items.
3B: Draft Declaration of African Affairs; circular; address at the inaugural meeting 25th July 1953; draft constitution. 4 items. (Donated by L.G. Greaves, OBE).
File 4: Records of the Kuwadzana Club. These records, which date mainly from 1961-1962, consist of 109 items of correspondence (mainly to and from the General Secretary, TRS Turton) and 10 pages of press cuttings. They include appeals for financial support and replies: letters relating to non-racial sporting activities of the club; publicity sent to newspapers; letters about the development of the club; letters on racialism and sport in Southern Rhodesia; on the difficulties of obtaining European support; on politicians and the club; on the application to the Duke of Edinburgh for official patronage; on the club's relationship with the National Sports Centre.

Eileen Haddon was born in Boksberg, South Africa, on 9 March 1921. She started to study medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand but could not complete the course for lack of funding. In October 1942, she married Michael Haddon. The Haddons had moved to Britain while Michael saw service during WW2 with the Royal Marines. Their first son, Bryan, was born in 1945. At the end of the war they returned to South Africa and Michael resumed his work in mining. Increasingly aware of injustices and the need for social change it was while in South Africa that Eileen’s involvement in the South African Institute of Race Relations began. With the success of the Nationalist party and beginning of apartheid in 1948, the Haddons left South Africa for Southern Rhodesia, where their second son was born the same year and Michael established a mining consultancy business.
In the early 1950s, the Haddons helped to found the Interracial Association, which Eileen chaired. They were also involved with the United Rhodesia party and were influenced greatly by Guy Clutton-Brock and his wife Molly (who’d established the country's first farm cooperative) and by the nascent African nationalist movement.
Eileen began her writing career, addressing key issues of inequality and discrimination in her work. In the face of the detention without trial of hundreds of nationalists, the Haddons helped to establish the Legal Aid and Welfare Fund to assist political detainees and their families under the Smith regime. They made their own smallholding, Cold Comfort Farm, the base for a multiracial cooperative launched by Clutton-Brock and others.
In 1960, Eileen joined the progressive newspaper, the Central African Examiner, based in Salisbury (now Harare), 'one of the few real forums for African opinion in Rhodesia'. In 1962 she took over editorship of the Examiner. The paper and Haddons both faced increasing governmental scrutiny and hostility. The newspaper was forced to suspend publication in December 1965 and Michael himself was, very shortly afterwards, jailed for three years by the Smith regime. He was forced to sell his mine and on release from prison in 1969, the couple moved, briefly, to Britain and then to Zambia. In Zambia Eileen worked as publicity officer at the University of Zambia, 1971-77. Following Zimbabwe’s independence, the Haddons returned to Harare in 1981. Eileen continued her work as a liberal journalist in Zimbabwe, both writing and editing. Michael died in 1996 and Eileen died in July 2003.

Born in 1915 in KweKwe, Southern Rhodesia, of wealthy parents Michael Haddon went to Dragon School, Oxford, and then to Harrow in the UK, before attending the Royal School of Mines in London. He returned to work on the Rand mines, before seeing service with the South African Artillery and Royal Marines during the Second World War. Based in Britain while Michael was with the Royal Marines, at the end of the war the couple returned to South Africa and Michael resumed his work in mining. Increasingly aware of injustices and the need for social change it was while in South Africa that the couple became active members of the Institute of Race Relations in Johannesburg. With the success of the Nationalist party and beginning of apartheid in 1948, the Haddons left South Africa for Southern Rhodesia, where their second son was born the same year and Michael established a mining consultancy business.
In Rhodesia the Haddons joined the Interracial Association, supported Garfield Todd, and knew Guy and Molly Clutton-Brock at St Faith's Mission. The Haddons supported non-racialism and the cause of African nationalism. With Eileen Michael Haddon played a leading role in setting up the Legal Aid and Welfare Fund to assist political detainees and their families. Under Ian Smith's regime their farm, Cold Comfort Farm, became a renowned multiracial co-operative and helped political dissidents. Michael was jailed for three years by Ian Smith's Rhodesia Front government. He was forced to sell his mine and on release from prison, in 1969 moved to Britain for a year before settling in Zambia where he taught at the University's School of Mines. Following Zimbabwe’s independence, the Haddons returned to Harare in 1981. Here, Michael established the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, with which he was closely involved until his retirement in 1990, aged 75. He died in 1996.

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

Eileen Haddon was born in Boksberg, South Africa, on 9 March 1921. She started to study medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand but could not complete the course for lack of funding. In October 1942, she married Michael Haddon. The Haddons had moved to Britain while Michael saw service during WW2 with the Royal Marines. Their first son, Bryan, was born in 1945. At the end of the war they returned to South Africa and Michael resumed his work in mining. Increasingly aware of injustices and the need for social change it was while in South Africa that Eileen’s involvement in the South African Institute of Race Relations began. With the success of the Nationalist party and beginning of apartheid in 1948, the Haddons left South Africa for Southern Rhodesia, where their second son was born the same year and Michael established a mining consultancy business.
In the early 1950s, the Haddons helped to found the Interracial Association, which Eileen chaired. They were also involved with the United Rhodesia party and were influenced greatly by Guy Clutton-Brock and his wife Molly (who’d established the country's first farm cooperative) and by the nascent African nationalist movement.
Eileen began her writing career, addressing key issues of inequality and discrimination in her work. In the face of the detention without trial of hundreds of nationalists, the Haddons helped to establish the Legal Aid and Welfare Fund to assist political detainees and their families under the Smith regime. They made their own smallholding, Cold Comfort Farm, the base for a multiracial cooperative launched by Clutton-Brock and others.
In 1960, Eileen joined the progressive newspaper, the Central African Examiner, based in Salisbury (now Harare), 'one of the few real forums for African opinion in Rhodesia'. In 1962 she took over editorship of the Examiner. The paper and Haddons both faced increasing governmental scrutiny and hostility. The newspaper was forced to suspend publication in December 1965 and Michael himself was, very shortly afterwards, jailed for three years by the Smith regime. He was forced to sell his mine and on release from prison in 1969, the couple moved, briefly, to Britain and then to Zambia. In Zambia Eileen worked as publicity officer at the University of Zambia, 1971-77. Following Zimbabwe’s independence, the Haddons returned to Harare in 1981. Eileen continued her work as a liberal journalist in Zimbabwe, both writing and editing. Michael died in 1996 and Eileen died in July 2003.

Born in 1915 in KweKwe, Southern Rhodesia, of wealthy parents Michael Haddon went to Dragon School, Oxford, and then to Harrow in the UK, before attending the Royal School of Mines in London. He returned to work on the Rand mines, before seeing service with the South African Artillery and Royal Marines during the Second World War. Based in Britain while Michael was with the Royal Marines, at the end of the war the couple returned to South Africa and Michael resumed his work in mining. Increasingly aware of injustices and the need for social change it was while in South Africa that the couple became active members of the Institute of Race Relations in Johannesburg. With the success of the Nationalist party and beginning of apartheid in 1948, the Haddons left South Africa for Southern Rhodesia, where their second son was born the same year and Michael established a mining consultancy business.
In Rhodesia the Haddons joined the Interracial Association, supported Garfield Todd, and knew Guy and Molly Clutton-Brock at St Faith's Mission. The Haddons supported non-racialism and the cause of African nationalism. With Eileen Michael Haddon played a leading role in setting up the Legal Aid and Welfare Fund to assist political detainees and their families. Under Ian Smith's regime their farm, Cold Comfort Farm, became a renowned multiracial co-operative and helped political dissidents. Michael was jailed for three years by Ian Smith's Rhodesia Front government. He was forced to sell his mine and on release from prison, in 1969 moved to Britain for a year before settling in Zambia where he taught at the University's School of Mines. Following Zimbabwe’s independence, the Haddons returned to Harare in 1981. Here, Michael established the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, with which he was closely involved until his retirement in 1990, aged 75. He died in 1996.

A reprographics service is available to researchers subject to the access restrictions outlined above. Copying will not be undertaken if there is any risk of damage to the document. Copies are supplied in accordance with the Borthwick Institute for Archives' terms and conditions for the supply of copies, and under provisions of any relevant copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.

Further accruals are not expected.

* Southern Rhodesian Legal Aid and Welfare Fund correspondence, Borthwick Institute (GB 193 SRL)
* Zimbabwe: Pressure Groups Material, Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library, University of London (GB 101 PG.ZW)
* Southern Rhodesia Legal Aid and Welfare Fund 1959-1967, Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library, University of London (GB 101 ICS 107)

Published

GB 193