Godfrey Vigne
Encyclopedia
Godfrey Thomas Vigne was an English amateur cricket
er and traveller.
, then in Essex
, the eldest son of Thomas Vigne
. He entered Harrow School
in 1817. He became a barrister
in 1824, and was a member of Lincoln's Inn
.
and he made 11 known appearances in first-class
matches from 1819 to 1845.
and Ladakh
, and was the first European known to have visited Baltistan
. He was the first to describe Nanga Parbat
.
In 1836 Vigne visited Afghanistan
, and met the emir, Dost Mohammed. He was said to be the first Englishman to have visited Kabul
.
After 1852 Vigne travelled in Mexico, Nicaragua, the West Indies and the United States.
He published several books describing his travels.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and traveller.
Early life
Vigne was born on 1 September 1801 at WalthamstowWalthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
, then in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, the eldest son of Thomas Vigne
Thomas Vigne
Thomas Vigne was an English amateur cricketer.-Career:He was mainly associated with Surrey and he made 60 known appearances in first-class matches from 1804 to 1832 . He was an occasional wicketkeeper.Vigne's son was Godfrey Vigne who played first-class cricket from 1819 to 1845.-External sources:*...
. He entered Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
in 1817. He became a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
in 1824, and was a member of Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
.
Cricketing career
He was mainly associated with HampshireHampshire county cricket teams
Hampshire county cricket teams have been traced back to the 18th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that...
and he made 11 known appearances in first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches from 1819 to 1845.
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. Between 1835 and 1838 he travelled extensively in KashmirKashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
and Ladakh
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
, and was the first European known to have visited Baltistan
Baltistan
Baltistan , also known as بلتیول བལིུལ་ in the Balti language, is a region in northern Pakistan which forms Gilgit-Baltistan, bordering the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. In addition, a part of Baltistan also falls into Jammu and Kashmir of India. It is situated in the Karakoram mountains...
. He was the first to describe Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain on Earth, the second highest mountain in Pakistan and among the eight-thousanders with a summit elevation of 8,126 meters...
.
In 1836 Vigne visited Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, and met the emir, Dost Mohammed. He was said to be the first Englishman to have visited Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
.
After 1852 Vigne travelled in Mexico, Nicaragua, the West Indies and the United States.
He published several books describing his travels.