ROEPSTORFF, Frederik Adolph de. on sea 25.3.1842 — Kamorte, Nicobars 24.10.1883.Danish Scholar and Missionary. Son of sea captain Adolph de Roepstorff and Charlotte Georgiana Holmes (née Farley), baptized in Cape Town, which gave him English citizenship. Studied at Copenhagen (cand.phil.) and at Horsens Statsskole, graduated 1863. In 1867 went to India and became Assistant Superintendent in the Andaman Islands penal colony, later in-charge of Nicobar Islands. On furlough in Denmark 1871 married Hedevig Christiane Willemoës (1843–1896), a missionary, who then continued her mission work and participated in her husband’s studies. Finally shot dead by a convict.
In Andamans and Nicobars Roepstorff actively studied the fauna, flora, geography, ethnography and languages of the islands. His collections are in Copenhagen and Berlin.
Publications: Vocabulary of dialects spoken in the Nicobar and Andaman Isles: with a short account of the natives, their customs and habits, and of previous attempts at colonisation. 113 p. Calcutta 1875.
– With F. Jagor: “Ueber die Bewohner der Nicobaren”, ZfEthnol. 14, 1882, 51-68.
– Dictionary of the Nancowry dialect of the Nicobarese language; in two parts; Nicobarese–English and English–Nicobarese. 25+279 p. Calcutta 1884 (edited by his widow).
Sources: V. Thomsen, Dansk Biogr. Leks. 14, 1900, 519f.; Wikipedia with drawing.
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