Sir Edward Charles Frederick Garraway,KCMG (10 March 1865 – 27 June 1932) was an Irish-born doctor and British colonial administrator who served as BritishResident Commissioner inBechuanaland andBasutoland.
Garraway was the eldest son of Colonel Charles Sutton Garraway, of Rockshire,Waterford. He was educated at Waterford Diocesan School and at themedical school ofTrinity College, Dublin. He then qualified as alicentiate of theRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland, before being appointed assistant district surgeon atMillwood,Cape Colony, in 1888.[1] He was appointed district surgeon atKuruman,British Bechuanaland in 1891, and in 1892 he became surgeon to the Bechuanaland Border Police, with whom he participated in theFirst Matabele War in 1893.[2] In 1895 he volunteered for the ill-fatedJameson Raid, and was taken prisoner, keeping a journal during his captivity.[2] In 1901 he was transferred to theSouth African Constabulary as Divisional Medical Officer, with the rank of major, and in 1905 was promoted Principal Medical Officer.[3]
In 1908 Garraway was appointed Military Secretary toLord Selborne,High Commissioner for Southern Africa, though he never served in the regular army. He became a close friend of Lord Selborne, who appreciated his wit and his "Irishness".[3] Garraway continued as Military Secretary whenLord Gladstone was appointedGovernor-General of South Africa in 1910. He was especially adept at organising 'big hunts' for his superiors.[3] In 1914 he was appointed special commissioner on the Southern Rhodesian Native Reserves Commission, representing the British government.[3]
In 1916 he was appointed byLord Buxton to be Resident Commissioner in theBechuanaland Protectorate, and in 1917 he was appointed Resident Commissioner inBasutoland, additionally serving as Lieutenant-Colonel commandingBasutoland Mounted Police. He retired in 1926 and returned to Rockshire, where he died in 1932.[3] A popular man, Garraway's obituary described him as "a charming, witty Irishman, who in all his travels never lost his delightful brogue".[3]
Garraway received theBritish South Africa Company Medal (Matabeleland 1893 andRhodesia 1896 clasp), theQueen's South Africa Medal with four clasps, and theKing's South Africa Medal with two clasps.[4] He was appointed aCMG in 1911 and advanced toKCMG in 1922.[3][4]
Garraway married Winifred Mary Harvey, eldest daughter of J. H. Harvey, JP, of Blackbrook Grove,Fareham,Hampshire, in 1905; they had two daughters.[3][4]