ANDERSON, Robert. 1792 — March 1843. Rev. British Civil Servant and Tamil Scholar in India, Madras Presidency. Born of a wealthy family, educated at Harrow and Haileybury. Learned Sanskrit, Persian and Bengali at East India College, went to India, but after nine years was forced to return in 1819 because of failing health and the death of his father. As an Assistant Professor at East India College in Haileybury 1821–25, he taught Persian and privately Tamil, but then turned to theology and became the minister of Brighton. Married 1829 Caroline, the daughter of —> John Shore, eight (or five?) children. His last years he devoted to ecclesiastic work. Wrote the first published Tamil grammar after Beschi.

Publications: Rudiments of Tamul Grammar, combining with the Rules of Kodun Tamul, an Introduction to Shen Tamul. 184 p. L. 1821.

– Religious books.

Sources: JRAS 7, 1843, Annual Report for 1842, p. iii-v; not in the Br. Biogr. Arch.; memorial sermon by his brother James Anderson digitized by Google; lifelinechristianbooks.com.