ETHIOPIA

The Tewodros Dynasty

GENEALOGY

Emperor Fasilidas
I
Princess Sabla Wangel
I
Ansete
I
Enqwael
I
Kinfa Rufael
I
Woizero Walatta Gabre
m.
Dejazmatch Elfeyos Hellawe
(with whom we treat)

• 1) H.E. Dejazmatch Wolde Giyorgis Elfeyos. Governor of Qwara and Dembiya, in Begameder. m. Woizero Nachit, daughter of Woizero Walatta Selassie, daughter of Dilamo. He had issue, a son:
  • a) H.E. Dejazmatch Hailu Wolde Giyorgis. Governor of Qwara. m. (first) (div.) Woizero Walatta Takla (m. second, Dejazmatch Andawa Libo, of Amhara), daughter of Hailu Niblu, by his wife, Woizero Altash, sister of Dejazmatch Maru, of Dembiya. m. (second) Woizero Attitigeb (b. at Lijambra, Talya, in Damot; d. after 1840), daughter of Dejazmatch Wand Bawosen, of Damot, by his wife, Woizero Tessal, a lady of Royal descent. He d. ca. 1820, having had issue, four sons:
    • i) H.E. Dejazmatch Kinfu Hailu. b. ca. 1800 (s/o Walatta Takla). Governor of Qwara, Dembiya, and Tchelga 1831-1839. m. a niece of H.H. Ras Mariye, Viceroy of the Empire and Governor of Begameder. He was k. at the Battle of Qunzla, 4^th October 1839 (bur. Fanja), having had issue:
      • (1) Lij Yilma Kinfu. b. ca. 1821. He d. young, from a fall from a horse, at Quoratsa, 1840.
      • (2) Lij Makonnen Kinfu. He was k. in battle, 1856.
      • (3) Lij Yohannes Kinfu. He was k. before 1860.
      • (4) Lij Garrad Kinfu. Rebelled against his uncle and killed the British Consul, Walter Chichele Plowden, in February 1860. He was k. (executed on the orders of Emperor Tewodros II), at Waldebba, September 1860, having had issue, a son:
        • (a) 'Abdu'l Rahman. Fl. 1889. Copyright© Christopher Buyers
      • (1) Woizero Wishan*. m. Dejazmatch Yilma Asfaw, a noble of Begameder. She had issue, two daughters:
        • (a) Woizero Warqenas [Worqenesh Yilma]. m. John Bell [Lika Makwas Yohannes] (k. by Garrad Kinfu, while defending the Emperor, September 1860), entered the service of Ras 'Ali and appointed to the rank of Basha (Captain) by him, Lika Makwas and Court Chamberlain to Emperor Tewodoros II. She had issue, one son and two daughters:
          • (i) John Aligaz Bell. Copyright© Christopher Buyers
          • (i) Susan Sarah Yubdar. m. Theophilus Waldmeier (b. Aargau, Basle, Switzerland, 1832; d. at Beirut, Lebanon, 10^th March 1915), educ. St Crischona Coll., near Basle, a former Jewish convert to Christianity and went out to Ethiopia as a missionary in 1858, a prisoner of Emperor Tewodros until 1868, British Syrian Mission at Beirut 1868, founder of the Friends' Syrian Mission in 1873, Friends' Training Home for Boys in 1876, Asfuriya Mental Hospital in 1894, author of "The Autobiography of Theophilus Waldmeier, Missionary" (1886). She d. at Beirut, Lebanon, 15^th July 1893, having had issue, eight children, including a son and two daughters:
            • 1. Aligaz Waldmeier.
            • 1. Hannah [Princess Asfa Yilma]. Author of "Haile Selassie - Emperor of Ethiopia" (1936). m. (first) …Newson, an Irishman from Cork. m. (second) at Christchurch, Hants., 1915, Algernon Omar Holland. She d. 1946, having had issue, two daughters:
              • a. ... Newson. b. ca. 1907.
              • b. Honor Holland. b. 25^th March 1917. She d. at Saratoga Springs, New York, USA, 6^th May 1996.
            • 2. Rosalie. m. Dr Beshara J. Manasseh. She had issue:
              • a. Irma Manasseh. m. Aziz Garzouzi. Copyright© Christopher Buyers
          • (ii) Mary Baliatche. b. at Dabra Tabor, 1853. m. 1868, Karl Saalmüller, founder and manager of "Hotel Libanon", Brumana, 1861. She d. at Brumana, Lebanon, 1^st October 1936, having had issue, three daughters:
            • 1. Marie. m. at Brumana, Lebanon, 1^st June 1897, Paul Felix Adrien Bonfils (b. at Ales, France, 8^th August 1861; d. at Nice, France, 29^th January 1929), sometime Sgt-brigadier Chasseurs d'Afrique and served with them in Algeria until 1885, Manager of "Villa des Chênes", son of Paul Felix Bonfils, from St-Hippolyte-du-Fort, Gard, France, founder of the famous photographic house of Maison Bonfils of Beirut, Jerusalem, Baalbek, Alexandria and Cairo, by his wife, Marie Lydie, née Cabanis. She had issue, three daughters:
              • a. Renée Marie Lydie [Lady Wasey]. m. at Cairo, Egypt, 3^rd April 1919, Sir Wasey Sterry, CBE (c 1.1.1918) (b. at Stockland, Devon, 26^th July 1866; d.s.p. at Windsor, Berks., 9^th August 1955), educ. Eton, and Merton Coll., Oxford (BA 1889, MA 1892), Barr-at-Law (Lincoln's Inn 1892), Civil Judge Sudan 1901-1903, Chief Judge 1903-1915, Chief Justice 1915-1917, Legal Sec. 1917-1927, Actg. Governor-General of the Sudan 1924-1925, Judge of H.B.M.'s Supreme Court in Egypt 1928-1938, author of the "Annals of the King's College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor" (1898) and "The Eton College Register 1441-1698" (1943), rcvd: Knighted (6.7.1925), the Orders of the Nile 2^nd class of Egypt (1915), and Imperial Order of the the Nobility (Nishan-i-Majidieh) 3^rd class of Turkey (1903), eldest son of The Rev. Francis Sterry, of Fort Hill, Barnstaple, and sometime Rector of Poltimore and Huxham, Devon, by his wife, Augusta Emily, third daughter of Hastings Nathaniel Middleton, of Bradford Peverell, Dorset. She d. after 1959.
              • b. Marcelle. m. … Pinatton. She had issue, a son:
                • i. Bernard Rene Pinatton.
              • c. Lucienne. m. … Salles. She had issue, a daughter:
                • i. Brigitte Salles. Copyright© Christopher Buyers
            • 2. Wega [Mrs Little]. Mngr. "Hotel Libanon", Brumana. m. Thomas Little (b. 1857; d. 14^th April 1908), Assist. Master Friends' Training Home for Boys, Brummana, Lebanon, 1887-1895, Principal 1895-1908.
            • 3. Stefana. m. (first) F. Knobel. m. (second) at St Marylebone, Mdsx., 1912, Major Charles Hubert L. Armbruster, OBE (c 3.6.1919) (b. at Kensington, Mdsx., 1873; d. at Marmacén, Puerto de Andraitx, Mallorca, Spain, 17^th April 1957), educ. Christ's Hospital, and King's Coll., Cambridge (BA 1896), Assist. Collector & Judicial Ofcr. British Central Africa 1897-1900, Political Ofcr. Sudan 1900, served on political missions to Ethiopia 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1909, Senior Inspector Sudan Legal Dept. 1909-1912, Examiner in Amharic for the Civil Service 1910-1911, and for the Sudan govt. 1922, Examiner in Arabic 1911-1912, Consul for NW Ethiopia 1912-1919, temp. Lieut. Intell. Corps in Egypt 1915, served with EEF 1916-1919 (rcvd: 1914/15 Star, MID 4 times), as local Maj. & SO2 1918, author of "Initia Amharica: Amharic Grammar" (1908), "English-Amharic Vocabulary" (1910), "Amharic-English Vocabulary" (1920), "Dongolese Nubian: A Lexicon", etc. rcvd: Cdr. of the Order of the Star of Ethiopia (1932), the Order of the Nile 3^rd class of Egypt (1917), and Imperial Order of the the Nobility (Nishan-i-Majidieh) 4^th class of Turkey (1909), second son of Charles Hubert J. Armbruster, of Islington, London, sometime Musical Adviser to the LCC, by his wife, Jeanie, second daughter of F.A. Ford.
        • (b) Woizero Birhiwa. m. Acheber.
    • ii) Dejazmatch Gabru Hailu. b. ca. 1810 (s/o Walatta Takla). He was k. at the Battle of Qunzla, 4^th October 1839.
    • iii) Ras Kassa Hailu, who ascended the throne as H.M. Tewodoros II, Elect of God and King of Kings of Ethiopia (s/o Woizero Attitigeb) - see below.
    • iv) Dejazmatch Andawa Hailu (s/o Walatta Takla). He was k. at the Battle of Qunzla, 4^th October 1839.
    • i) Woizero Walatta Worq. b. ca. 1824. m. …(d. before 2^nd March 1866). She was affianced by Emperor Tewodros to Mons. M.G. Lejean, the French Envoy Ext. & Min. Plen. to Ethiopia, who had been kept by him as an open prisoner, but who fled to France, his only means of escaping the marriage.
    • ii) Woizero Yosefa. m. ca. 1856, Ras Sabagadis (b. 1842; k. on the orders of his brother-in-law, ca. 1859), youngest son of H.E. Ras Wube Haile Mariam, Prince of Tigray - see Ethiopia (Tigray).

1855 - 1868 H.M. Emperor Tewodoros II [Abba Tataq], Elect of God and King of Kings of Ethiopia. b. at Sharghe, Qwara, ca. 1818, as Lij Kassa Hailu, youngest son of Dejazmatch Hailu Wolde-Giyorgis, sometime Governor of Qwara, by his second wife Woizero Attitigeb, educ. at a Monastery. Baptised as Selassie Barea. Appointed as Governor of Qwara by Empress Menen in 1839, he rebelled against her in 1845, invaded and pillaged Dembiya in October 1846, conquered Gondar in January 1847, defeated and captured the Empress 18^th June 1847 but was promoted and granted the personal title of Dejazmatch on releasing her in August that year. Recognised as his heir by his father-in-law, Ras 'Ali Alula, January 1848. Assumed the title of Ras immediately after his victory at Gur Amba, 27^th November 1852. Pursued, fought and finally defeated Ras 'Ali Alula Tekku at Ayshal, 29^th June 1853. Proclaimed as Negus at Amba Chera, 19^th September 1854. Defeated Ras Wube at the battle of Dirasge, captured and deposed Emperor Sahle Dengal, and proclaimed himself Emperor, 8^th February 1855. Crowned as Emperor Tewodoros II, at the Church of the Virgin Mary at Dirasge, 9^th February 1855. m. (first) (div.) (Woizero Engeda Worq?), a daughter of Dejazmatch Birru Goshu, sometime Governor of Qwara, Dembiya, and Tchelga, by his wife, Woizero Yawubdar, daughter of Dejazmatch Sahlu. m. (second) January 1848 (civil) and at Amba Chera, 18^th September 1854 (relig.) H.M. Empress (Itege) Tewabech (b. 1830; d. at Magdala, 19^th August 1858), daughter of H.H. Ras 'Ali Alula Tekku, sometime Viceroy of Ethiopia, Governor of Gojjam and Begameder. m. (third) February 1860 (div. 1861), H.M. Empress (Itege) Terunish [Turan Worq] (d. at Aikullet, during the withrawal of British forces from Magdala, 15^th May 1868; bur. Selassie Monastery, Cheliqot, Tigray), daughter of Ras Wube Haile Mariam, Governor of Tigray and Semien, by his fourth wife, Woizero Lekiyaye. m. (a) after 1861, Iqubat Yetemagnu [Tamano], a widow from Yajju. m. (b) Woizero Averash, widow of Tasfa Seyun, and daughter of Kassa. m. (c) either Woizero Laketch or Woizero Taitu, one of the elder daughters of H.E. Ras Adilu, of Wollo-Wagessa, He k. himself at Magdala, 13^th April 1868 (bur. ther at the Medhane Alem Church, reinturred at the Mahbere Selassie Convent, Qwara), having had issue, six sons and three daughters:

• 1) H.H. Ras Engeda. b. 1841 (s/o Engeda Worq, or Tewabech), educ. privately. He was k. at Magdala, 13^th April 1868, having had issue, three sons:
  • a) …b. 1854. Taken prisoner by the British in 1868.
  • b) …b. 1855. Taken prisoner by the British in 1868.
  • c) …b. 1856. Taken prisoner by the British in 1868. Copyright© Christopher Buyers
• 2) H.H. Ras Mashasha Tewodoros. b. ca. 1848 (s/o Tewabech), educ. privately. Instrumental in engineering the escape of Emperor Menelik II from confinement at Magdala, 30^th June 1865. Governor of Qwara, and Dembiya 1861-1868, and 1889. Granted the personal title of Dejazmatch by his father 1861, and prom. to Ras by Emperor Menelik II. He had issue, a son:
  • a) H.E. Dejazmatch Kassa Mashasha. Governor of Gondar.
• 3) H.H. Prince Alamayu Simyen Tewodoros. b. at Magdala, 23^rd April 1861 (s/o Empress Terunesh), educ. Rugby and RMC, Sandhurst. Granted the personal title of Dejazmatch by his father at birth. He d. unm. at Headingley, Leeds, Yorkshire, 14^th November 1879 (bur. St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berks.).
• 4) Lij Haile Mariam [Hailu] Tewodoros (s/o a secondary wife).
• 5) Lij Yimam Tewodoros (s/o Laketch or Taitu).
• 6) Lij Tesemma Dengat Tewodoros (s/o a secondary wife).
• 1) Woizero Altash (d/o a secondary wife). m. (first) at Magdala, January 1864 (div. 1865), H.I.M. Emperor Menelik II, By the grace of God, King of Kings of Ethiopia, GCB, GCMG (b. at Ankobar, Shoa, 17^th August 1844; d. at the Menelik Palace, Addis Ababa, 12^th December 1913, bur. at the Kidane Meheret Church, and later transferred to The Taeka Negest, Ba'eta Le Mariam Monastery Church, Addis Ababa, in 1917), only son of H.M. Negus Haile Malakot, King of Shoa, by Ejigayehu, daughter of Tarreqe, from Motatit, in Manz. m. (second) H.E. Ras Bariaw Pawlos, Prince (Mesfin) of Tigray. She d. ca. October 1890 - see Ethiopia (Shoa) and Ethiopia (Tigray).
• 2) Woizero … (d/o a secondary wife).
• 3) Woizero … (d/o a secondary wife). m. Lij Alama Gwalu.

Copyright© Christopher Buyers, May 2001 - July 2008