John Kirkham (adventurer)
John Charles Kirkham (also Kirkman; * probably around 1830, † 1875 or 1876) was a British adventurer and mercenary who after spending time in Nicaragua and China as a military advisor and diplomat of the Ethiopian emperor Yohannes IV († 1889) acted.
Life
About the early years of presumably originating from Scotland Kirkham is not known. What is certain is that he struck early on a military career. Between 1855 and 1857 he fought on the side of William Walker in Nicaragua, 1863-1864, he served as a sergeant under Charles George Gordon in China during the suppression of the Taiping Rebellion. He then worked as a ship's steward for the British Pacific and Oriental Steamship Company; In 1868 he took part in the British punitive expedition to Ethiopia as a sutler. There he finally settled by cash Dejazmach ( i) Mercha of Tigray, the later Negusa nagast ( Eng.: " King of Kings "), Yohannes IV, enlisted as a military adviser. Kirkham, who had never been more than Sergeant during his military service, has now received the rank of colonel. Kirkhams work and the weapons that spot Mercha had received from the British as thanks for his support of their punitive expedition, are considered crucial that spot Mercha 1871 in the battles of May Zulawi and the Assam victory over his rival, the reigning Tekle Giyorgis II († 1873), of which wore.
When the Ethiopian ruler was confronted in the following years with a threatened invasion of its territory by the Egyptian Khedive Ismail Pasha, he sent Kirkham with letters for the monarchs of the German Empire, Great Britain, Austria -Hungary, the Russian Empire and the French president after Europe. This diplomatic mission that appeal to the " Christian solidarity " of European monarchs and thus should help to prevent the impending Egyptian invasion, however, was inconclusive. On the one hand were the European powers due to the " Suez question " a vital interest in good relations with Egypt, on the other hand, it is also unclear whether Kirkham except London at all a were the main cities of the countries that aim of this initiative have been to.
After 1875, the first attempt of Egyptian troops to entrench themselves in Ethiopia, had been cut off, Kirkham, who was involved in these struggles only in the initial phase and was later responsible for monitoring the return of Egyptian prisoners of war was, in the same year with a renewed diplomatic mission entrusted to Europe. When trying to Egyptian -dominated area to traverse, but he was captured. The Egyptians took him to Massawa and held him there with insufficient food long time trapped in a cage. The consequences of his ill-treatment in captivity is Kirkham finally succumbed.