William Hepworth Dixon - Traveller

Traveller

In 1861 Dixon travelled in Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. In 1863 he travelled in the East, and on his return helped to found the Palestine Exploration Fund; Dixon was an active member of the executive committee, and eventually became chairman. In 1866 he travelled through the United States, going as far west as Salt Lake City. During this tour he discovered a collection of state papers, originally Irish, in the Public Library at Philadelphia. They had been missing since the time of James II, and on Dixon's suggestion were given to the British government.

In autumn 1867 Dixon travelled through the Baltic provinces. In the latter part of 1869 he travelled for some months in Russia. During 1871 he was mostly in Switzerland. Shortly afterwards he was sent to Spain on a financial mission by a council of foreign bondholders. On 4 October 1872 he was created a knight commander of the Crown by Kaiser Wilhelm I. In the September 1874 he travelled through Canada and the United States; in the latter part of 1875 he travelled once more in Italy and Germany.