John Auldjo facts for kids
John Richardson Auldjo (born July 26, 1805 – died May 6, 1886) was a fascinating Canadian-British explorer, scientist, writer, and artist. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). Later in his life, he served as the British Consul in Geneva. He was also a close friend of famous writer Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
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A Life of Adventure and Discovery
John Auldjo was born in Montreal in 1805. His family was well-known in business and politics. He was the older of two sons. Sadly, he became an orphan at age sixteen. His godfather, Simon McGillivray, helped look after him in London.
In 1822, John started studying at Trinity College, Cambridge. Before he began his big trip around Europe, known as the Grand Tour, he also secured a place at Lincoln's Inn in London to study law.
Climbing Mont Blanc
In 1827, during his Grand Tour, John decided to climb Mont Blanc. This is a very tall and famous mountain. He went with six experienced guides. When they reached the summit, they celebrated by sharing a bottle of wine. John then wrote a short letter to his sister. This letter is still kept today. All six guides signed the back of it, making it a special piece of history.
John wrote a book about his climb in 1828. It included his own drawings. The book was very popular and was printed three times!
Life in Naples
In 1830, John decided to stay in Europe. He gave his lawyer, Thomas Kirkpatrick, permission to manage his properties in Canada. From then on, John lived in Naples, Italy. He became part of a special group of friends around Sir William Gell. This group included famous people like Sir Walter Scott and Edward Bulwer-Lytton. John was especially close friends with Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Even Lord Byron, another famous writer, knew John well.
Studying Volcanoes
In 1831, John Auldjo visited Mount Vesuvius. This was when the volcano was very active! When he returned, he published a book about his visit. It had amazing hand-coloured drawings of the volcano erupting. Because of his studies of Vesuvius, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Geographical Society. These are very important scientific groups.
Travels and Later Life
John also helped Walter Scott during his visit to Italy in 1832. In 1833, John traveled to Constantinople (now Istanbul) and the Greek Islands. He wrote another book about these travels in 1835.
John was also an active Freemason since 1826. In 1837, he traveled to Upper Canada for his role as Deputy Grand Master. After this, he returned to London.
Later, John Auldjo moved to Geneva, Switzerland. From 1872 until his death in 1886, he worked as the British Consul there. This was an unpaid job. He was buried in Geneva at the Chatelaine Cemetery.
Books by John Auldjo
- Narrative of an Ascent to the Summit of Mont Blanc: On 8 and 9 August 1827 (published in London, 1828)
- Sketches of Vesuvius, with short accounts of its principal eruptions, from the commencement of the Christian era to the present time (published in Naples, 1832)
- Journal of a visit to Constantinople, and some of the Greek islands in the Spring and Summer of 1833 (published in London, 1835)
