St. George Littledale

The 1895 Tibetan expedition led by St. George Littledale brought his party to within 49 miles of Lhasa, reaching a proximity to the forbidden city that remained unsurpassed by foreigners for nearly a decade. Alongside his wife Teresa, he operated as a prolific cartographer and collector, mapping remote Central Asian corridors during the height of the Great Game.

Early Expeditions and Professional Collecting

Born in Liverpool in 1851, Clement St. George Royds Littledale inherited family wealth at age 21, financing a global tour that initiated his interest in natural history. After marrying Teresa Harris Scott in 1877, the couple spent over a year exploring Kashmir. Following an introduction to the Natural History Museum in 1887, their travels evolved into professional collecting missions. They documented diverse species including mammals, birds, and insects, while also gathering extensive botanical lists for the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

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Mapping Central Asia

During the 1890s, Littledale sought to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape of Russian Central Asia. After training in map-making with John Coles of the Royal Geographical Society in 1892, he applied rigorous cartographic standards to his journeys. His 1893 trek spanned the breadth of Russian and Chinese Central Asia, ending in Peking. These efforts provided essential intelligence during the Anglo-Russian rivalry, culminating in the Royal Geographical Society awarding him the Patron’s Medal in 1896.

The Tibetan Plateau and Later Years

The 1895 Tibet expedition remains his most notable exploit. Accompanied by his nephew W.A.L. Fletcher, servants, and a fox terrier, the group traversed the Tien Shan and the desolate Chang Tang plateau. Despite dysentery forcing a difficult retreat, the mission solidified his reputation for endurance. In later life, Littledale served as a Justice of the Peace in Berkshire starting in 1919. He maintained his focus on zoology, having an argali species named in his honor, until his death in 1931.