Thomas Edward Gordon
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Edward Gordon (1832, Aberdeen
- 1914) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, and traveler. A British Army
officer, he fought in India, served as a diplomat in Tehran
, and travelled across the Pamirs. These days he is primarily remembered as an author of several books about the India, Persia, and Central Asia of the 19th century.
in Spain, and was married at Santarem
, in 1818, to Marianna Carlotta Loi, daughter of Lois Congalvea de Mello, a Spanish government official in the province of Estremadura
.
Alongside his twin brother, Sir John James Hood Gordon, Thomas entered the British Army
, joining the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot on 21st August, 1849. He served in the Indian Mutiny campaign of 1857-1858. Later he became Military Attaché and Oriental Secretary to the British Legation in Tehran. During his visits to Persia Gordon decided to publish an account of his journey with the intention of displaying, through his observations and illustrations, evidence of the "progress and improvement" he found. In 1896 his work, Persia Revisited, was published.
He died in 1914.
He was also a painter, perhaps the first European to paint the landscapes of certain remote locations of the Pamirs.
T.E. Gordon was married to Lady Ella Gordon.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
- 1914) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, and traveler. A British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer, he fought in India, served as a diplomat in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, and travelled across the Pamirs. These days he is primarily remembered as an author of several books about the India, Persia, and Central Asia of the 19th century.
Life
Gordon was born on 12th January 1832 in Aberdeen and was a twin son of Captain William Gordon (1788-1834) of the 2nd Queen’s Royal Regiment. His father served in the Peninsular WarPeninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
in Spain, and was married at Santarem
Santarém
-In Portugal:* Santarém District, a district in Portugal* Santarém Municipality, a municipality in that district* Santarém, Portugal the seat of the above district* Roman Catholic Diocese of Santarém, Portugal-Other:* Santarém cheese, a Portuguese goat cheese...
, in 1818, to Marianna Carlotta Loi, daughter of Lois Congalvea de Mello, a Spanish government official in the province of Estremadura
Estremadura
Estremadura may refer to:* Estremadura Province * Estremadura Province * Lisboa VR, a Portuguese wine region called Estremadura until 2009...
.
Alongside his twin brother, Sir John James Hood Gordon, Thomas entered the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, joining the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot on 21st August, 1849. He served in the Indian Mutiny campaign of 1857-1858. Later he became Military Attaché and Oriental Secretary to the British Legation in Tehran. During his visits to Persia Gordon decided to publish an account of his journey with the intention of displaying, through his observations and illustrations, evidence of the "progress and improvement" he found. In 1896 his work, Persia Revisited, was published.
He died in 1914.
He was also a painter, perhaps the first European to paint the landscapes of certain remote locations of the Pamirs.
Family
T.E. Gordon's twin brother, general John James H Gordon (1832-1904), served alongside him. J.J. wrote "The Sikhs".T.E. Gordon was married to Lady Ella Gordon.
T.E. Gordon's books
- The roof of the world: being a narrative of a journey over the high plateau of Tibet to the Russian frontier and the Oxus sources on Pamir - includes an eyewitness account of Yaqub Beg's regime in Kashgaria
- Persia Revisited
- A varied life; a record of military and civil service, of sport and of travels in India, Central Asia and Persia, 1849-1902