Henry Blosse Lynch (18071873) was an Anglo-Irish explorer.
Life
Henry Blosse Lynch was third of the eleven sons of Major Henry Blosse Lynch (1778-1823) of Partry House, Ballinrobe, County Mayo, His mother was Elizabeth Finnis (from Hythe, Kent, died March 1845). Thomas Kerr Lynch (1818-1891) and Patrick Kerr Lynch were brothers. When he was 16 years old, he volunteered for the Indian Navy, where he served in the survey of the Persian Gulf. He had a gift for Eastern languages and a good knowledge of Arabic, Hindustani and Persian.
At the age of 22 (1829) he was promoted to lieutenant. He also served as the formal interpreter to the Gulf squadron, whose ships measured and mapped Gulf and the Arabian coast and to the Commodore of the Navy. He spent time traveling around in Arabia and through that was able to develop the position of the director of communications with Arab tribes and their 'shaykhs'.
In 1834 (aged 27) he became second in command to Francis Rawdon Chesney. He was now in charge of negotiations with various Arab tribal leaders. He also commanded the Tigris until its sinking, from which he escaped although losing his brother Robert Blosse (1806 - 1836). Has in charge of landing of the British delegation at the Gulf of Antioch and assembling of two steamers, brought from England in parts and ultimately their launch on the Euphrates. He commanded the Tigris until its sinking. After the sinking of the Tigris and the loss of his brother, Lynch returned home in August/September 1836, traveling via Mosul, Iraq and Trabzon, Turkey.
