ROBERTS, Roger Elliot. 1753? — London 9.8.1831. British Colonial Officer in India. As Major in 1777 visited Burma, in the mid-1780s called Persian interpreter. In 1798 Lieutenant-Colonel, 180? Colonel. Member of Asiatic Society (1802/10) and Royal Society (1801-31). Also knew Hindustani.

Publications: “An Account of Arakan”, Asiatick Miscellany 1, 1785, 316-326; “An Account of the Mahratta States” Ibid. 395-419.

– “Specimen of the Language of the People inhabiting the Hills in the vicinity of Bhagalpoor. Communicated in a Letter to the Secretary”, As. Res. 5, 1798, 8° ed. 1799, 127-130 (a Malto vocabulary).

Sources: *Jacques Leider, “‘An Account of Arakan Written at Islaamabad (Chittagong) in June 1777 by Major R.E. Roberts’. Présentation et Commentaries”, Aséanie 3, 1998, 125-149 (he admits that he has found no biographical information about R.E.R.); full name (instead of usual initials) and dates in epsilon.ac.uk; stray notes in Internet.