BEMBO, Ambrosio. Venice 10.3.1652 — Venice 4.6.1705. Italian Traveller. Born of a great Venetian family, son of Francesco Bembo and Caterina Corner. Served in the unsuccessful defense of Crete against the Ottomans in 1669. In 1671 followed his uncle Marco to Aleppo, where the uncle was the new Venetian consul.…
GOUVEA, Antonio de. Beja, region Alentejo 1575 — Manzanares, Castille-La Manche 18.8.1628. Portuguese Augustinian Missionary and Diplomat. Ordained as priest 1591. From 1597 taught theology in Goa, from there visited Persia in 1602-03 on diplomatic mission, again 1608-09 establishing Augustinian mission in Isfahan, from there proceeded to Spain. In 1611-28…
BRUIN, Cornelis de (Bruyn, C. De Bruijn). the Hague 1652 — Utrecht 1727. Dutch Painter and Traveller. Son of Jan de Bruin. In 1672-1693 he went through Italy to Turkey, then to Syria and Egypt, coming back through Venice. The second trip began in 1701 when he first went via Archangelsk…
NORRIS, William. 1654? (Wikipedia c. 1658) — on sea 10.10.1702. Sir, First Bart. (1898). British Diplomat. Son of Thomas Norris of Speke Hall, Lancashire, and Katherine Garraway. M.P. for Liverpool 1695-1701 (Whig, succeeded his elder brother). In 1698-1702 he led an embassy to Aurangzeb representing both William III and the…
MASTER, Streynsham. Langdon, Kent 28.10.1640 — Lancashire 28.4.1724. Sir. British Colonial Administrator of E.I.C. in India. Son of Richard Master (1604?–1669) and Anne Oxenden. Served long in Surat, then in Masulipatam and Bengal and in 1678-81 as Company’s Agent in Madras. Returned in 1692 and bought Codnor Castle estate in…
HAVART, Daniël. Amsterdam (or Utrecht?) 29.12.1650 (?) — Rotterdam ?.6.1724. Dutch Physician, 1672-85 in India. Son of Servaes Havart (d. 1666), a physician, and Elisabeth Vermeer. Studies at Utrecht. In 1671 left for Batavia, 1672-85 living in Coromandel (Paliacatta, Masulipatnam) and Golconda. Returned to Utrecht, M.D. there 1691. From 1703…
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…
FARIA E SOUSA, Manuel de. Pombeiro de Ribavizela 18.3.1590 — Madrid 3.6.1649. Portuguese Historian and Poet. Born of an ancient noble family, son of Amador Pires and Luisa de Faria e Sousa. Educated in Braga, from c. 1604 in the service of the Bishop of Porto. In 1631-34 member of…
VINCENZO MARIA DI SANTA CATERINA DA SIENA (lay Antonio Murchio di Bormio). Bormio, Lombardy 1626 — Rome 5.11.1679. Father. Italian Carmelite, Procurator of his order. In 1656 sent by Pope Alexander VII and Propaganda Fide to India to inspect Catholic mission in Goa and Kerala. Used land route via Turkey and Persia. Returned via Muskat to Rome…
VALENTIJN, François (Franciscus). Dordrecht 17.4.1666 — the Hague 6.8.1727. Dutch Priest and Naturalist. Son of school director Abraham Valentijn and Maria Rijsbergen. Studied theology and philosophy at Leiden and Utrecht. From 1684 spent 16 years as minister in Dutch Indonesia, mainly in Ambon, where he befriended with Rumphius. After ten…