By Iyamide Thomas – In an occurrence unlikely to ever repeat itself, the achievements of three ‘Krio’ trailblazers have been marked with the unveiling of plaques in various parts of the United Kingdom within a space of five weeks!
These ‘Notable Krios’ were Irene Ighodaro, Constance Cummings-John and John Henry Smythe, two of whom I’m proud to say I knew. The ‘Krios’ are direct descendants of various groups of African-American, African and Caribbean previously enslaved and free peoples resettled in Sierra Leone by British abolitionists starting from 1787, in what they called the ‘Province of Freedom’. Later settlers renamed it ‘Free Town’, which subsequently known as ‘Freetown’ remains the capital city of Sierra Leone. Krio history and heritage is uniquely linked to that of Britain, Africa, America and the Caribbean as reflected in the language, architecture, dress and traditions.
Irene Elizabeth Beatrice Ighodaro (neeWellesley-Cole) was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in May 1916. In 1938 Irene entered University of Durham to study medicine and was reportedly one of only three women in a class of 60. In 1944 she became the first Sierra Leonean woman to qualify as a doctor and she specialised in gynaecology. Irene Ighodaro participated in Britain’s Second World War effort in Newcastle by treating German Prisoners of War casualties as well as British soldiers. She workedas a house officer at the Royal Victoria Infirmary from 1944 –5 and whilst there also worked on the decontamination squad. In 2024, Dr Irene Ighodaro was among a selection of African women who worked for the British Health Service who were celebrated on a mural by Guy’s Hospital in London. On Wednesday, 25th June 2025, Dr Irene Ighodaro was honoured with a commemorative plaque at Easton Hall, Eskdale Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle where she lived as a medical student. Attendees at the unveiling ceremony included her son Anthony Ighodaro, Beverley Prevatt Goldstein, Co-ordinator of African Lives in Northern England Project (which submitted the application for the plaque) and the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor Henry Gallagher.
On Saturday, 28 June 2025 members of the Krio Descendants Union UK &Ireland were honoured to attend the unveiling of a blue plaque commemorating Mrs Constance Agatha Cummings-John (nee Horton) ‘educator, activist and pioneer of women’s rights’ at the house in Tooting, South London where she lived for many years. The plaque was an initiative of Summerstown 182 which also brings history walks, talks and tours along the Wandle Valley and is led by Geoff Simmons. Attendees at the ceremony included members of the Cummings-John family, Tooting Member of Parliament, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan and children from a local school.
Constance Cummings-John was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in December 1918 to the prominent Krio Horton family. Her father was City Treasurer and her mother a concert pianist. At the age of 20 she became the youngest and first woman elected to the Freetown Municipal Council and in 1966 she was elected as the Mayor of Freetown, thus becoming the first African woman to govern a capital city in Africa. She founded the Eleanor Roosevelt Girls School in Freetown and the Sierra Leone Women’s Movement. She became involved in politics and was influenced by political activist, Mr I.T.A Wallace-Johnson and joined him in inaugurating his West African Youth League. In London, Constance Cummings-John was an active member of the Labour Party, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and a school Governor. She died in London in February 2000 aged 82. A legacy she has recently left in Sierra Leone showing the high esteem in which she is held, is that she is now depicted in the new twenty Leone banknote.
John (‘Johnny’) Henry Smythe was born in Freetown in 1916. When World War 2 broke and a volunteer force for the British Royal Air Force (RAF) was needed, he became an RAF pilot officer and navigator. As a navigator he helped pilots flying Lancaster bombers stay on course during 27 bombing missions in Germany and Italy. In November 1943, their plane was shot down and Johnny Smythe spent 18 months in a German prisoner of war camp. After the war, he was seconded to the British Colonial Office and was appointed Senior Officer on the Empire Windrush ship. His role involved responsibility for repatriating demobilised troops from the colonies. Johnny Smythe travelled on the Empire Windrush dropping off Caribbean troops. However, there was little or no work for them back home and so he suggested they return back to England, thus playing an important part in the ‘Windrush Story’.
On 26 July 2025 a blue plaque was unveiled in Thame, Oxfordshire at the house where Johnny Smythe spent the last few years of his life. Attendees at the ceremony included his children, the Mayor and Deputy Mayors of Thame Cllrs. Andy Gilbert and David Dawson respectively, members of the Royal Air Force (RAF), members of Thame Museum (which has an exhibition on Johnny Smythe), representatives from Lord Williams School which awards a John Smythe competition trophy and members of Krio Descendants Union UKI. In 1950, John Henry Smythe successfully qualified as a lawyer before returning to Sierra Leone in 1951.
Krio Descendants Union UKI to Tell these ‘Untold Stories’
In 2023, the Krio Descendants Union UK & Ireland (KDU-UKI) successfully won a Mayor of London’s ‘Untold Stories Test and Nurture’ grant to consult their community on how to tell their stories in London’s public space. In a project titled ‘Untold Stories of London’s Unique Historical Links to the Krio People of Sierra Leone’ the consensus was for both a public and digital mural of a historical timeline detailing the impact ‘Notable Krios’ have had in London and beyond. KDU-UKI hopes it will secure further funding to proceed with the second phase of the project. It is no surprise that amongst the compilation of ‘Notable Krios’ which evolved from our ‘test and nurture’ project, were the names of these three Krio trailblazers who were recently marked!
As a pastime, Iyamide Thomas is a Public Historian who researches and contributes to showcasing Krio history and heritage in non-academic settings. She initiated and co-curated ‘The Krios of Sierra Leone’ exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands and co-leads an ‘Untold Stories’ project as a member of the Krio Descendants Union UK & Ireland.
Acknowledgement
My thanks to family members of the three featured trailblazers who kindly contributed images for this article.
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