F. H. (François Henri) Turpin

Born in Caen in 1709, François Henri Turpin was a French writer and scholar. Sources describe him as a professor at the University of Caen before he moved to Paris, where he worked in literary and philosophical circles and supported himself largely through his writing.

Turpin is remembered for historical and descriptive works, especially Histoire civile et naturelle du royaume de Siam (1771). That book brought together material from missionaries and other reports to present the history and natural world of Siam for French readers.

He died in 1799. Although he is still listed in major library and reference catalogs, readily available biographical detail about his personal life is fairly sparse, and he is known above all through his books.