Fred C. (Frederick Carruthers) Cornell

Born in Devon on May 6, 1867, Frederick Carruthers Cornell was educated at Bedford School and went on to lead an unusually varied life as a soldier, geologist, prospector, editor, and author. Before settling in southern Africa, he worked in mining in Brazil and Mexico and later ran a hotel in Madeira.

Cornell arrived in South Africa in the early 1900s and became closely associated with Namaqualand and the wider region. His experiences in prospecting and travel fed directly into his writing, especially The Glamour of Prospecting and A Rip Van Winkle of the Kalahari, and Other Tales of South-West Africa, which draw on the landscapes, people, and hardships he encountered.

He was also known for his military service during the Maritz Rebellion and the First World War, for which he was awarded an OBE. He died in London on March 6, 1921, but his work remains a lively record of adventure, mining life, and colonial-era southern Africa as seen by someone who spent years in the field.