John Kirk

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Sir John Kirk retired

Sir John Kirk (born December 19, 1832 in Angus Barry , † January 15, 1922 ) was a Scottish doctor, scientist, explorer and diplomat. As the travel companion of the missionary and explorer David Livingstone in East Africa, he was one of the first Europeans to reach Lake Nyassa ; later as the British Consul General in Zanzibar , he played a decisive role in the ban on the slave trade and in expanding British influence on the economy and politics in East Africa.

Journey of discovery

Kirk was born in Scotland and graduated in Medicine from the University of Edinburgh . He then took part in the Crimean War as a doctor . From 1858 to 1863 he accompanied David Livingstone as a scientist and doctor on his second expedition to Central Africa . However, in 1863 he had to return to Great Britain because of his poor health.

Diplomatic activity

In 1866, Kirk was sent to the British Mission in Zanzibar as a doctor and soon after was taken into the diplomatic service; In 1873 he was promoted to consul general and held this office until 1887. During this time, after long negotiations with the Omani Sultan Bargasch , he succeeded in enforcing a slave trade ban for Zanzibar and the Sultan's sphere of influence on the East African coast. At the same time he used his influence to expand British control over the ivory trade in East Africa.

Back in Great Britain, he cultivated close relationships with business people and travelers who were engaged in East Africa, such as Frederick Lugard and Horace Waller .

Throughout his life he was a passionate botanist , he published numerous scientific articles (his botanical author abbreviation is " J.Kirk "), and his knowledge was highly valued by experts. Many African plants and animals were named after him.

In recognition of his services, he was knighted as Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1881 , raised to the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in 1886 , and in 1890 also Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) appointed.

John Kirk's tomb is located in Sevenoaks in Kent .

Trivia

In his literary work of Denhardt's Reach for Africa in 1938, the writer Hermann Schreiber built in the British John Kirk as an opponent of the Denhardt brothers .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hendrik L. Wesseling: Divide and rule. The division of Africa 1880-1914 (= contributions to colonial and overseas history. Vol. 76). Steiner, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-515-07543-7 , p. 126.
  2. ↑ Knights and Dames: KIN-LYV at Leigh Rayment's Peerage
  3. ↑ Hermann Schreiber: Denhardt's grip on Africa. The story of a German colonial acquisition. Scherl, Berlin 1938.
personal data
SURNAME Kirk, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES J.Kirk (botanical author abbreviation)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Scottish doctor, scientist, explorer and diplomat
DATE OF BIRTH December 19, 1832
PLACE OF BIRTH Angus Barry
DATE OF DEATH January 15, 1922