William H. Mounsey
| William Henry Mounsey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Carlisle |
| Died | Carlisle |
| Rank | Captain |
William Henry Mounsey (1808–77) was a British soldier and antiquarian with an interest in Persia and Jewish culture. He visited Egypt, the Middle East and many other regions. He was born in 1808 and christened on 25 January 1808 at Saint Cuthbert's Church in Carlisle in Cumberland. His home was at Rockcliffe, north-west of Carlisle. His father, Robert Mounsey, had bought the Castletown estate at Rockcliffe in 1802.
William was meant to be a solicitor like his father, but first had a military career. He purchased a commission as an ensign in the 15th Foot on 28 May 1829. He was promoted to lieutenant on 4 January 1833 and to captain on 14 April 1837. In 1838 he transferred to the 4th Foot and retired from the army in 1844. He sold his captaincy, returned to England and took over the family business as solicitor, possibly after his father's death.
Circa 1850 he became an amateur archaeologist. In his civilian life he was also a solicitor. He spoke fluently Greek, Latin, Persian, Welsh and of course English. According to the 1851 census, he was living in Castle Street, Carlisle with his sisters Margaret, Mary and Ann, and was the holder of property chiefly vested in landed security. After his retirement he wandered in the UK dressed in a Jewish outfit and was known as the "Jew of Carlisle". During military service in the Middle East he had become fascinated by the Jewish culture. Mounsey himself designed his priestly costume and had a long beard. It has been claimed that he worked as a spy in Persia and Afghanistan and this is how he mastered the Persian language. Important is the article in the Archaeological Notes HY20SW 8 2430 0043 where the spy story is mentioned.
He is known for an inscription he left on the Dwarfie Stane, a Neolithic rock-cut tomb in an erratic block on the island of Hoy in Orkney, in Persian script. Mounsey camped here in 1850 and inscribed in the sandstone: "I have sat two nights and so learnt patience", this is taken to be a reference to the Highland midge. Above the Persian is his own name written backwards in Latin. There is an information sign with remarks about the Persian inscription. The name of Mounsey is misspelled: Mouncey. To the right of the Persian text is another one, possibly with the same quote, but largely obliterated.
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