ORIGIN OF THE NAME "PORT HARCOURT"

DID YOU KNOW?


Port Harcourt in Rivers state was named after Lord Lewis Vernon Harcourt, a rapist and a paedophile.

When the Port was established in 1912, there was much controversy about the name it should receive. In August 1913, the Governor-General of Nigeria, Sir Frederick Lugard wrote to Harcourt, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, "in the absence of any convenient local name, I would respectfully ask your permission to call this Port Harcourt", to which the Secretary of State replied, "It gives me pleasure to accede to your suggestion that my name should be associated with the new Port."

Harcourt was known as a sexual predator attracted to both sexes.

He attempted to rape Dorothy Brett, the daughter of Lord Esher, and followed this by an attempt to seduce his son. Dorothy Brett wrote of him that "it is so tiresome that Loulou is such an old roué. He is as bad with boys as with girls ... he is simply a sex maniac.

It isn't that he is in love. It is just ungovernable Sex desire for both sexes". His criminal perversion was known and tolerated in certain private quarters.

After, however, he attempted to rape a 12-year-old boy (Edward James, who grew up to become a great collector of surrealist and other contemporary art), the boy's mother began making the matter public. Faced with public exposure, Harcourt committed suicide by taking an overdose of a sedative at his London home in Brook Street on 24 February 1922, aged 59.

Port Harcourt as we know it now, is also called the Garden city because of its numerous avenues and ornaments, Port harcourt is the 3rd most developed metropolis in Nigeria after Lagos and Abuja. The city dubbed Nigeria’s oil capital is arguably the oil hub of Africa.

Aside from being the oil capital, Port Harcourt is also known for the vibrant late-night activities and entertainment scene. There are several public houses, lounges, clubs, dance bars and restaurants spread out around the city.

I guess the vile character of Lord Lewis Harcourt did not rub off on the city, or did it?

Are you resident in Port Harcourt? What are the best sights to see if we come visiting?