TREBECK, George. Middlesex 1800 — Shah Merdon, Afghanistan 30.8.1825. British Traveller in Central Asia. Son of Charles Trebeck. In 1815 arrived at Calcutta with his father and brother, trained as a solicitor. In 1819 became Moorcroft’s assistant in his travels in Kashmir and Afghanistan. Died a few days after Moorcroft.…
THÉVENOT, Jean de. Paris 16.6.1633 — Mianeh (Miana), Persia 28.11.1667. French Traveller in Persia and India. Nephew of the travel writer Melchisédek Thévenot (1620–1692), librarian and Oriental scholar. Educated at Collège de Navarre, studies at Paris. With paternal inheritance made first several travels in Europe (1652-55), Levant (1655-59) and Persia…
TERRY, Edward. Leigh near Penshurst, Kent 1590 — Great Greenford, Ealing (London) 8.10.1660. Rev. British Traveller in India. Probably of a well-to-do family. After school in Rochester studied from 1608 at Oxford (Christ Church): B.A. 1611, M.A. and ordination 1614. In 1616 he sailed to India as ship’s chaplain and…
TEMPLE, Richard Carnac. Allahabad 15.10.1850 — Territet, Montreaux, Switzerland 3.3.1931. Sir (2nd Bart.). British Colonial Officer in India and Burma, Indologist, Ethnologist and Historian. Son of Sir Richard T. (1826–1902), a well-known and original Civil Servant in India, and Charlotte Martindale (d. 1855). His grandfather was a cousin of ·>…
TEIXEIRA, Pedro. 15?? — after 1610. Portuguese Traveller. Born in a Portuguese Jewish family, probably in Lisbon, but without Jewish education. Of his life, little is know beyond the meagre information in his book. Even his profession is unknown, Fleming thinks that perhaps he was physician. He spent a long…
TAVERNIER, Jean Baptiste (1669 baron d’Aubonne). Paris 1605 — Moscow (?) 1689. French Jeweller and Traveller in India. Son of Gabriel T., a Huguenot merchant and geographer, originally from Antwerp, and Suzanne Tonnelier. Early travels in England, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Italy and Hungary. Some time served in Austrian army. Also…
PYRARD DE LAVAL, François. Laval c. 1578 — Paris c. 1623. French Traveller in Maldives and India. Son of a trader. In May 1601 he sailed on Corbin one of the two ships equiped by the merchants of St.Malo, Laval and Vitré in order to compete with the Dutch E.I.C. in…
POTTINGER, Henry. Ballymacarrett, county Down 3.10.1788 — Malta 18.3.1855. Sir (Bart). British Colonial Officer in India. Born in a Berkshire family settled in Ireland. Son of Eldred Curwen P. and Anne Gordon, educated at Belfast; went to sea and to India [1804] to join the marine service, but entered the…
POLO, Marco. Venice 1254 (or 1250?) — Venice 8.1.1324. Famous Italian (Venetian) Traveller in the Middle Ages, spent many years in China. Born in a wealthy family of nobility, he left Venice in 1271 together with his father Niccolò and uncle Maffeo, who had returned from their earlier commercial visit…
POLIER, Antoine-Louis-Henri. Lausanne ?.2.1741 — near Avignon 9.2.1795. Swiss Officer and Traveller in India. Born in a French Huguenot noble family naturalized in Switzerland, son of Jacques H. E. Polier (1700–1781) and Jeanne-Francoise Moreau de Brosses. He had a good education and showed interest in mathematics. Invited by his uncle…