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Thomas Edward Bowdich

Header: Thomas Edward Bowdich
Also known as: Thomas Edward Bowdich; primary name: Bowdich, Thomas Edward
Details: individual; collector; government/regional authority; British; Male
Life dates: 1791-1824
Biography: Thomas Edward Bowdich was born in Bristol in 1791. Through the influence of his uncle John Hope Smith he gained a position in the African Company of Merchants and was selected for an expedition to the Asante capital Kumasi in 1817, in which he and several others were to assist James Frederick (Commandant of the British fort at Accra) in obtaining an accord with the current ruler of the Asante Empire. Several days after the expedition's arrival Bowdich and his companions, Hutchinson and Tedlie, had removed Frederick from his post and Bowdich had taken over negotiations with the Asante. Whilst the signing of a treaty, of which Bowdich was now in charge, was heralded as the main aim of the expedition the English had no intention of abiding by any agreements made during the expedition or the subsequent renegotiation of the treaty in 1820. The expedition was seen as a reconnaissance mission. The gathering of all forms of information relating to the Asante Empire's political systems, trade routes, resources, crafts and people were of primary importance in order for the Company to assess the level of sophistication within the area. During his time in Kumasi Bowdich made a concerted effort to collect representative examples of local crafts, which he gave to the British Museum on his return. A copy of Bowdich's original object list (dated from the watermark to 1822) survives in the Museum's Central Archives. He also spent a considerable amount of time making observations and recording them in his diary which he used on his return to England as the basis of his book 'Mission from Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee' (1819). Bowdich's book remains the most detailed account available of the Asante state at the height of its power. His attention to detail, the accuracy of observation and the wide range of inquiries made and recorded make it a valuable source for anthropologists and historians. Once the treaty had been agreed Bowdich returned to his superiors demanding a higher salary and greater position. His demands were refused and he resigned his position and returned to England to publish his book. Whilst in England he got into financial difficulty and left for Paris in 1820 where he was welcomed by intellectuals such as Georges Cuvier and Alexander von Humboldt. In 1824 Bowdich returned to Africa to make his fortune, with this wife and three children, where he died of a fever leaving his family destitute.
Bibliography: Malcolm McLeod, 'T E Bowdich, an early collector in West Africa' in 'Collectors & Collections, the British Museum Yearbook 2', BM 1977, pp.79-104 (see p.103 for a list of Bowdich's gifts)

34 related objects

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Museum number: Af1818,1114.15 |
Ethnic group: x92964 Made by:Dagomba |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

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Museum number: Af1818,1114.16 |
Ethnic group: x92964 Made by:Dagomba |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

bag

Museum number: Af1818,1114.26 |
Ethnic group: x92964 Made by:Dagomba |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

bobbin

Museum number: Af1818,1114.21 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

bobbin

Museum number: Af1818,1114.20 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

bobbin

Museum number: Af1818,1114.19 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

charm

Museum number: Af1818,1114.29 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

cloth

Museum number: Af1818,1114.25 |
Ethnic group: x83731 Made by:Hausa |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Nigeria |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

cloth

Museum number: Af1818,1114.40 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

cloth

Museum number: Af1818,1114.23 |
Ethnic group: Made by:AsanteMade by:Dagomba |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Ghana

cloth

Museum number: Af1818,1114.36 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

cloth

Museum number: Af1818,1114.41 |
Ethnic group: x83731 Made by:Hausa |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Nigeria |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

cloth

Museum number: Af1818,1114.24 |
Ethnic group: x92964 Made by:Dagomba |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

cushion

Museum number: Af1818,1114.28 |
Ethnic group: x83731 Made by:Hausa |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Nigeria |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

dagger

Museum number: Af1818,1114.17.a |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Kaylee |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

dagger-sheath

Museum number: Af1818,1114.17.b |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Kaylee |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

disc pendant; soul disc

Title: Asante Gold |
Museum number: Af1818,1114.6 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Kumase |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Kumase

disc pendant; soul disc

Title: Asante Gold |
Museum number: Af1818,1114.5 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Kumase |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Kumase

harp

Museum number: Af1818,1114.10 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

loom

Museum number: Af1818,1114.18.b |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

loom; textile

Museum number: Af1818,1114.18.a |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

ornament; model

Title: Asante Gold |
Museum number: Af1818,1114.7 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Kumase |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Kumase

ornament; model

Title: Asante Gold |
Museum number: Af1818,1114.2 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Kumase |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Kumase

ornament; model

Title: Asante Gold |
Museum number: Af1818,1114.3 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Kumase |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Kumase

padlock; key

Museum number: Af1818,1114.14.a-b |
Ethnic group: x83731 Made by:Hausa |
Production date: 1800-1817 |
Production place: Made in:Nigeria |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

print; newspaper/periodical

Museum number: 1868,0808.1386 |
Producer name: Print made by:James ThompsonAfter:William Derby |
Production date: 1824 |
Production place: Published in:London (England)

sandal

Museum number: Af1818,1114.27.b |
Ethnic group: x92964 Made by:Dagomba |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

sandal

Museum number: Af1818,1114.27.a |
Ethnic group: x92964 Made by:Dagomba |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

saucer; bowl

Museum number: Af1818,1114.34 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

shuttle; loom

Museum number: Af1818,1114.22 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

smoking-pipe

Museum number: Af1818,1114.31 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

smoking-pipe

Museum number: Af1818,1114.32 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

stool

Museum number: Af1818,1114.9 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region

umbrella

Museum number: Af1818,1114.11 |
Ethnic group: x91566 Made by:Asante |
Production date: 1817 |
Production place: Made in:Ghana |
Findspot: Found/Acquired:Asante Region