Philip Maud
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
Philip Maud (8 August 1870 – 28 February 1947) was an English
officer of the British Army
, who is most notable for setting the Maud Line, an imaginary border in Kenya, which set the original position of the disputed Ilemi Triangle
. Maud is also celebrated in the field of rugby union
playing international rugby for England
, and in the 1890/91 season became one of the original members of the Barbarians Football Club
.
corps, Maud was stationed in British East Africa in the early part of the 20th century. During this period Menelik II of Ethiopia declared the border of Ethiopia
to the southern tip of Lake Turkana
, which the British Empire saw as an encroachment on the territory of northern British East Africa. Maud was dispatched as part of an expedition, organised by Archibald Butter, to survey the region and return information to allow Sir John Harrington to enter discussions with the Ethiopian Empire. In 1902-03, Maud delimited
an imaginary line from Lake Chew Bahir
to the northern point of Lake Turkana, which became known as the Maud Line. The Maud Line became a recognised border in 1907 and the nationally accepted border between Sudan
and Kenya in 1914.
In 1904, Maud addressed the National Geographic Society
with his notes on his time in British East Africa spent in the area. His paper, Exploration of the Southern Borderland of Abyssinia, was a notable paper of the anthropology of the region, and was referenced by books, such as Sir James Frazer's The Golden Bough
.
A portrait of Maud by Elliott & Fry
, is held at the National Portrait Gallery.
to join his newly formed invitational touring team, the Barbarians. In accepting, Maud became one of the club's original members, and was also a committee member for the team.
Maud won two international caps
for England, both during the 1893 Home Nations Championship
. His first appearance was in the opening game of the competition against Wales
, a hotly contested game which saw the Welsh win with a last minute penalty. Despite the loss, the English selectors kept faith with the team, and Maud was reselected for the second game of the tournament against Ireland
. The forwards showed a better level of fitness than was seen against Wales, and England won by two tries to nil. This win was Maud's final international game, never representing England again.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Philip Maud (8 August 1870 – 28 February 1947) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
officer of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, who is most notable for setting the Maud Line, an imaginary border in Kenya, which set the original position of the disputed Ilemi Triangle
Ilemi Triangle
The Ilemi Triangle is an area of disputed land in East Africa. Arbitrarily defined, it measures between 10,320 and 14,000 square kilometers . Named after Anuak chief Ilemi Akwon, the territory is claimed by South Sudan and Kenya and borders Ethiopia...
. Maud is also celebrated in the field of rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
playing international rugby for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, and in the 1890/91 season became one of the original members of the Barbarians Football Club
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
.
Ilemi Triangle
While a member of the British Army's Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
corps, Maud was stationed in British East Africa in the early part of the 20th century. During this period Menelik II of Ethiopia declared the border of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
to the southern tip of Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana , formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake...
, which the British Empire saw as an encroachment on the territory of northern British East Africa. Maud was dispatched as part of an expedition, organised by Archibald Butter, to survey the region and return information to allow Sir John Harrington to enter discussions with the Ethiopian Empire. In 1902-03, Maud delimited
Boundary delimitation
Boundary delimitation, or simply delimitation, is the term used to describe the drawing of boundaries, but is most often used to describe the drawing of electoral boundaries, specifically those of precincts, states, counties or other municipalities...
an imaginary line from Lake Chew Bahir
Lake Chew Bahir
Lake Chew Bahir or Lake Istifanos, also called Stefanie, Basso Naebor and Chuwaha, is a lake in Southern Ethiopia on the boundary between the Oromia and the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Regions. When the lake is filled, it stretches into northern Kenya...
to the northern point of Lake Turkana, which became known as the Maud Line. The Maud Line became a recognised border in 1907 and the nationally accepted border between Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and Kenya in 1914.
In 1904, Maud addressed the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
with his notes on his time in British East Africa spent in the area. His paper, Exploration of the Southern Borderland of Abyssinia, was a notable paper of the anthropology of the region, and was referenced by books, such as Sir James Frazer's The Golden Bough
The Golden Bough
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging, comparative study of mythology and religion, written by Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer . It first was published in two volumes in 1890; the third edition, published 1906–15, comprised twelve volumes...
.
A portrait of Maud by Elliott & Fry
Elliott & Fry
Elliott & Fry was a Victorian photography studio and photographic film manufacturer, founded in 1863 by Joseph John Elliott and Clarence Edmund Fry. For a century the firm's core business was taking and publishing photographs of the Victorian public and social, artistic, scientific and political...
, is held at the National Portrait Gallery.
Rugby career
Maud came to note as a rugby player when he turned out for the Royal Engineers team. By 1890 Maud was representing first class English team Blackheath, the club team with whom he would later be recognised as an English international. In the 1890/91, he was approached by William Percy CarpmaelWilliam Percy Carpmael
William Percy Carpmael was the founder and first president of the rugby union Barbarian Football Club. Carpmael was born the eldest of eight in Briscobel, Stretham in England.-Education and early career:...
to join his newly formed invitational touring team, the Barbarians. In accepting, Maud became one of the club's original members, and was also a committee member for the team.
Maud won two international caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for England, both during the 1893 Home Nations Championship
1893 Home Nations Championship
The 1893 Home Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 17 January and 11 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
. His first appearance was in the opening game of the competition against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, a hotly contested game which saw the Welsh win with a last minute penalty. Despite the loss, the English selectors kept faith with the team, and Maud was reselected for the second game of the tournament against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. The forwards showed a better level of fitness than was seen against Wales, and England won by two tries to nil. This win was Maud's final international game, never representing England again.