George Bradshaw (1801–1853) by Richard Evans, 1841 © National Portrait Gallery, London
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Bradshaw, George (1801–1853), compiler of railway guides, only son of Thomas Bradshaw and his wife, Mary Rogers, was born at Windsor Bridge, Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire, on 29 July 1801. His parents, although of limited means, gave him a good education, placing him under the care of a ...
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Chidson, Donald Montagu Gerard (1920–2001), promoter of caravanning, was born at 26 Watling Street, Gillingham, Kent, on 7 May 1920, the son of Montagu Reaney Chidson (1893–1957), a captain in the Royal Garrison Artillery who rose to lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War, and his Dutch wife, ...
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Anne Pimlott Baker
Evans, Evan (1882–1965), coach tour operator and local politician, was born on 8 November 1882 in Glanyrafon, Betws Leucu, Cardiganshire, the eldest of the six surviving children of David Evans, a tenant farmer, and his wife, Elizabeth, née Davies. After leaving Llangeitho school...
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Gourdon [Gorden], William (fl. 1603–1616), mariner and travel writer, was born at Hull; nothing is known of his parents and he subsequently found employment on the merchant vessels of the Russia Company trading to northern Russia. He is probably the W. Gorden, factor and overseer, who recorded his experiences between April and September 1603 as ...
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E. W. L. Keymer
Holditch, Abraham (bap. 1639, d. 1678), naval officer and merchant adventurer, was baptized on 12 May 1639 at Totnes, Devon. He was probably the son of William Holditch (d. 1646?) and his wife, Agnes (bap. 1617), formerly Jakes. He married at ...
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Lok, Michael (c. 1532–1620x22), mercer, merchant adventurer, and traveller, was born in Cheapside, London, the youngest of five surviving sons of Sir William Lok (1480–1550) and his second wife, Catherine, née Cooke (d. 1537), and the brother of Rose Throckmorton. By his own account ...
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Anita McConnell
Phelps, Thomas (d. 1695), mariner and travel writer, was the son of Thomas Phelps of Bristol. Nothing is known of his life prior to the events narrated in his book, A true account of the captivity of Thomas Phelps at Machaness in Barbary, and of his strange escape in the company of Edmund Baxter and others...
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Sherley [Shirley], Sir Thomas (1564–1633/4), privateer and travel writer, was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Sherley (c. 1542–1612) of Wiston, Sussex, and his wife, Anne Kempe (c.1542–1623), daughter of Sir Thomas Kempe of Olantigh, Kent. Sir Anthony Sherley and Robert Shirley, ...
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William Sears Zuill sen.
Somers, Sir George (1554–1610), privateer and colonial adventurer, was born in Lyme Regis, Dorset, the son of John Somer (as the name was then spelt) and his wife, Alice (d. 1591). He first comes to notice in 1587 when he used prize money to buy ...
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John C. Appleby
Vassall, John (d. 1625), shipowner and colonial adventurer, was of French descent; his family, probably Huguenots, originated from near Caen in Normandy. Little is known of his parents or early career, though he apparently acquired a reputation as a competent authority on maritime matters, and was consulted by the ...
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Whetstone, Sir Thomas (1630/31–1668
