Charles Tilstone Beke (1800-1874), traveller and geographer, was born on 10 October 1800 at Stepney, London. In 1820 took a position in a commercial firm, for which he worked in London, Genoa, and Naples. He later studied law at Lincoln's Inn, but eventually supported himself by commercial activities. His passions were early biblical history and the geography and exploration of north-east Africa. He was a controversialist, and aired his views in public lectures, in correspondence, and in The Times.
In 1834 Beke published Origines biblicae, or, researches in primeval history. After serving for nine months in 1837-38 as acting British consul in Leipzig, he spent the years 1840 to 1843 travelling in Abyssinia, spending most of his time in the provinces of Shoa and Gojam. Three notable papers arising from these travels were published in 1843, 1844, and 1847 in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. In the Proceedings of the Philological Society for 1845 Beke described fourteen languages and dialects whose vocabularies he had studied, and his paper 'Description of the ruins of the church of Mrtula Mrtula Mariam, in Abessinia' was published in Archaeologia in 1847.
In 1864 Beke was commissioned to seek the release of the European hostages who were being held in Abyssinia by Emperor Tewodros. He journeyed to Abyssinia twice, the second time in 1866 accompanied by his wife, but, after apparent initial success, ultimately failed in his objective, and was blamed for exacerbating a delicate situation. Beke claimed that the information, maps, and advice with which he provided the British Government greatly assisted the military expedition which was launched from India in 1867 to free the captives, and he was incensed that a meagre grant of £500 was all he received in return. The award in 1870 of a civil-list pension of £100 per annum mollified him somewhat, but in 1871 lack of money forced him to abandon his residence at Bekesbourne. He died on 31 July 1874 at Bromley, Kent, and his widow continued to campaign for compensation from the British Government.
Source: Donald Crummey, 'Beke, Charles Tilstone (1800-1874)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. By permission of Oxford University Press - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/1974.
Theodore, or Tewodros, Emperor of Ethiopia, wrote to Queen Victoria in 1862, asking for British military assistance in his wars against his Muslim neighbours. Angered that his request went unheeded, Tewodros took the British Consul, Captain Charles Cameron, and several other Europeans hostage. Britain reacted by despatching a relief expedition of 13,000 troops from India under Sir Robert Napier. The force landed in Annesley Bay on 30 October 1867, and marched over 400 miles inland. On 10 April 1868 Napier defeated the Abyssinian army at Arogee and sacked the fortress of Magdala three day later, releasing the hostages. Tewodros was founded dead in the ruins.
