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 Fletcher and his wife Jane. M.A. 1830 Oxford (Magdalen College), now ordained priest. For a while deacon in Lichfield, then in Bombay, 1832-66 chaplain in Byculla, then senior chaplain and Archdeacon.…
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 Noronha. 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 in this profession. Apothecary of Prince Alfonso (d. 1491). Came to India in 1511, as apothecary and not very young, obtained soon official position under Albuquerque and went to…
PELSAERT, Francisco. Antwerpen 1595? — Batavia ?.9.1630. Dutch Factor in India and Indonesia. Born in a wealthy Roman Catholic family. 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…
OGILBY, John. Killemeare (Kirriemuir), Angus 17.11.1600 — London 4.9.1676. British (Scottish) Author, Translator and Cartographer. Of unknown parentage. “Probably at least half-brother to James Ogilby, 1st Earl of Airlie” (1593?–1666), at least himself claimed so. Grew up in London. Probably educated at Merchant Taylors’ Grammar School in London. An accident…
METHWOLD (Method), William. Baptised in South Pickenham near Swaffham, Norfolk 1590 — Kensington (London) 5.3.1653. British Merchant and Traveller in India. Son of Thomas Methwold and Susanna Hogan. Aged 16 he was apprenticed to a merchant, served four years in London and five in Middelburg in the Netherlands. In 1615 accepted as…
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…
GRAY, Albert. Kinnoull, Perth, Scotland 10.10.1850 — Chelsea, London 27.2.1928. Sir. British (Scottish) Lawyer interested in Sri Lanka and in Travel Literature. Son of George Gray (1798–1877), a lawyer and businessman, and Sophia Margaret Jameson. Member of Ceylon Civil Service in 1871-74. Resigned, back in the U.K. studied law and…
EFREMOV, Filipp Sergeevič. 1750 — after 1811. Russian Traveller. From Vjatka (now Kirov). He was Sergeant of Russian army, taken prisoner by a band of Cossacks and sold as slave in Bukhara in 1774. Having succefully escaped two years later he travelled through Kashgar and Ladakh to Kashmir and via…