RAVERTY, Henry George. Falmouth, Cornwall 31.5.1825 — Grampound Road, Cornwall 20.10.1906. British Colonial Officer and Oriental (Afghan) Scholar in India. Son of Peter Raverty, a naval surgeon of Irish background (his father was O’Raverty), educated in Falmouth and Penzance. Came to India as cadet of Welsh Fusiliers, in 1843 moved…
TYCHSEN, Thomas Christian. Horsbüll, Schleswig (now Hordbøl near Tønder in Danish Slesvig) 8.5.1758 — Göttingen 23.10.1834. German Greek and Oriental Scholar and a Numismatician. Professor in Göttingen. Son of a minister, taught by father and at Husum Gymnasium. From 1777 studies of theology, classics and Oriental languages at Kiel, from…
TREBECK, George. Middlesex 1800 — Shah Merdon, Afghanistan 30.8.1825. British Traveller in Central Asia. Son of Charles Trebeck. In 1815 arrived at Calcutta with his father and brother, trained as a solicitor. In 1819 became Moorcroft’s assistant in his travels in Kashmir and Afghanistan. Died a few days after Moorcroft.…
VIGNE, Godfrey Thomas. Walthamstown, Essex 1.9.1801 — Woosford, Essex 12.7.1863. British Traveller in India and America. Son of Thomas Vigne, “educated at Harrow. Called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn, 1824. Travelled in [North] America, 1831. Went to India, 1832, through Persia. Visited Kashmir, Ladak, Afghanistan, saw the Amir [1836]……
VAUGHAN, John Luther. Leicester St. Martin 6.3.1820 — Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent 2.1.1911. Sir. British Colonial Officer in India. Son of Rev. Edward Thomas Vaughan (1777–1829) and Agnes Pares (1785–1878), educated at Rugby. Joined Indian Army in 1840, served in Maharajpur. In 1855 in Crimea. In 1857 commanded a Field…
ÚJFALVY DE MEZŐ-KÖVESD, Charles-Eugène (Mezőkövesdi Újfalvy Károly Jenő). Vienna 18.5.1842 — Florence 31.1.1904. Hungarian Traveller and Anthropologist of Central Asia living in France. Born in an aristocratic family, son of cavalry officer Samuel de Újfalvy and Theresa Huszár. Grew up in the family estate in Transylvania. Educated at Military Academy…
MOORCROFT, William. Ormskirk, Lancashire 1765 — Andkhui, Afghanistan 25.8.1825. British Veterinary Surgeon and Traveller in North-West India. Born as illegitimate son of Ann M., daughter of a local farmer, educated in “Liverpool as a surgeon, studied veterinary science in France [Lyon]. Made a fortune by his veterinary practice in London,…
LEWIS, James (pseudonym Charles Masson). Aldermanbury (London) 16.2.1800 — Edmonton, Middlesex 5.11.1853. British pioneer of Archæology in Afghanistan. Son of oil dealer George Lewis and Mary Hopcraft, apparently had a good education. Served in E. I. Company’s army, from 1821 in Bengal Artillery, soon after participation in the siege of…
LEECH, Robert. 7.12.1813 — Ambala 2.9.1845. British Colonial Officer in India. Engineer Major, Bombay Engineers, in 1836, still as Lieutenant, Assistant of Burnes, served in Afghanistan until 1842. Then Assistant Agent in Ambala. Unmarried. Publications: “Epitome of the Grammar of the Brahuiky, the Balochky, and the Panjabi languages”, JASB 7, 1838,…
LE BERRE, Marc. 1904 — 1978. French Archaeologist. From 1930 worked in Syria. He had already collaborated with Schlumberger at Syrian excavations in 1936 and 1938 and in 1946–69 he was the architect of D.A.F.A. in Afghanistan and remained in Kabul until 1970. He left an important collection of photographs,…