STOKES, Whitley. Dublin 28.2.1830 — London 13.4.1909. Irish Lawyer and Linguist (Celtic Scholar). Son of Dr. William Stokes (1804–1878), Professor of Physics at Dublin, and Mary Black. Educated at St.Columba’s College. From 1846 studies at Trinity College, Dublin, Siegfried’s student, graduated B.A. 1851. Possibly for a while at Edinburgh, then law studies in London. Buckland:“called to the bar at the Inner Temple, 1855. Went to India, 1862, Acting Administrator General, 1863-4; Secretary to Legislative Council of Governor-General, and later to Legislative Department of the Government, 1865-77; Legal Member of the Supreme Council, India, 1877-82. Drafted the greater portion of the Codes of Civil and Criminal Procedure, Transfer of Property, Trusts, Easements, Specific Relief, and Limitation Acts.”Retired in 1882. Back in the U.K. living in London. C.S.I. 1877, C.I.E. 1879. Hon. Dr. of Law 18?? Edinburgh. Married 1865 Mary Bazely (died in India), four sons and two daughters.Second wife 1884 Elizabeth Temple (d. 1901).
Before going to India he befriended with —> Siegfried who introduced him to Sanskrit and comparative linguistics. In India also continued his Sanskrit studies and collaborated with Bühler.
Publications: Edited with notes: Hindu Law Books. 10+732 p. Madras 1865 (transl. of the Vyavahara Mayúkha by Borrodaile, Dáya Bhága of Jímúta Váhana and the Law of Inheritance from the Mitákshara by Colebrook and Dattaká Mímánsá and the Dattaká Chandriká by Sutherland).
– The Anglo-Indian Codes. 1-2. Oxford 1887-88.
– Ethnographical notes in IA in the 1870s.
– Much on Celtology, especially on Old Irish (Wikip.: over 15,000 pages); edited Irische Texte series with Windisch and Archiv für celtische Lexicographie with Kuno Meyer; edited —> Siegfried’s posthumous notes.
Sources: *E. Boyle & P. Russell (eds.), The Tripartite Life of Whitley Stokes (1830-1909). 2011; Buckland, Dictionary; G. Clinton & S. Sturgeon, D.I.B. 9, 105-107; Oxford D.N.B.; Wikipedia with two photos.
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