SYKES, Percy Molesworth. Brompton, Kent 28.2.1867 — London 11.6.1945. Sir. British Colonial Officer and Diplomat. Brigadier-General. Son of army chaplain Rev. William Sykes (1829–1900) and Mary Molesworth, educated at Rugby, military education at Sandhurst. From 1888 served in 2nd Dragoon Guards in India, 1895 Lieutenant, 1897 Captain. In 1892 secret…
SPRINGER (Sprenger), Balthasar. Vils, Ausserfern, Tyrol 14?? — 1509/11. Austrian Traveller in service of Welser trading house of Augsburg. Probably son of Johannes (Hans) Springer who was in service of the local prince, and Anastasia Steidlin (?). Very little is known of Balthasar’s own life. In Welser service he went…
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. 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 Derbyshire. Married Elizabeth Leigh,…
MAJOR, Richard Henry. Jersey (Wikipedia: Shoreditch, London) 3.10.1818 — Kensington 25.6.1891. British Geographer. Son of the elder R.H. Major, a physician, and his wife Elizabeth. The father died when he was three and he was brought up by his paternal grandfather. School in London (Merchant Taylors’ School). From 1844 in…
LUARD, Charles Eckford. Farnham, Surrey 11.11.1869 (or 11.10.) — Oxford 17.5.1927. British Colonial Officer in India. Lieutenant-Colonel. Son of Colonel Charles Henry Luard and Amelia Juliana Martin. Educated in Marlborough, studies at Oxford (Christchurch), M.A. Cadet 1891, in 1892-98 served in Indian army, then in Indian Political Service until 1925. Superintendent…
GIROLAMO DA SANTO STEFANO. 14?? — 15??. Italian (Genoan) Merchant and Traveller. Son of n.n. and Susanna Mainieri. In 1494 he left Genoa, together with Girolamo Adorno, for the East on a commercial venture. They went via Cairo to the Red Sea and from Aden to Bengal, then to Ceylon and Coromandel coast…
FLETCHER, William Kew. Gloucestershire 9.8.1802 — Worthing, West Sussex ?.12.1867. Rev. British Clergyman in India. Son of engineer Thomas Fl. and his wife Jane. M.A. Oxford (Magdalen College). For a while deaon in Lichfield, then in Bombay, 1832-66 chaplain in Byculla, then senior chaplain and Archdeacon. Married 1832 Maria Jane…
CASTRO, João de. Lisbon 27.2.1500 — Goa 6.6.1548. Portuguese Nobleman, fourth Viceroy of Portuguese India. Second son of Álvaro de Castro, the civil governor of Lisbon, and Leonor de Coutinho. Originally he was destined for a church career and studied for this, but when 18 he went to Tangier and…
PIRES, Tomé. Lisbon or Leiria 1468? — China 1540? or little earlier. Portuguese Traveller. Son of an apothecary, followed his father on this profession. Came to India in 1511, as apothecary and not very young, obtained soon official position under Albuquerque and went to Malacca. From there he also visited…
PELSAERT, Francisco. 1595? — Batavia ?.9.1630. Dutch Factor in India and Indonesia. Born in a wealthy family of Antwerpen, Roman Catholic. In 1618 sailed to the East as Assistant, the lowest grade of the Dutch E.I.C.’s service. In 1620 promoted to junior factor (onderkoopman) and posted to India. Travelled overland…