John Mildenhall

English merchant and explorer, John Mildenhall was one of the first English travellers to journey overland to India.

Until Mildenhall, all the trading expeditions sent by the Queen Elizabeth I to India failed. His plan was to act as the Queen’s personal ambassador, to reach the Moghul Emperor Akbar and arrange trade concessions.

In 1599 he went on his first journey to India and returned in 1608 or 1609. He tried to sell the concessions that he obtained from Mughal Emperor Akbar for a large sum and a high position in the Company, but his efforts were in vain.

In 1614 he went on the second voyage. Entrusted with the sale of the Company’s goods in the Levant, Mildenhall travelled through Eastern Europe, reached Istanbul and then proceeded to Aleppo in Syria. But instead of trading Mildenhall fled with entourage to Persia and reached Lahore. There he fell ill, and died.

He was buried at the catholic cemetery in Agra under the following inscription:

Here lies John Mildenhall, Englishman, who left London in 1599 and traveling to India through Persian, reached Agra in 1600 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.

This is the first recorded burial of an Englishman in India.

Since he was regarded as an outlaw by the English East India Company, Sir William Hawkins was sent to India in pursuit of Mildenhall and to declare all his dealings with the Mughal Emperor void.