Recipe for Conflict


William Fenwick Williams was born in Canada in 1800. His father, a Commissary General, was barrack master at Halifax Nova Scotia. When William was 15, he sent him to England to the Royal Military School at Woolwich - it was the wrong time to join the army due to postwar cuts and it was only when he was 25 that a commission as 2nd Lieut in the Royal Artillery became available. Promotion was slow and garrison life tedious - he remained a subaltern until 1840. When the following year a chance came up to volunteer for secondment to Constantinople to work in the Arsenal, he grabbed it. A British presence was required at the Erzerum Treaty proceedings in 1847 - in the way of these things he was a British officer on the spot - he would do nicely. This took him well away from the Army into the diplomatic sphere and 1848 saw him appointed British Commissioner for the settlement of the Turko-Persian boundary. His army rank needed beefing up a bit to give him more clout - he was still only a junior 1st Captain - so he was bumped up to brevet Lieut Col for the job.

In September 1854 after the disastrous campaigning season in Asia Minor, Lord Clarendon the British Foreign Secretary decided to appoint a British Commissioner with the Turkish Army in Anatolia. Williams, again on the spot, and by now with 14 years experience of working in the area, looked the ideal choice. So he was given another boost in rank to Brevet Colonel, and despatched to Erzerum.

So far so good - well not so good actually. Clarendon was careful to inform Lord Raglan - who probably at the time didn't even realise that Williams was in the Army - but failed to consult the British Ambassador in Constantinople about the appointment or to inform the Porte of it direct. He probably felt there was no need, as he had given Williams very clear instructions not to get involved. These at least are well documented: ' You will furnish her majesty's ambassador with any information which his excellency may specially require of you, but with regard to any representations which you may think it expedient should be made to the Porte, you will, unless otherwise instructed by Lord Raglan, apply to his Lordship on the subject in order that if he should concur in your opinion, he may himself request her majesty's ambassador to bring the matter before the Porte.'

The copyright of the article Recipe for Conflict in Crimean War is owned by John Barham. Permission to republish Recipe for Conflict in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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