NAM.1965-04-47-1

Set of leg manacles, 1868; two heavy iron leg rings joined by a three link chain; each ring is forged from a single piece of iron and tapers toward the end; the ends have been separated but originally would have been hammered together; owned by Sir Charles Fraser and acquired by him in Abyssinia during the Abyssinian campaign, 1868. Worn by prisoners of Emperor Tewodros II of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). In the process of expanding his territories, the Coptic Christian King of Abyssinia, Tewodros II (or Theodore) sought assistance from the British Government. In 1862, enraged by the Foreign Office's failure to reply to one of his communications, he seized a number of European hostages. Among them was the British Consul, Captain Charles Cameron, who was kept in chains for over two years. The hostages' conditions of captivity varied greatly as the unstable Theodore tended to treat his captives alternately with kindness and cruelty according to his mood. Protracted diplomatic negotiations and numerous gifts failed to secure their release. By June 1867, in the face of mounting public indignation, the British Government reluctantly concluded that military intervention was necessary.

Abyssinia (1867-1868)

Magdala, Capture of, 1868 (Abyssinia 1867-1868)