T252
‘African’ Henry Bird
“African Henry”
Lieut General Henry Byrde ob. 1892
He was the son of Charles Elias Bird, Capt. 5th Foot, and Charlotte Crook of Kinsale. Married 1816.
Who with his elder brother Henry served all through the Peninsular War and in the Montevideo Buenos Aires expedition. Charles Elias wrote the diary.
These two were strong men of the army. When sent to forage they returned carrying an ox between them.
“African” Henry never married. His last appointment was that of governor of Cape Coast Castle.
ORA Byrde
Gt grandson of Henry Byrde department Comm. general Ceylon
In 1945 Florence Marriott wrote the following to someone:
This is “African Henry” given to me by aunt Louisa because I always admired him as a child although I never knew him.
He was my earliest hero, I love it, though mother said he looked like a “fat butcher.”
Cape Coast Castle.was the administrative centre for the Gold Coast (modern day Ghana), Henry was governor their from April 1858 – 20th April 1860.