John Mildenhall

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. Convicted of fraud, he was executed for his crimes in 1614 and was buried at Agra. His is the first recorded burial of an Englishman in IndiaCite web|url=http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/i/n/Peter-Minall-Gloucestershire/index.html|title=The Minalls of Wiltshire, Berkshire, &Hertfordshire, England|accessdate=2008-05-29] .

Early life

John Mildenhall was born in 1560 in Little Bedwin, Wiltshire, EnglandCite web|url=http://mmm.morgeneggweb.com/mendenhall_ancestors/pg13.htm|title=Mendenhall Family History - Thirteenth Generation|accessdate=2008-05-27] . He was the son of Sir John MildenhallCite web|url=http://mmm.morgeneggweb.com/mendenhall_ancestors/pg14.htm|title=Mendenhall Family History - Fourteenth Generation|accessdate=2008-05-27] , who descended from Warinus De La Strode, a French knight who lived at the time of William the ConquerorCite web|url=http://mmm.morgeneggweb.com/mendenhall_ancestors/pg32.htm|title=Mendenhall Family History - Thirty Second Generation|accessdate=2008-05-27] .

Travels to India

Mildenhall was one of the first British travellers to journey overland to Indiacite book | title=Early English Travellers in India| url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=4nUx8ZzIHBsC&pg=PA63&lpg=PA63&source=web&ots=xwCDgjRL0b&sig=Q1_yjmFBEidBZWKzzo_auiKVvck&hl=en#PPA64,M1| last=Prasad| first=Ram Chandra| date=1980| pages=63| publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publications| id=ISBN 8120824652] . 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.

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