GRAY, Albert. Perth, Scotland 10.10.1850 — Chelsea 27.2.1928. Sir. British (Scottish) Lawyer interested in Sri Lanka and in Travel Literature. Son of George Gray and Sophia Margaret Jameson. Member of Ceylon Civil Service in 1871-74. Back in the U.K. studied law and was called to the bar in 1879. Counsel to the Chairman of Committees in the House of Lords 1896-1902. Mayor of Chelsea 1924-25. C.B. 1916, K.C.B. 1919. In 1909-28 President of Hakluyt Society. Married Sophie Williams, at least one son.
Publications: “The Maldive Islands, with a Vocabulary taken from François Pyrard de Laval, 1602-1607”, JRAS 10, 1878, 173-209 (words compared with Sinhalese and with Christopher’s Divehi Vocabulary); transl. Ibn Battuta’s account of the Maldive Islands and Ceylon, transl. from the French of Defrémery and Sanguinetti. 60 p. JRAS-CB extra number 1882.
– Transl. with H. C. P. Bell: The voyage of François Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas and Brazil. 1-2. L. Hakluyt Soc. 1887-90.
– Edited William Dampier’s A new voyage round the world. 37+376 p. L. 1927.
Sources: J.R. Toussaint, Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon 23, 1934, 132; london.wikia.org and stray notes in Internet; three photos in National Portrait Gallery homepage.
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