Four Photos from the Tom Kent Collection sent me on a journey of discovery to find out more about this man, Charles Millot. In July 2021 we posted a couple of the photos on Twitter (now X) and they were very popular. Many people asked questions such as how did he get here? Why was he wearing those clothes? Where did the dog come from? What happened to him after he visited Orkney? So I set myself the task of finding out.
My first clue was the captions for the photos which said that Charles Millot was French and that he was on a walking tour of the world. When these photos were taken in January 1903, he'd been walking for around two years and was passing through Orkney en route for Norway and beyond.
Where to go to find out more? I had been using the British Newspaper Archive online to research my family history, so I wondered if a Frenchman wandering the country in 1903 was newsworthy. Turns out he was! I was able to gather articles about Mr Millot and piece together his story.
From 1902 to 1903 Charles Millot was a celebrity in the UK. Accounts of his travels appeared in local newspapers almost weekly. He purposely visited local newspaper offices to introduce himself and have his photo taken and the postcards printed, which he then sold to make money to fund his journey.
EUROPE
The articles are all from UK newspapers, and according to the Gloucester Echo of September 1902 he had been travelling for 16 months before he reached England.
He ascended Mounts Etna and Vesuvius in Italy without the services of a guide. When in Sicily he was confined to hospital with malarial fever.
At one point of his journey he walked through deep snow for hundreds of miles, sometimes up to the waist. He had a nasty experience at Breslau, where he slept on the bare ground. Some German toughs approached him whilst asleep and dealt him severe blows on the head.
"I awoke," exclaimed M. Millot, dramatically throwing his arms in the air, "pulled out my revolver, and shot at them." They left him, but he was placed ten days in the local hospital, and still bears the marks of his adventure.
From Germany he went to Holland, then Belgium, then to Ostend where he sailed for Margate in England.
Also from the Gloucester Echo, "M. Millot carries with him a most interesting collection of consular seals, signatures of prominent men, stamps, and illustrated post-cards obtained in the various places he has visited."
ENGLAND and WALES
According to the Northants Evening Courier he reached Dublin on the 10th September 1902.
"He is spending a few days in Dublin to see the town and will then visit Waterford, Wexford and Cork".
In the Wicklow Newsletter and County Advertiser dated 20th September 1902,
"Millot who may be described as a rather peculiar looking character, arrived in Wicklow on Thursday having travelled on Shank's mare [walked] from Greystones. He stated he started from Paris with the intention of travelling round the world without a red cent in his pocket. He visited several parts of Europe and Asia, staying only in one place."
"Millot, who carries an immense pack seems little the worse from his journey. He calls at every police station and gets a document, which bears the stamp and signature of the French Consul, signed by the sergeant in charge. He speaks very little English, but otherwise is a good linguist."
"When Millot left Paris, his idea was to travel round the world in a period of six years. He is now on his way to Cork, where he will remain for a time, and then start for New York, afterwards visiting Japan and China. Millot is a wonderful individual, and his undertaking to travel round the world is undoubtedly nothing short of a fad. In all the places he has visited he has been never known to ask for anything, and pays his way like a gentleman, though when he left Paris, he did not possess a centime. How he has got along since is a mystery, as in order to travel round the globe a person would require a nice little fortune. He is known by the name “Globe-trotter,” in which he seems to take not a little pride."
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| Photo showing his armband |
However, he does not go New York. We next find him in Scotland. According to the Dundee Courier of the 20th October, "M Millot arrived in Dundee from Edinburgh on Saturday. Twenty-two years of age, he looks older, and on his left arm he wears the tricolore of France in the shape of a broad band."
DUNDEE
The article says he sailed from Dublin to Liverpool.
"Mons.
Millot speaks highly of the hospitality which has been shown him in Scotland.
The young Frenchman, who discarded the occupation of a chef for an explorateur,
looks in perfect health, and expects to resume his tour in a day or two by
leaving Dundee for Christiana. He intends to traverse Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
Russia, China, Japan, America, India, and South Africa, and in the completion
of his colossal task, dating from when he started, he expects to occupy six
years."
"In his
knapsack he carries with him a collection of postcards bearing his photograph,
and a valuable collection of stamps, by the sale of which he earns a
livelihood. He has also a large collection of autographs of people he has met,
and makes a point of obtaining a picture postcard of every place he sets foot
in."
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| Image from Dundee Courier |
Tuesday
21 October 1902 – Dundee Courier
LOCHEE
"French
Traveller. – M. Charles Millot the French traveller, who is at present on a
visit to this country, paid a visit to Lochee yesterday afternoon. Wherever he
went he attracted a good deal of attention. Millot was conducted over several
places of interest by Mr Alexander Fleming, of Messrs Fleming Brothers. He was
shown the Free Library, Public Reading-Rooms, and Baths, while Mr Fleming
pointed out to him the immense range of buildings which form Camperdown Jute
Works. The traveller appeared to take a deep
interest in everything he saw. "
Monday 27th October 1902 - Dundee Evening Post
M. MILLOT LEAVES DUNDEE
"M Charles Millot the French explorateur, who is travelling the world, left Dundee this afternoon for Arbroath, where he intends to remain for two days. M Millot has had a pleasant stay in Dundee, extending over a week. He has added to his stock a large quantity of beautiful postcards, by the sale of which he earns funds to carry him on his journey. During his stay in the city M. Millot has been presented with a Scotch Terrier, to which he has given the name "Dundee", and this little canine companion will now accompany him amd possibly befriend him on his journey. M. Millot wished to thank the people of Dundee for the uniform kindness extended to him."
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| M. Charles Millot and "Dundee" the dog |
In Arbroath he met some French speakers, "His visit evoked considerable interest. In the course of one evening he met several ladies and gentlemen who conversed with him in his native tongue, he being quite unable to talk English"
Wednesday 29th October 1902 - Dundee Evening Telegraph
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| Image from the Press & Journal, 8th Nov 1902 |
Thursday
6th November – Dundee Evening Telegraph
THE FRENCH “PEDESTRIAN” IN TROUBLE AT
MACDUFF
"On Monday forenoon there was a large
attendance at the MacDuff Police Court, when Charles Millot the French
pedestrian was brought before Bailies Forbes and West charged with being drunk
and creating a breach of the peace and assaulting one of the lieges in Skene
Street on Saturday night. Mr Williams, Fife Arms, acted as interpreter. Accused
said that very little Scotch beer had upset him. He was extremely sorry for his
actions. The Procurator-Fiscal – "You came by train". Millot – "Sometimes walk,
sometimes train, sometimes steamers". Taking the peculiar circumstances into
consideration, the Bench took a lenient view of the case, and ordered the
explorer to leave the burgh bounds by noon. It is understood that Millot left
for Inverness."
Saturday
29th November 1902 - Dundee Evening Telegraph
"A letter sent to a friend in Dundee from M Charles Millot who has reached Dingwall after his expulsion from Banff. He wrote: 'M. Millot has been very badly treated at Banff where, after having been insulted, he has been abused by the police."
WICK
After Inverness and Dingwall, his next port is Wick where he is still trying to get a ship to Christiana.
Friday 12th December 1902 - John O Groats Journal
"A LONG WALK - Monsieur Charles Millot the 22 year old Parisian who is walking round the world, arrived in Wick on Saturday, where, along with his Scotch Terrier, he was the object of some attention. His tour round the world, of which he has already covered 3140 miles, is for a wager. The uncovered ground included America, South Africa, China, Japan, India and Australia. He goes from Caithness to Christiana"
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| Steam Ship St Ninian TK413 |
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| Charles Millot in the Courtyard of Tankerness House, Kirkwall by Tom Kent TK3807 |
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| Charles Millot in the Courtyard of Tankerness House, Kirkwall by Tom Kent TK3808 |
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| Charles Millot in the Courtyard of Tankerness House, Kirkwall with his dog named "Dundee" by Tom Kent TK3809 |
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| Charles Millot in the Courtyard of Tankerness House, Kirkwall by Tom Kent TK3810 |
