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 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 mission…
SPRINGER (Sprenger), Balthasar. Vils, Ausserfern, Tyrol 14?? — 1509/11. Austrian Traveller in service of Welser trading house of Augsburg. Probably son of Johannes (Hans) Spr. 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 in India. Son of Richard Langdon. 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, two sons…
MAJOR, Richard Henry. Jersey 3.10.1818 — Kensington 25.6.1891. British Geographer. Son of elder R.H.M., a physician. From 1844 in charge of the the map collection in British Museum, from 1867 Keeper of the new department of printed maps and plans, retired 1880. Married 1847 Sarah Elizabeth Thorn, two daughters. Publications: Several…
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…
PELSAERT, Francisco. 159? — Batavia ?.9.1630. Dutch Factor in India and Indonesia. From Antwerpen. 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 from the east coast to Surat and…
OGILBY, John. Killemeare (Kirriemuir), Angus 17.11.1600 — London 4.9.1676. British (Scottish) Author, Translator and Cartographer. An accident ended his early career as a dancer, then worked as tutor in Dublin where he also founded Ireland’s first theatre. After a while in Cambridge lived in London concentrating on literary work. He…
HAMILTON, Alexander. 16?? — after 1733. British Sea Captain. First sailed in Europe, North Africa and West Indies. In 1688-1723 trading and travelling in the East, operating from Surat. In 1717 commander of E.I.C.’s Bombay Navy, suppressing pirates. Publications: A New Account of the East Indies. 1-2. 29+8+396+309+10 p. Edinburgh…