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…
SHAW, Robert Barkley. Upper Clapton, 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,…
SCHLAGINTWEIT, Robert von. Munich 27.10.1833 — Giessen 6.6.1885. German Traveller in India and Central Asia. Son of oculist physician Joseph Schl. (1792–1854) and Rosalia Seidl (1805–1839), brother of —> Adolf, Emil and Hermann Schl. A fifth brother was Eduard Schl. (1831–1866), an officer and explorer of Morocco. After the early…
SCHLAGINTWEIT-SAKÜNLÜNSKI, Hermann von. Munich 13.5.1826 — Munich 19.1.1882. German Traveller in India and Central Asia. Son of oculist physician Joseph Schl. (1792–1854) and Rosalia Seidl (1805–1839), brother of —> Adolf, Emil and Robert Schl. A fifth brother was Eduard Schl. (1831–1866), an officer and explorer of Morocco. After the early…
WOOD, Mark. Perth, Scotland 1747 — London 6.2.1829. Sir (Bart.). British (Scottish) Military Engineer and Traveller in India. Son of Alexander Wood. Cadet 1770, in 1772 joined Bengal Engineers, his two brothers were also in E.I.C.’s military service. Surveyor-General 1787, Chief Engineer in Bengal 1790, retired as Colonel and returned…
WOOD, John. Perth, Scotland 1812 — London 13.11.1871. British (Scottish) Naval Officer in India and Traveller in Central Asia. Educated at Perth Academy, in 1826 joined the E.I.C.’s navy. “Commanded the first [steam] vessel, the Indus, in the navigation of the Indus river, 1835-6; Assistant to Burnes in his commercial…
WILLIAM OF RUBRUCK (Guglielmus de Rubruquis, Guillaume de Rubrouck, Willem van Ruysbroeck, Risbroucke). 1215/20 — after 1255. Flemish Traveller, a Franciscan Monk. Probably born in Rubrouck in French Flanders. In 1248 participated in the 7th Crusade. Head of the embassy sent by Louis IX of France to the Mongol Khan…
WARNER, Langdon. Cambridge, Mass. 1.8.1881 — ibid. 9.6.1955. U.S. Art Historian and Central Asian Explorer. Son of advocate Joseph Bangs Warner (1848–1923) and Margret Woodbury Storer. Educated at Harvard College (A.B. 1903). Participated in Pumpelly–Carnegie Expedition to Trans-Caspia in 1904-05. In 1906-13 Assistant Curator of Oriental Art in Museum of…
ROE, Thomas. Low Leyton near Wanstead in Essex 1580/81 — Bath 6.11.1644. Sir. British Diplomat in India. Son of Sir Robert Rowe and Elinor Jermy, lost early his father. After early studies at Oxford (Magdalen College) he became esquire of the body to Queen Elizabeth I and was knighted by…
TURNER, Samuel. Gloucestershire 19.4.1759 (hardly 1749) — London 2.1.1802. British Colonial Officer in India, a Traveller and Diplomat. “Connected with Warren Hastings; entered the military service of the E.I.Co., 1780, and was Captain in 1799. Was sent by Warren Hastings on an embassy to Tibet, from Jan. 1783 to March…