STRONG, Sandford Arthur. London 10.4.1863 — London 18.1.1904. British Semitic and Pāli Scholar. Son of Thomas Banks Strong, of the War Office, and Anna Lawson. After school worked as clerk at Lloyd’s and attended classes at King’s College in London. From 1881 studies of Sanskrit (under Bendall) and Semitics at Cambridge (St.John’s College), from 1885 at Oxford, for a while also in Paris and Berlin. M.A. 1890. Lecturer of Assyriology at Cambridge. From 1895 Rieu’s successor as Professor of Arabic at University College in London. As this post was almost nominal (without salary), he became the librarian of the Duke of Devonshire, then also other similar assignments. Also keenly interested in art history. Died of a lingering illness. Married 1897 Eugénie Sellers, an archaeologist, no children.

Publications: Edited: Mahā-Bodhi-Vamsa. 11+182 p. L., P.T.S. 1891.

– “Gujarati Language and Literature”, Academy 1888; reviews in Athenaeum and Academy.

– Futūḥ al-Ḥabashah, or, The Conquest of Abyssinia. 8+48 p. L. 1894 (Arabic text with transl.).

– Writings on art history; library catalogues.

Sources: J.S.C[otton], D.N.B. Suppl. 3, 1912, 442-444; *Lord Reay, JRAS 1904, 379f. (cf. 387-393); *S.R[einach], Revue arch. 3, 1904, 147f.; www.revolvy.com/topic/Sandford+Arthur+Strong.