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…
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…
STEIN, Mark Aurel. Budapest 26.11.1862 — Kabul 26.10.1943. Sir. Hungarian Explorer, Indologist, and Archaeologist living in India (from 1888). British citizen (1904). Born to aged parents (mother 45, father more), M. Nathan Stein and Anna Hirschler. The father was a merchant, uncle Ignaz Hirschler, archaeologist, physician and politician. School in…
SONNERAT, Pierre. Lyon 18.8.1748 — Paris 31.3.1814. French Naval Officer, Naturalist and Traveller in the East. Travels: 1768-71 Madagascar and neighbouring islands, 1772-74 Moluccas and Philippines, 1774-81 India and China. Correspondent of the French Academy. Details of his life, especially of early years, are defective. In his first travel collaborated…
SKRINE, Francis Henry Bennett. 1847 — 1933. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Rev. Clarmont Skrine, a retired officer in Wimbledon, and Mary Bennett. Educated at Blackheath School; entered the I.C.S. 1868, served in Bengal and Bihar. In the 1880s worked on famine relief in Bihar and Madras. Collector…
SHAW, Robert Barkley. London 12.7.1839 — Mandalay, Burma 15.6.1879. British Traveller in Central Asia, then Civil Servant in Burma. Son of Robert Grant Shaw and Martha Barkley. “Educated at Marlborough and Trinity College, Cambridge, became a tea-planter in Kangra. Travelled in 1868 as a merchant to Eastern Turkestan, reaching Yarkand…