SHEA, David. Limerick county 1777 — Haileybury 10.5.1836. British (Irish) Persian Scholar. Professor at Haileybury. Son of Daniel Shea, a farmer. Studied Classics at Dublin from 1793, in 1898 expelled as nationalist, having refused an oath to government, and went to England. He worked as tutor in London, then as chief clerk in a large merchant company in Malta, where he learned Arabic and Persian. Back in the U.K. teaching at Haileybury as Assistant Professor in 1826-36. Never visited Asia. Two works were completed and published by A. Troyer.

Publications: History of the early kings of Persia: from Kaiomars, the first of the Peshdadian dynasty, to the conquest of Iran by Alexander the Great. Transl. from the original Persian of Mirkhond, entitled the Rauzat-us-safa. 441 p. London 1832.

– Transl. The Dabistan, or, School of manners. 1-3. Paris 1843 (completed by Troyer).

– Transl. Radjatarangini. Histoire des Rois du Kachmír. 1-3. 24+584+657+ 727 p. P. 1840-52 (completed by Troyer, according to Mohl two fifths are by Shea, but his name is left out from the title page).

Sources: Death noted in JRAS 4, 1837, Proc. xviiif.; E.I.C[arlyle], D.N.B. 51, 1897, 454; Mansoor 42; D. Murphy, D.I.B. 8, 860f.; Troyer’s Introduction to the Dabistan p. cxc-cxcii; Wikipedia (from D.N.B.).