James Holman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Holman
James Holman, in an 1830 Royal Society portrait by George Chinnery painted in Canton (modern-day Guangzhou)
Born	15 October 1786
Died	29 July 1857 (1857-07-30) (aged 70)

James Holman FRS (born October 15, 1786 – died July 29, 1857) was an amazing British adventurer and writer. He was known as the "Blind Traveller." Even though he was completely blind and often in pain, he traveled all over the world by himself.

People like the journalist William Jerdan said that no other famous travelers, not even Marco Polo, explored as many places as James Holman. In 1832, he became the first blind person to travel all the way around the world. By 1846, he had visited every continent where people lived!

Life and travels

Holman in his later years

Holman's grave in Highgate Cemetery

James Holman was born in Exeter, England. His father was a pharmacist. In 1798, James joined the British Royal Navy when he was just 12 years old. He became a lieutenant in 1807.

In 1810, while serving on the ship Guerriere, he became very ill. This illness first hurt his joints, then slowly took away his eyesight. By the age of 25, he was completely and permanently blind.

Because his blindness happened while he was serving his country, he was given a special position in 1812. He became a Naval Knights of Windsor. This meant he got a place to live in Windsor Castle and care for the rest of his life. His only duty was to attend church services twice a day.

However, James was a very active person and loved to explore. This quiet life made him feel sick. So, he asked for time off to travel. First, he studied medicine and literature at the University of Edinburgh. Then, from 1819 to 1821, he went on a "Grand Tour" of Europe. He traveled through France, Italy, Switzerland, parts of Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. When he returned, he wrote a book about his journey.

In 1822, he set off again with an incredible plan: to travel around the world from west to east. This was a very rare thing for anyone to do back then, especially for a blind person traveling alone. He traveled through Russia all the way to the border of Mongolia, near Irkutsk.

However, the Russian government thought he might be a spy. They worried he would share secrets about the Russian American Company if he traveled further east. So, they forced him to turn back to the border of Poland. He returned home through Austria, Saxony, Prussia, and Hanover. After this trip, he published another book called Travels through Russia, Siberia, etc.

Soon after, he tried again to travel around the world, but this time using a different route. He succeeded! He wrote a four-volume book about this amazing journey, called A Voyage Round the World. This book covered his travels from 1827 to 1832, including places in Africa, Asia, Australasia, and America.

His last journeys took him through Spain, Portugal, Moldavia, Montenegro, Syria, and Turkey. He finished writing his autobiography, Holman's Narratives of His Travels, just one week before he died in London on July 29, 1857. He was buried in Highgate Cemetery. Sadly, this last book was never published and is likely lost.

Recognition

James Holman was recognized for his amazing achievements. He was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (UK) and the Linnaean Society (UK). Being a Fellow means he was a respected member of these important scientific groups.

Even Charles Darwin, a very famous scientist, mentioned Holman's writings in his book The Voyage of the Beagle. Darwin used Holman's notes about the plants found in the Indian Ocean.

On Fernando Po Island, which is now part of Equatorial Guinea, the British government named the Holman River after him. This honored his efforts to help stop the slave trade in that area during the 1820s.

Holman Prize

Since 2017, an organization in San Francisco called LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired has given out an award called the Holman Prize. It's named after James Holman. Each year, three blind people are given up to $25,000 to help them complete an adventurous project of their own.

Gallery

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  Travels through Russia, Siberia, Poland, Austria, Saxony, Prussia, Hanover, etc. (1832)

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  Travels in Madeira, Sierra Leone, Teneriffe, St. Jago, Cape Coast, ... Princes Island, etc. (1840)

See also

• The Wool Road (New South Wales)