author
Sir Woodbine Parish
1796–1882
A British diplomat, traveler, and man of science, he is best remembered for his years in South America and for the lively books that grew out of those experiences. His writing brings together politics, exploration, natural history, and close observation of a rapidly changing world.
1 Audiobook
Buenos Ayres and the Provinces of the Rio de La Plata Their Present State, Trade, and Debt
by Sir Woodbine Parish
About the author
Born in London in 1796, Sir Woodbine Parish built a long career in British public service and diplomacy. He was educated at Eton and entered government work while still young, later serving in posts linked to the years after the Napoleonic Wars.
He is most closely associated with Buenos Aires, where he served as British consul-general in the 1820s and early 1830s. His time in the River Plate region gave him firsthand knowledge of South American politics, trade, geography, and natural history, and he turned that experience into books that helped British readers understand the region.
Parish was more than a diplomat: he also took a strong interest in science and collecting, and he became known as a careful observer of the places he visited. He died in 1882, leaving behind a reputation as a well-informed writer on South America as well as a notable nineteenth-century diplomat.