LINSCHOTEN, Jan Huyghen van (born Jan Huygen). Haarlem 1563 — Enkhuizen 8.2.1611. Dutch Traveller. Born in a Roman Catholic family, son of a public notary, son of Huig Joostenszoon Huygen, an innkeeper and notary, and Marretje Tin Henriksdachter. Grew up in Enkhuizen (Latin School there), then was sent to Spain…
HUS (Hosti) Rasinjanin, Juraj (Latin Georgius Huszthius). Rasinja 1510 (or earlier?) — Požun 1566 (or later?). Croatian Traveller. He was forcibly enlistened by Turks in 1532 and lived in Constantinople. Freed in 1536 he took service as a trumpeter by an Egyptian see captain and participated in the expedition sent…
HOUTMAN, Frederick de. Gouda 1571 — Alkmaar 21.10.1627. Dutch Traveller. Son of Pieter Cornelisz de Houtman, a brewer, and Agnes Frederiksd., younger brother of —> Cornelis de Houtman (1565–1599) and his companion in Lisbon and in Asian voyages. When the brother was killed he remained alive and was 26 months…
HOUTMAN, Cornelis de. Gouda 2.4.1565 —off Acheh 1.9.1599. Dutch Traveller in India. Son of Pieter Cornelisz de Houtman, a brewer, and Agnes Frederiksd., elder brother of —> Frederick de Houtman (1571–1627). With his brother remained in 1592-93 as merchant in Lisbon, spying on Asian trade for an Amsterdam company. They…
HAWKINS, William (Hawkyns). 15?? — autumn 1613. British Traveller. Of unknown origin, probably not the same as W. Hawkins, the nephew of Sir John Hawkins, who in 1582 sailed to the east under Edward Fenton (but only reached Brazil). Our W. Hawkins had been in the East before as he…
JOURDAIN, John. 15?? — 17.7.1619. British Traveller in India. Son of John Jourdain, a merchant and mayor of Lyme Regis in Dorset. In 1595 trading in the Azores. Participated in the English Indian voyage of 1608, remained in Surat when others went to the Mughal court (—> Hawkins). In 1610…
GÓIS, Bento de (Benedictus Goës). Vila-Franca-do-Campo, Ilha de S. Miguel (Azores) 1562 — Suzhou, Gansu, China 11.4.1607. S.J. Portuguese Missionary and Traveller in India and China. Originally a jew, baptized in 1572 as Luís Gonçalves, took the name Bento de Góis, when joined the S.J. as lay brother. Came to…
GALVÃO, António (A. Galvano). Lisbon 1490? — Lisbon 11.3.1557. Portuguese Historian of Colonial India. Son of the chronicler Duarte Galvão (c. 1445–1517). From 1527 in the Moluccas, 1536-40 Governor in Ternate, established Portuguese rule in the islands and acted strongly on behalf of mission, destroying temples, etc. His last 17…
FITCH, Ralph. Derby 1550 — London (?) 1611. English Merchant and Traveller in India. In February 1583 left London with other merchants of the Levant Company (with John Newberry as leader) with the purpose of opening trade with India. They travelled through Tripoli, Aleppo (May), Baghdad and Basra to Ormuz…
FINCH, William. 15?? — Baghdad ?.8.1613. British Merchant and Traveller in India. Native of London. He came to Surat with Hawkins in 1608 and had to stay there because of an illness, but joined later Hawkins in E.I.C. expedition in spring 1610 at Jahangir’s court and spent one and a…