| James Francis Durham | |
|---|---|
 James Francis Durham in 1909 | |
| Birth name | Mustapha |
| Born | c. 1883 Sudan |
| Died | August 8, 1910(1910-08-08) (aged 26–27) Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Buried | Fermoy Military Cemetery |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1899 – 1910 |
| Rank | Private first class |
| Service number | 6758 |
| Unit | Durham Light Infantry |
| Known for | First African soldier in the British Army |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Green |
| Children | Frances Durham |
James Francis Durham (c. 1883 – 8 August 1910), originally named Mustapha (Arabic: مصطفي), was a Sudanese child found and adopted by the Durham Light Infantry after the Battle of Ginnis in 1885 during the Mahdist War. He is likely the first African soldier in the British Army.
Biography
In 1885, a young Mustapha was found alone near the Nile by the 2nd Battalion of The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) after the Battle of Ginnis against the Mahdist State. Following the battle, a patrol led by Lieutenant Henry de Lisle found the child near a river barge on the Nile. The boy's father, a Sheik, had been killed in the battle, and his mother had fled, leaving him alone. The regiment adopted him, first naming him Jimmy Dervish before christening him James Francis Durham, named after two soldiers and the regiment itself, and he was raised within the battalion.
Initially treated as a regimental mascot, James quickly adapted, learning English and integrating into the DLI's life. The soldiers paid for his education as they travelled through Egypt and India, where he learned to play the bugle. In 1899, at approximately 14, he officially joined the DLI as a boy bandsman, an enlistment approved by Queen Victoria due to its unique nature. On 23 May 1899, James – Boy Soldier Number 6758 – became the first African soldier in the British Army.
Known for his athleticism and commitment to temperance, he managed the battalion's branch of the Army Temperance Association.
In 1908, James returned to England with the regiment, where he married Jane Green of Bishop Auckland, the daughter of a local blacksmith and sister of a Quartermaster Sergeant with the DLI. While stationed in Fermoy, Ireland, he died of pneumonia on 8 August 1910, just weeks before the birth of his daughter, Frances. He was buried in Fermoy Military Cemetery.
References
- ^ "BBC - Tyne Roots - Black History Month - The story of Jimmy Durham the first Black African to join the British Army as a fully enlisted soldier". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ O'Keeffe, Donal (14 February 2018). "Jimmy Durham, the only Black soldier in Victoria's Army, buried in Fermoy". The Avondhu Newspaper. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ Donald, Kevin (16 June 2017). "The amazing story of the only black soldier to serve in Queen Victoria's Army". The Mirror. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- "Jimmy Durham's life". durhamrecordoffice.org.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- ^ Abraham, Keshia N. (14 November 2022). "Incredible story of Britain's first black soldier 'Jimmy' Durham". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- Sheen, John (10 March 2010). Steel of the DLI: Second Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry at War 1914–1918. Casemate Publishers. p. 1902. ISBN 978-1-78340-990-7.
- "The Story of Jimmy Durham". durhamrecordoffice.org.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
- A Sense of Fermoy. J.J. Bunyan. 1984. p. 21.
External links
- The History Chap (12 January 2023). Sudanese Dervish Orphan Who Became the British Army's First Black Soldier in 1899. Retrieved 19 January 2025 – via YouTube.