CHARDIN, Jean-Baptiste (1681 Sir John Chardin). Paris 16.11.1643 (Julian 6.11.) — Chiswick, London 5.1.1713 (25.12.1712). French Huguenot Jeweller and Traveller. Sent to the east by his father, the wealthy Parisian jeweller Daniel Chardin, he left with merchant Antoine Raisin of Lyon. In 1664 visited Persia (entering the service of Shah…
CARRÉ, Barthélémy. 1636 — after 1699. Abbé. French Traveller. Of Blois, educated by Jesuits, took religious career and was ordained priest. From 1662 served in the navy, apparently as chaplain, in Atlantic, Mediterranian and Levant. Sent by Colbert with F. Caron to Madagascar, they arrived at Surat in 1669. Carré…
BURTON, Richard Francis. Barnham House, Elstree, Hertfordshire 19.3.1821 — Trieste 20.10.1890 (Dingle & Garrett: born in Torquay, Devon, Penzer explains: born in Toquay, baptised in Elstree, Herts). Sir. British (partly of Irish origin) Oriental Scholar, Pioneer of Anthropology, Traveller and Diplomat. Son of Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Netterville Burton (1782–1857) and Martha…
BURNES, James. Montrose, Angus 12.2.1801 — London 19.9.1862. British (Scottish) Physician in India. Son of James BSon of James Burnes (1760–1852, provost and a cousin of the poet Robert Burns) and Elizabeth Glegg (1779–1851), brother of —> Alexander Burnes (1805–1841). Educated at Montrose Academy, Edinburgh University and in London hospitals…
BURNES, Alexander. Montrose, Angus 16.5.1805 — Kabul 2.11.1841. Sir. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer (Lieutenant-Colonel) and Traveller in India, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Son of James Burnes (1760–1852, provost and a cousin of the poet Robert Burns) and Elizabeth Glegg (1779–1851), brother of —> James Burnes (1801–1862). After attending the famous…
BUCHANAN-HAMILTON, Francis (until 1815 Francis Buchanan, then Francis Hamilton). Branziet, Callander, Pertshire 15.2.1762 — Callander 15.6.1829. British (Scottish) Physician in India, Traveller and Naturalist, a Pioneer of Burmese Studies and of Indian Archaeology. Son of Thomas Buchanan (1715–1791), a physician, and Elizabeth Hamilton, took himself a M.D. at Edinburgh in…
BRIGGS, Henry George. Bombay 20.10.1824 — Bombay 4.7.1872. British Merchant, Traveller, and Orientalist. Son of Henry Briggs. In 1843 travelled in South Africa, in 1845 in China. In 1846 settled at the office of Briggs & Co. in Bombay. For a while lived in Karachi (1854/55), then from 1856 Assistant…
BOWREY (Bowry), Thomas. Wapping, London 7.9.1659 — Kent (?) 1?.7.1713. British Sea Captain in the East. Lost his father in the plague epidemic of 1665. Came alone to Madras as a child of 7 after the 1666 great fire of London. In India and South-East Asia in as sailing master,…
BOWER, Hamilton St.Clair. Portsea Island, Hampshire 1.9.1858 — North Berwick, East Lothian 5.3.1940. Sir. British (Scottish) Colonial Officer and Traveller in Central Asia. Son of Admiral James Paterson Bower (1806–1889) and Barbara Hickson (from Ireland). Educated in Edinburgh and at Royal Naval School. Served in British India from 1884. As…
BONN, Gisela (nom-de-plume of Gisela Döhrn). Elberfeld near Wuppertal 22.9.1909 — Stuttgart 11.10.1996. German Journalist. Daughter of Heinz Döhrn, a teacher. From 1929 studied Musicology, Theatre, art history, Germanistics and French at Köln, Rostock and Vienna. Ph.D. 1936 Vienna (diss. on Brahms). In 1936 married the journalist Hermann Pörzgen (1905–1976),…