Expedition personnel

1836 allotment of Officers and Men to

Steamers Euphrates and Tigris

R.A. = Royal Artillery
R.E. = Royal Engineers
R.N. = Royal Navy

This list of the Expedition’s personnel is based on Chesney’s ‘allotment of Officers and Men to Steamers Euphrates and Tigris 1836′ published in his 1868 book, and information found in the accounts of Expedition members.
Those writing about the Expedition often used different spellings of names, which can be confusing. During the Expedition, temporary workers were sometimes hired and their names were not always recorded.

Commander of the Expedition

Acting Colonel Francis Rawdon Chesney R.A. (Annalong, County Down, Ireland 1789-1872)

– Alternatively on Euphrates and Tigris
– Had been on an expedition to the Euphrates from 1830-1832, laying the groundwork for the 1835 Expedition
– Left the Expedition 14 November 1836 for Bombay, India, to discuss the continuation of the Expedition with the India Office

Second in command

Lieutenant Henry Blosse Lynch I.N. (1807-1873) Indian Navy

– Captain of Tigris
– Joined the Indian Navy in 1823 and took part in the survey of the Persian Gulf, where he learned Arabic and Persian
– Left the Expedition on 29 May 1836 for England, with the survivors of the Tigris

Third in command

Captain James Bucknall Bucknall Estcourt (1802-1855) 43rd Light Infantry British Army

– In charge of pendulum experiments
– Second in command from 29 May 1836 when Henry Blosse Lynch left the Expedition
– After Chesney left, Commander of the Expedition from 14 November 1836 until end of Expedition 31 January 1837

Colourisation by Ross Day

Euphrates

Rank	Name	Age info	Origin	Role	Remark
Captain L.In.	James Bucknall Bucknall Estcourt	1802-1855	London	Third in command / In charge of pendulum experiments
Lieutenant R.N.	Richard Francis Cleaveland	entered Navy 1824 – d.1843		Captain of the Euphrates
Lieutenant R.E.	Hastings Fitz-Edward Murphy	1798-1836	County Kerry	Astronomer and chief surveyor	Died of fever at Basrah on 9 August 1836
Mate R.N.	Edward Philips Charlewood	1813-1894	Oak Hill, Staffordshire	Acting Lieutenant
Mate R.N.	James Fitzjames	1813 – 1848?			Left the Expedition 30 October 1836 in charge of the Indian mails
	William Francis Ainsworth	1807-1896	Exeter	Surgeon / Geologist
	Christian Anthony Rassam	1808-1872	Mosul, Iraq	Interpreter
	Saïd Ali			Interpreter	Left the Expedition 30 October 1836 with Fitzjames and Indian mails
	Thomas Hurst			Engineer	Left Expedition 2 May 1836
Doctor	Johann Wilhelm Helfer	1810-1840	Prague	Passenger	Austrian. Left Expedition 18 June 1836
	Mathilde Pauline Helfer	1801-1881	Saxony, Germany	Passenger	Left Expedition 18 June 1836
Reverend	William John Bucknall Estcourt	1812-1884	London	Passenger	Brother of J.B. Bucknall Estcourt. Was on a tour through Egypt and Syria. Assisted his brother with surveying and served as secretary to Chesney. Left Expedition 2 May 1836
Sergeant-major R.A.	William Quin			Storekeeper and Master-at-arms
Sergeant R.E.	Syms / Sein (?)				Died Autumn 1835
Corporal R.A.	W. Greenhill			Assistant to Lieutenant Murphy
Corporal R.E.	Gidens / Geddens				Died of fever around August 1835
Corporal R.E.	William Black				Described by Chesney as “a singularly energetic and persevering man.”
Corporal R.E.	W. Blash			Assistant to the Engineer
Private R.E.	Edraton			Assistant to the Engineer
Private R.E.	William Edrington
Gunner R.A.	Gregor McDonald			Miner
Gunner R.A.	Charles Campbell			Miner
Gunner R.A.	Edward Andrews			Smith
Gunner R.A.	Job Vaines			Smith
Gunner R.A.	Hughes
Gunner R.A.	David Ewart
	William Frew			Carpenter
	Thomas Jones			Carpenter
	Thomas Phipps			Boatswain
	John Haigh			Sailmaker
	John Malta			Steward
	John Waters		America	Cook
	Thomas Philips			Seaman
	George Davies			Seaman
	Thomas Hunter, Jun.			Seaman
	William Denbigh			Seaman
	David Raerdon			Seaman
	Franklin Hofman			Seaman
	James Brown			Seaman	Died of ‘brain-fever’ at Antioch, 7 August 1835
	John Clarke			Seaman
	Hadji Mahomed			Seaman

Tigris

Rank	Name	Age info	Origin	Role	Remark	Died 21 May 1836, wreck of the Tigris
Lieutenant I.N.	Henry Blosse Lynch	1807-1873	Partry, County Mayo	Second in command / Captain of the Tigris	Left the Expedition for England 29 May 1836
Lieutenant R.A.	Robert Cockburn	1812-1836	Edinburgh	In charge of Artillery / Draughtsman		†
Mate R.N.	Henry Eden	entered Navy 1825		Acting Lieutenant	Left the Expedition for England 29 May 1836
Doctor R.A.	Charles Frederick Staunton		Dublin	Surgeon
	Andrew Aylmer Staunton		Ireland	Assistant Surgeon / Draughtsman	Left Expedition at Hillah for England 11 June 1836
	William Taylour Thompson	1813-1883	Edinburgh	In charge of chronometers	Left the Expedition for England 29 May 1836
	William Elliot a.k.a. Dervish Ali		Calcutta, India	Interpreter	English father, Indian mother. Studied Medicine in England. Left Expedition after 21 May 1836
	Yussuf Sader			Interpreter		†
Lieutenant I.A. 21st Bengal Native Infantry	Robert Blosse Lynch		Partry, County Mayo	Passenger	Took an active part in the transport and went on diplomatic missions with his brother Henry Blosse Lynch	†
	Alexander Hector	1810-1875		Purser and Storekeeper	Stayed in Baghdad after end of Expedition to run shortlived dromedary postal service
	Andrew Clegg			Engineer	Left Expedition 2 May 1836 for England
	John Struthers			Engineer	Joined Expedition 2 May 1836, to replace Clegg	†
Acting Sergeant R.E.	Richard Clark			Carpenter		†
Bombardier R.A.	Thompson
Corporal R.E.	Benjamin Fisher			Assistant to the Engineer
Private	Archibald McDonald			Assistant to the Engineer		†
Gunner R.A.	John Waddell			Trumpeter
Gunner R.A.	Edward Harrison			Smith	Died August 1835 of fever
Gunner R.A.	James Moore					†
Gunner R.A.	Robert Turner			Miner		†
Gunner R.A.	James Hay			Miner		†
Gunner R.A.	Thomas Jones			Smith
Gunner R.A.	Gosling			Smith
	Elias Laurie			Quartermaster
	Benjamin Gibson			Boatswain’s Mate		†
	Thomas Hunter, Sen.			Sailmaker		†
	Giacomo		Malta	Cook and Baker
	Vincenzo		Malta	Cook and Baker
	Antoni		Malta	Cook and Baker
	James Whittaker			Boiler-maker
	Thomas Booth			Seaman		†
	Charles Nash			Seaman
	Thomas Batty			Seaman		†
	William Benson			Seaman
	George Liddel			Seaman		†
	Dubek Sacho			Seaman

	Wasoo			Local worker		†
	Jacob John			Local worker		†
	Mauneh			Local worker		†
	Pedros			Local worker		†