The Anglo-Ethiopian Society
Lecture - Captain Speedy, Dejatch Alemayu and Me; a Family Journey
Kerry Girdwood
Monday 12th November 2018
7:00pm, Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS Main Building, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG - Public lecture (all welcome)
Captain T.C.S.Speedy (Indian Army), was one of those 'Mad Dog and Englishmen' Victorians who lived in extraordinary places and did amazing things. He was also the older brother of my great-grandmother and the source of legend in my family. His letters, lectures, photographs and memoirs chart his life in places which even now seem exotic and largely inaccessible.
In Ethiopia, he is known as the friend of King Tewodros, the associate of Sir Robert Napier and the guardian of Prince Alemayu. He was a gentleman of means in England and a personal friend of Queen Victoria, a Police Commissioner in India, a British Resident in the Straits Settlements, a farmer and militiaman in New Zealand.
This talk is both a biography of Captain Speedy (particularly of his time in Ethiopia) and a record of research. Where pertinent, Speedy’s own writings are quoted, but there is also some indulgence in a little speculative assessment along the way.
Capacity at the venue is limited, so please reserve your place soon to avoid disappointment.