Godfrey Vigne
Godfrey Thomas Vigne (1 September 1801 – 12 July 1863) was an English amateur cricketer and traveller.
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Early life
Vigne was born on 1 September 1801 at Walthamstow, then in Essex, the eldest son of Thomas Vigne. He entered Harrow School in 1817, became a barrister in 1824, and was a member of Lincoln's Inn.[1]
Cricketing career
He was mainly associated with Hampshire sides and he made 11 known appearances in first-class matches from 1819 to 1845.[2]
Travels
In 1831 Vigne left England for Persia, and then travelled to India. He spent the next seven years travelling in north west India and Central Asia.[1] Between 1835 and 1838 he travelled extensively in Kashmir and Ladakh and was the first European known to have visited Baltistan. He was the first to describe Nanga Parbat.[3]
In 1836 Vigne visited Afghanistan, and met the emir, Dost Mohammed. He was said to be the first Englishman to have visited Kabul.[1] He visited the Lahore Durbar of the Sikh Empire in 1837.[4] After 1852 Vigne travelled in Mexico, Nicaragua, the West Indies and the United States. He published several books describing his travels.[1]
In 1841, the urial, a wild sheep living in Central and Southern Asia, was given the scientific name Ovis vignei in his honour.[5]
Works
- Outline of a Route Through the Panj-áb, Kábul, Kashmír, and into Little Tibet, in the Years 1834-8. Publisher: Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Volume 9, 1 January 1839
- A personal narrative of a visit to Ghuzni, Kabul, and Afghanistan, and of a residence at the court of Dost Mohamed with notices of Runjit Sing, Khiva, and the Russian expedition. With illus. from drawings made by the author on the spot. Publisher: Whitacker & Co., London, 1840
- Travels in Kashmir, Ladak, Iskardo, the countries adjoining the mountain-course of the Indus, and the Himalaya, north of the Panjab. Volume I. Publisher: Henry Colburn London, 1842
- Travels in Kashmir, Ladak, Iskardo, the countries adjoining the mountain-course of the Indus, and the Himalaya, north of the Panjab. Volume II. Publisher: Henry Colburn London, 1842
- Observation on the Vegetation and Products of Afghanistan, Kaschmir and Tibet by J. Forbes Royal M.D. F.R.S.
References
- Carlyle, Edward Irving (1899). . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 58. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- Arthur Haygarth, Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826), Lillywhite, 1862
- Keay, John (1977). When Men and Mountains Meet. pp. 83–98. ISBN 0-7126-0196-1.
- Hardgrave, R. L. (1996). An Early Portrayal of the Sikhs: Two 18th Century Etchings by Baltazard Solvyns. International Journal of Punjab Studies, 3(2), 213-27. Accessed via: https://www.laits.utexas.edu/solvyns-project/sikhs.html
- Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (18 November 2009). The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. JHU Press. ISBN 9780801895333 – via Google Books.
External sources
- Vigne, Godfrey Thomas by Edward Irving Carlyle in: Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Volume 58
- Books by Godfrey Thomas Vigne Internet Archive – online
- Watercolour Paintings by Godfrey Thomas Vigne in VAM Museum