PLOWDEN, WALTER CHICHELE

Walter Chichele Plowden (August 3, 1820-March 13. 1860) was the first British consul to Ethiopia and was a friend of Emperor Tewodros II  (reigned 1855-68].

He was born in England, the youngest son of Trevor Chichele Plowden of the Bengal (India) Civil Service. After four years of work with a mercantile firm in India, Plowden entered Ethiopia from Egypt in 1843. He first travelled together with the Scotsman John Bell, with the object of discovering the source of the White Nile, but later visited many parts of the country on his own, and became acquainted with several of the most important chiefs.

In 1847 he went to England, where he managed to arouse Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston’s interest in Ethiopian trade, and was appointed British consul to Ethiopia with instructions to sign a treaty of friendship and commerce with Ras Ali Alula, de facto ruler of central and northern Ethiopia from 1831-53. He returned to Ethiopia in 1848 and remained there until he died in 1860.

Ras Ali Alula signed the treaty in 1849, but Plowden was unable to interest him in the intended commercial exchange. From his base at Massawa, Plowden followed the fortunes of the various chieftains of the interior and foretold the rise of Emperor Tewodros to supreme power. He was much impressed by the abilities and plans of the new ruler.

But though Plowden remained in the interior of Ethiopia from 1855 to 1860, and had numerous interviews with Tewodros, he failed to reach an agreement with the emperor about the ratification of the treaty with Ras Ali or about the official establishment of a British consulate in Ethiopia. This was mainly because of the unwillingness of Tewodros to grant any judicial rights to a consul.

In poor health, Plowden finally left Gondar to return to England. Outside the town, however, his party was attacked by a small rebel force. He was wounded and captured. Though ransomed by the merchants of Gondar, he died some days later and was buried in the capital.

Tewodros avenged Plowden by a bloody retaliatory raid against the people of the region in which Plowden’s death occurred. Somehow Plowden’s manuscript description of his travels survived and, eight years after his death, was edited by his brother, Trevor Chichele Plowden, and published in London.

SVEN RUBENSON