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84:, France. He arrived in France in the revolutionary year of 1789 and became the first Englishman to qualify as a veterinary surgeon. On completing his course he began practice in London, established a "hospital for horses" on Oxford Street, helped found the first British veterinary college, proposed new surgical methods for curing lameness in horses, and acquired four patents on machines to manufacture horseshoes. In 1795, Moorcroft published a pamphlet of directions for the medical treatment of horses, with special reference to
76:, the Parish Church of Ormskirk, where there is a commemorative plaque to his life. His family had sufficient means to secure an apprenticeship with a surgeon in Liverpool but during this time an unknown disease decimated cattle herds in Lancashire and young William was recruited to treat stricken animals. His proficiency so impressed the county landowners they offered to underwrite his education if he would abandon surgery to attend a
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September where several months were spent exploring the surrounding country. A commercial treaty was concluded with the government of Ladakh, by which the whole of
Central Asia was virtually opened to British trade in exchange for British protection. Unfortunately, this treaty would have required the
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Moorcroft found the company stud in dire shape, with apparently depressing signs of laxness, neglect and ignorance. Often undersized mares were bred with local stallions, the best colts were kept back and stud books falsified. He improved the procedures at the stud. He took brisk charge of his staff
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The journey to Tibet only served to whet
Moorcroft's appetite for more extensive travel. But when he broached the idea of a new horse buying expedition to Bukhara in 1816, a searing reply from the EIC Board of Managers warned Moorcroft to keep "steady" at his stud duties and not "waste his time" on
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valley and crossed the Niti Pass on 1 July 1812. Here they were met by Rawats who were under strict orders from Tibet to repel the foreigners. With his charm, the promise of gain, and proficient use of his medical kit, Moorcroft gained the friendship of two influential Rawats, Deb Singh and his
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Moorcroft's preparations took nearly a year. His roster of recruits included the
Persian, Mir Izzat Khan, who had already made the trip alone some years before and an Afghan, Gulam Hyder Khan from his previous expedition to Tibet. Nineteen-year-old
271:, a recent arrival in Calcutta, was selected as second in command. The total expedition totalled 300 persons, including an escort of 12 Gurkas, sixteen horses and mules along with ÂŁ4,000 of trading goods as well as medical supplies and equipment.
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In 1803 a citizen army was mobilised to defend
Britain against a threatened Napoleonic invasion. Moorcroft joined the Westminster Volunteer Cavalry. He came to the attention of Edward Parry, a director of the
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in 1826, and lived there twelve years, being assassinated on his way back to India in 1838, although this story of
Moorcroft's "second life" has been explained by late 20th-century research as unlikely.
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brother Bir Singh. The orders from Tibet were ignored and Amer Singh, the son of Bir Singh, was recruited to serve as a guide through the Niti pass and over the
Tibetan plateau. Arriving at the town of
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territory, Moorcorft failed to acquire the ideal breeding horses that he sought. In
Benares he learned that Bukhara was rumoured to have "the greatest horse market in the world." Moorcroft recruited a
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263:, head of the EIC's Political and Secret Department, granted him leave to proceed. Metcalfe's goal was to use his friend as an intelligence scout on his epic journey.
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and weeded out deficient horses. Moorcroft also cultivated oats on a large scale in India and set aside 3,000 acres (12 km) at Pusa for its production.
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Travels in the
Himalayan Provinces of Hinduslan and the Punjab, in Ladakh and Kashnair, in Peshawur, Kabul, Kunduz and Bokhara, from 1819 to 1825
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in
November, only to be chastised severely by the EIC for his failure to find horses—they were not interested in shawl wool or Tibetan lakes.
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on 25 February 1825, but found none of the rumored horses and also learned that a
Russian mission had reached Bokhara four years before.
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110:(EIC), who recruited Moorcroft to manage the East India Company's stud in Bengal. In 1808 Moorcroft left for India and arrive in
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In 1811 Moorcroft travelled extensively in the northern sub-continent in search of better breeding stock. Despite travelling to
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Travels in the Himalayan provinces of Hindustan and the Panjab; in Ladakh and Kashmir; in Peshawar, Kabul, Kunduz, and Bokhara
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to traverse his territory. This was finally granted in mid May 1820. He then met up with Trebeck and the rest of his party at
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to make a scouting trip to Bukhara and map out the route. He also learned that fine breeding horses might be found in Tibet.
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had described some 500 years earlier could travel 100 miles (160 km) a day for weeks on end. Their descendants, the
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and Russia. Moorcroft persisted in his quest and his seven-year campaign was finally rewarded in May 1819 when
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72:, Lancashire, the illegitimate son of Ann Moorcroft, daughter of a local farmer. He was baptised in 1767 in
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Recent Research on Ladakh 4 & 5: Proceedings of the Fourth and Fifth International Colloquia on Ladakh
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44:(1767 – 27 August 1825) was an English veterinarian and explorer employed by the
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Beyond Bokhara: The Life of William Moorcroft, Asian Explorer and Veterinary Surgeon, 1767–1825
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One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
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August arrived at Lake Manasarovar, which they explored extensively. Returning via the
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Tournament of shadows : the great game and race for empire in Central Asia
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While exploring Ladakh he had a chance encounter with another European,
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on 20 June. He and his companions were the first Europeans to see the
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Ladakhi's to break relations with Ranjit Singh, the Maharajah of the
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Moorcroft and Captain William Hearsey disguised themselves as
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and the first Englishmen to see the upper Oxus. They reached
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surviving him by only a few days. However, according to the
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430:In 1841, Moorcroft's papers were obtained by the
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579:Travels in Tartary, Thibet, and China, 1844–1846
478:Myer, Karl E. and Brysac, Shareen Blair (1999).
90:Cursory Account of the Methods of Shoeing Horses
671:The Great Game: On Secret Service in High Asia
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707:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
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101:Superintendent of stud
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300:Beas River
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350:in the
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212:Gorkhas
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216:Nepal
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187:pashm
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680:ISBN
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635:and
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373:on 4
365:on 3
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