UPJOHN, Aaron. 17?? — 1???. British Printer in India. Arrived at Calcutta in 1785 as ship’s musician (bassoon player). There he became printer and part owner of the Calcutta Chronicle. Bankrupt in 1792. He printedthe very first Bengali–English dictionary ever published in his own name, but it is claimed that the real author was Anthony de Souza. The map, although now a valuable source, was much criticized and did not bring much income. He tried to cultivate cochineal in an Alipore garden, but went again bankrupt. Still active at least in 1799, when he published J. Holden’s essay on music. Death not recorded in Calcutta.
Publications: With W. Yule printed the works of Ḥāfiz, Calcutta 1791.
– Iṅgarāji o Vāṅgāli vokebilari. An extensive vocabulary, Bengalese and English very useful to teach the natives English, and to assist beginners in learning the Bengal language. 455 p. Calcutta 1793.
– Map of Calcutta. 1794.
Sources: K. Blechynden, Calcutta: Past and Present. L. 1905 184f. (in Wikisource); *P. Robb, “Mr Upjohn’s Debts: Money and friendship in early colonial Calcutta”, Modern Asian Studies 47, 2013, 1185-1217; stray notes in Internet.
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