This man, John Mildenhall, was very courageous.

He was a sly, thieving, murdering fox...and the ancestor of Richard Nixon.

Agra - Beyond Taj Roman Catholic Cemetery Visit to a forgotten corner of Agra, the old Roman Catholic cemetery where so many early European travelers and adventurers lie buried. Although it is quite probably the oldest Christian cemetery in northern India, it has none of that overgrown, crumbling look that is common to old cemeteries in monsoon lands. It is a bright even cheerful place and the jingle of tonga-bells and other street noises can be heard from any part of the grounds. The grass is out, the gravestones are kept clean and most of the inscriptions are still readable. The caretaker would take you straight to the oldest grave-this is the oldest known European grave in northern India and it happens to be that of an Englishman, John Mildenhall. The lettering stands out clearly: "Here lies John Mildenhall, Englishman, who left London in 1599 and traveling to India through Persian, reached Agra in 160 and spoke with the Emperor Akbar. On a second visit in 1614 he fell ill at Lahore, died at Ajmer, and was buried here through the good offices of Thomas Kerridge merchant." Read more: http://bit.ly/yrv75q

John Mildenhall (1560–1614) or John Midnall was a British explorer and adventurer and one of the first to make an overland journey to India. He was the self-styled ambassador of the British East India Company in India. His is the first recorded burial of an Englishman in India. Travels to India: Mildenhall was one of the first British travellers to journey overland to India[5]. His name first appears in the Court Records of the British East India Company concerning a letter sent by him "to his master Rich Stapers, declaring what privileges he had obtained in the Indies and offering them, and his services to the Company for 1,500 pounds in hand". On June 21, 1608, the Court decided to consider his demand and in October, nominated Mildenhall as factor along with Lawrence Femell and Edward Abbott. However, Mildenhall demanded even more and as a consequence, negotiations came to an end. Entrusted with the sale of the Company goods in the Levant, Mildenhall, travelled through Eastern Europe, and passing through Scio and Smyrna reached Constantinople on October 29, 1599. After staying at Constantinople for six months, he continued his journey and arrived at Aleppo on May 24, 1600 where he stayed for forty-two days. On June 7, 1600, Mildenhall left Aleppo with an entourage of six hundred people and, travelling through Bir, Urfa, Diabekir, Butelis, Van, Nakhichevan, Julfa, Sultanieh, Kazvin, Kum, Kashan, Kirman, Sistan and Kandahar, he reached Lahore in 1603. Mildenhall was entrusted with the sale of the Company's goods in the Levant but he deceived the British East India Company by escaping to Persia instead. A letter from Ajmer dated September 20, 1614 informs the British East India Company that an Englishman named Richard Steele arrived at Aleppo along with another Englishman Richard Newman in pursuit of one John Midnall who had tried to flee with the Company's provisions to India but was overtaken and captured at Tombaz and taken back to Isfahan. Mildenhall was released soon afterwards, his goods confiscated. But he was given a compensation of 9,000 dollars in return. Soon after his release, Mildenhall travelled to India and reached Lahore in the company of Newman who had had an altercation with Steele and had chosen to follow Mildenhall. They parted at Lahore but reunited at Agra. Mildenhall reached the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar and held discussions with him. However, he was regarded as an outlaw by the British East India Company whose exports to the Levant he had diverted to India. Moreover, his journey was not sponsored by the Company. Hence, the British East India Company sent Sir William Hawkins on Mildenhall's heels to India to declare all his dealings null and void. Burial: John Mildenhall is interred at the Roman Catholic cemetery in Agra, India under the following inscription: Here lies John Mildenhall, Englishman, who left London in 1599 and traveling to India through Persian, reached Agra in 160 and spoke with the Emperor Akbar. On a second visit in 1614 he fell ill at Lahore, died at Ajmer, and was buried here through the good offices of Thomas Kerridge merchant. Source: Wiki

He stole money and goods belonging to a couple of the founders of the Virginia Company, which were trade goods that he was taking, with a couple of companions who he was alleged to have poisoned in Persia. He was allegedly poisoned himself in India. Karma?

Sorry...that he was taking to India. :))

With all due regards ,,, Intruders in a intruders court ,,, Satya Seleucus n Bichitra Bharat ....

A very interesting read!

@Lynne Hadley: you know a lot about this English man. Have you written something about him?

It is unclear as to which britisher was first to set foot here. I know for certain that Thomas Stephens, a Jesuit,came before Mildenhall. Not sure if he came by the land or sea route. I recollect my Irish Headmaster also recounting that King Alfred had sent an envoy during his reign in the 9th century but unable to recall the name of the envoy.

I have written about him, Meena. :))

Did Stephens translate the Bible into Marathi, Arindam? I can't quite remember.

"According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the first Englishmen to set foot in India were the Bishop of Sherborne, Sighelm (also known as Swithhelm or Sigelinus) and his companion, Athelstan, who in 883 travelled to India to fulfil a vow made by King Alfred"

Sorry, made a mistake in an earlier comment: Mildenhall set out for India, "...‘…with three other young Englishmen, whom he poisoned in Persia, to make himself master of their goods’

Lynne, He was fluent in a few languages spoken at that time in the western India region. I am not aware if he translated the Bible, but he wrote an epic on the life of Jesus and mankind during that period in a native language.

Thanks Lynne. My headmaster Bro. Carroll was on the dot then.

Absolutely, Arindam. :))

I'm fascinated by this period in Indian history. The very early attempts of the Brits establishing factories in India were a comedy of errors. :))

... How is Mildenhall related to Richard Nixon ?

Mildenhall is his direct ancestor, Julian. I find that really fascinating, in that it's such a small world...and getting smaller every day. I would never have made this connection...came as quite a surprise to me. It probably shouldn't, though....both had the determination to take on challenges...Nixon becoming President, and Mildenhall undertaking his trips to India. Pure grit, methinks.

Mildenhall was a g.grandfather....not sure how many g's there should be in that...from memory, Julian. Mildenhall had a wife and children in England. The children he fathered in India were not his only progeny.