SPRINGER (Sprenger), Balthasar. Vils, Ausserfern, Tyrol 14?? — 1509/11. Austrian Traveller in service of Welser trading house of Augsburg. Probably son of Johannes (Hans) Springer who was in service of the local prince, and Anastasia Steidlin (?). Very little is known of Balthasar’s own life. In Welser service he went…
GUERREIRO, Fernão. Almodôvar 1550? — 1617. S.J. Father. Portuguese Jesuit Historian. Studied at Evora. For a while Rector in Funchal, Madeira, then in Bragança and Evora, finally Superior of the Jesuit congregation in Lisbon. His Relaçam continued Luis de Guzman’s account of the Jesuit mission in China and Japan (1601), but…
GIROLAMO DA SANTO STEFANO. 14?? — 15??. Italian (Genoan) Merchant and Traveller. Son of n.n. and Susanna Mainieri. In 1494 he left Genoa, together with Girolamo Adorno, for the East on a commercial venture. They went via Cairo to the Red Sea and from Aden to Bengal, then to Ceylon and Coromandel coast…
FARIA Y SOUSA, Manuel de. Pombeiro 18.3.1590 — Madrid 3.6.1649. Portuguese Historian and Poet. Born of an ancient noble family, educated in Braga, from c. 1604 in the service of the Bishop of Porto. In 1631-34 member of Portuguese embassy in Rome, then mainly living in Madrid. Married Catarina Machado. Often wrote…
CASTRO, João de. Lisbon 27.2.1500 — Goa 6.6.1548. Portuguese Nobleman, fourth Viceroy of Portuguese India. Second son of Álvaro de Castro, the civil governor of Lisbon, and Leonor de Coutinho. Originally he was destined for a church career and studied for this, but when 18 he went to Tangier and…
RUBINO, Giovanni Antonio. Strambino (Turin) 1.3.1578 — Mount Unzen (Nagasaki), Japan 16.3.1643. S.J. Italian Missionary in India. Born in a noble family. Novice 1596, studies in Milano. Sailed from Lisbon in 1602. Ordained priest 1605 in Goa. Worked in Jesuit academies in Goa, Madras (1613-17), Cochin (1617-19, 1627-37), Colombo (1619-23), and Tuticorin…
PIRES, Tomé. Lisbon or Leiria 1468? — China 1540? or little earlier. Portuguese Traveller. Son of an apothecary, followed his father on this profession. Came to India in 1511, as apothecary and not very young, obtained soon official position under Albuquerque and went to Malacca. From there he also visited…
PERUSCHI, Giovanni Battista. 1525 — 1598. S.J. Italian Jesuit Scholar, apparently never visited Asia himself. Rector of Collegio di Como, from 1573 in Rome. Derived much from Monserrate and Jesuit letters to his account of Mughal India. Publications: Informatione del regno, e stato del gran rè di Mogor, della sua persona, qualita,…
MAFFEI, Giovanni Pietro (Giampietro). Bergamo 1533 — Tivoli 20.10.1603. S.J. Italian Jesuit Historian. Born in a noble family living in poverty. Educated by two maternal uncles and in Rome. From 1563 worked as Professor of Rhetorics in Genoa, before joining Jesuits in 1565. From now on studies in Rome, ordained 1571.…
HENRIQUES, Henrique (-quez, Anrique Anriquez, Aṇṭiṟīkku Aṭikaḷār). Vila Viçosa, Evora 1520 — Punnaikkayal 6.2.1600. S.J. Portuguese Priest and Missionary, in India 1546-1600. Rejected by Franciscans because of his Jewish background he studied Canonic Law at Coimbra and in 1545 joined the S.J. In 1546 ordained as a priest and sailed…