Strachan, George
Biography:
Traveller and orientalist. Born Kincardineshire. Student at Paris by 1592, Pont-à-Mousson 1593, then Béarn, Navarre. Travelled via several universities 1599-1609, including Carpentras (1600-01) and the Scots College in Rome. Returned to Scotland 1602, as courier for the Jesuit leadership in Rome and Scotland. Accused of being a traitor but escaped, returned to Rome by 1604. Moved to Paris and taught classics from 1604. Translated Greek writers. Served the duke of Guise. Left Paris c.1613 for Constantinople, then by 1615 Syria, Lebanon and the Holy Land. Travelled for 10 years, mastering Persian and Arabic, and possible Turkish and Hebrew, as he travelled. Collected valuable manuscripts. Physician to the ruler of the Arabs between Syria and the Euphrates 1616-8. Entered service with the East India Company 1619-21. Lived in Eshafan and taught Arabic. May have returned to Europe or rejoined the East India Company. Still in the East in 1634, but date of his death unknown.
Biography Date: fl.1592-1634
Biography References: DNB;
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