John Lionel Blakiston
Pioneer and Mazoe Patrol Victim
John Blakiston was born in Sussex, England on 24 June 1867. He was educated at Tonridge and Kings College in the United Kingdom. He traveled to South America in 1890 and in 1893 to South Africa. While in South Africa he was in 1895 offered a post with the Transcontinental Telegraphs Construction in Mashonaland.
In 1896 the Mashona Rebellion erupted led by the Matebele. A number of European settlers were stranded at Alice Mine in Mazowe. Blakiston volunteered and was sent accompanied by Trooper H.D Zimmerman to Mazowe with a light wagon inorder to bring back the stranded party to the Salisbury laager. Blakiston also later volunteered to telegraph Salisbury for more help when it seemed safe to leave the mine. Accompanied by T.G Routledge they went from the mines safety to the telegraph office. The two succeeded in sending a message to Salisbury and were both killed by Mashona warriors on their return to the mine.
A memorial site was erected in their memory on the old Mazoe Road and schools named after them. Blakiston Primary School and Selbourne Routledge both in Harare.
