BIRDWOOD, George Christopher Molesworth. Belgaum, India 8.12.1832 — Ealing, London 28.6.1917. Sir. British Physician and Botanist in India interested in Science and in Colonial History. Son of General Christopher Birdwood (1807–1882) of Indian Army and Lydia Juliana Taylor. The family came from Plymouth, and he was educated at Plymouth Grammar…
BIRD, James. 1797 — Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire 10.7.1864. British Physician in India interested in Archaeology. Educated from 1810 at King’s College, Aberdeen, M.A. 1814, then at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals. Dr. med. From 1818 served in Bombay Presidency, first as assistant surgeon. In 1826-32 residency surgeon at Sattara, 1840-43…
BIOT, Jean Baptiste. Paris 21.4.1774 — Paris 3.2.1862. French Historian of Science, especially Astronomy. Son of a treasury official, Joseph Biot, joined the army in 1792, but sent to home because of failing health in 1794. Graduated as an engineer and taught Mathematics from 1797 in Beauvais, from 1799 at…
BINYON, Laurence Robert. Lancaster 10.8.1869 — Reading, Berkshire 10.3.1943. British Art Historian, Dramatist and Poet. Son of Frederick Binyon, a clergyman, and Mary Dockray. Educated at St.Paul’s School in London, studied classics at Trinity College, Oxford (graduated 1893). From 1893 worked in Printed Books Dept. of British Museum, in 1915-33…
BINGLEY, Alfred Horsford. Cranleigh, Surrey 28.5.1865 — Surrey 20.4.1944. Sir. British Colonial Officer. Son of Peregrine Taylor Bingley (1825–1886) and Alice Austin, educated at Kensington School and Sandhurst. Served in India from 1887. In 1901-11 served at Army Headquarters. Lieutenant General 1920, retired 1921. C.I.E. 1909. K.C.I.E. 1918. Married 1893…
BIGANDET, Paul-Ambroise. Malans (Doubs) 13.8.1813 — Rangoon 19.4.1894. French Catholic Missionary and Buddhist Scholar. Fifty years in Burma. Educated in Besançon and at the seminary of Missions Etrangères in Paris (two years there). In 1837 ordained as priest and sent as missionary to Malacca, later moved to Burma. From 1852…
BIESE, Yrjö Moses Jalmari. Helsinki 4.1.1903 — Helsinki 7.11.1983. Finnish Indologist and Linguist (Classical Philology and English). Professor in Turku. Son of Ernst Hjalmar Biese, a procurator, and Helmi Katarina Ahlman, a painter. Matriculated 1921 from Helsingin Normaalilyseo. Studies of classical and modern languages and Sanskrit at Helsinki: Kand.phil. 1924,…
BIDDULPH, John. Ledbury, Hereforshire 25.7.1840 — Gray Court, London 31.12.1921. British Colonial Officer and Anthropologist in India. Son of Robert Biddulph (1801–1864, a Whig M.P.) and Elizabeth Palmer, educated at Westminster School. He “entered the Bengal Cavalry and arrived in India 1858. Served in the mutiny, joined the Indian Staff…
BIDDULPH, Charles Hubert. Abu, Rajasthan 28.7.1898 — London 11/16.10.1966. British Engineer and Numismatist in India. Son of Charles Bidduplh (1867–1937) and Mary Amelia Butterworth Bell. Educated at Philander Smith College in Nainital and Crystal Palace School of Engineering in London. In 1924 joined the South Indian Railway as Assistant Engineer,…
BIČURIN, Iakinf (Hyacinth, originally Nikita Jakovlevič). Akulevo, Tsivil’skij district, Kazan Province 29.8.1777* — St.Petersburg 11.5.1853. Russian (Čuvaš) Monk, Orthodox Priest, Sinologist and Central Asian Scholar. Son of Jakov, a deacon, and Akelina Stepanovna. From 1786 studied theology and languages at Kazan Ecclesiastical Academy, graduated 1799, then lecturer there. Ordained as…