FILCHNER, Wilhelm. Munich (or Bayreuth?) 13.9.1877 — Zürich 7.5.1957. German Geodesist and Explorer. Son of Eduard Filchner (1836–1882), Lazarettverwaltungsinspektor in Bayreuth, and Rosine von Leistner (1855–1908), Catholic. Lost early his father and lived in Munich with his mother and uncle. After school entered military career. As a second lieutenant he…
FEDERICI, Cesare de (Fedrici). Erbanno (Brescia) c. 1530 — 1600/03. Italian (Venetian) Merchant and Traveller in India. Left Venice in 1567 (Charpentier & Lach 1563, long stay in the Near East), travelled via Aleppo and Basra to Ormuz, by ship to Diu and Goa. From Goa he went by land…
FALCONER, Hugh. Forres, Moray 29.2.1808 — London 31.1.1865. British (Scottish) Physician, Botanist, Palaeontologist, Geologist and Traveller in India. Son of David Falconer and Isabel Mackrae, educated at Forres. Studies at Aberdeen University (graduated 1826). M.D. 1829 Edinburgh. Joined the E.I.C.’s medical service in Bengal in 1830, succeeded Royle in 1832…
EVANS-WENTZ, Walter Yeeling (born Wentz, added his mother’s surname c. 1910). Trento, N.J. 2.2.1878 — Encinitas, Calif. 17.7.1966. U.S. Traveller, Anthropologist and Tibetologist. Son of Christopher Wentz (1836–1921), a wealthy estate owner from New Jersey, of German origin, and Mary Evans Cook (d. 1898), of Irish descent. Originally Baptist, but…
ELPHINSTONE, Mountstuart. Dumbarton, Scotland 6.10.1779 — Hookwood, Surrey 20.11.1859. British (Scottish) Civil Servant in India. The youngest son of John, the 11th Baron Elphinstone (1737–1794), and Anne Ruthven (1737–1801). Educated in Edinburgh and Kensington. From 1795 writer in E.I.C.’s service, was sent to Benares, where he soon learned Persian and…
ELIAS, Ney. Widmore, Bromley, Kent 10.2.1844 — London 31.5.1897. British Diplomat and Explorer. Son of Ney Elias (d. 1891), a merchant with Jewish background, and his wife Sophia, educated in London, Paris and Dresden. “Went to Shanghai in a merchant’s firm in 1866, led an expedition in 1868 to examine…
DUTREUIL DE RHINS, Jules-Léon. Saint-Étienne (Loire) 2.1.1846 — Tong-mbon-ndo in Kham 5.6.1894. French Marine Officer, Cartographer, Traveller and Explorer. Son of Jean-Denis Dutreuil de Rhins (1816–1872) and Jeanne Félicité Blondart. Born in the Loire area, educated at École navale. Joined first the merchant navy, soon moved to military navy. In…
DUFF (Mrs. Rickmers), Christian Mabel. Calcutta 7.12.1866 — Munich 24.12.1939. British (Scottish) Traveller and Indologist. Daughter of merchant William Pirie Duff, a merchant in Calcutta, and Isabella Davidson, granddaughter of the pioneer of Scottish mission in India, Dr. Alexander Duff (1806–1876). Educated in London and Berlin, she studied Sanskrit at…
DOWNING, Clement. 16?? — at sea 1736. British Engineer in India 1715-23. In Mughal service. Birth and early years unknown, to India perhaps in 1715. According to his title page he was “Midshipman on board the Salisbury; afterwards Lieutenant of the Victory Frigate, Fame Gally, and Revenge Grab, part of…
DELLA VALLE, Pietro. Rome 11.4.1586 — Rome 21.4. or 11.4.1652. Italian (Roman) Traveller in Iran and India. Born in aristocratic family, son of Pompeo D. V. and Giovanna Alberini, had good education. In his youth served as a soldier, in 1611 participated in an expedition of Spanish fleet against pirates…