BIRD, James. 1797 — Gerrard Cross, Buckinghamshire 10.7.1864. British Physician in India interested in Archaeology, Epigraphy and Numismatics. Educated from 1810 at King’s College, Aberdeen, M.A. 1814, then at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals. Dr. med. 1816. From 1818 served in Bombay Presidency, first as assistant surgeon. In 1826-32 residency…
BIOT, Jean Baptiste. Paris 21.4.1774 — Paris 3.2.1862. French Historian of Science, especially Astronomy. Son of a treasury official, Joseph Biot (1740–1821) and Marie-Josephine Decressy, educated at Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Joined the army in 1792, but sent to home because of failing health in 1794. Graduated as an engineer and taught…
BINYON, Laurence Robert. Lancaster 10.8.1869 — Reading, Berkshire 10.3.1943. British Art Historian, Dramatist and Poet. Son of Rev. Frederick Binyon (1838–1900) 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. Paris 28.5.1865 — Cranleigh, 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. In retirement…
BIGANDET, Paul-Ambroise. Malans (Doubs) 13.8.1813 — Rangoon 19.4.1894. Father. French Catholic Missionary and Buddhist Scholar. Fifty years in Burma. Son of Jean-Antoine Bigandet (1761–1839) and Jeanne Cornu. Educated in Besançon and at the seminary of Missions Etrangères in Paris (two years there). In 1837 ordained as priest and sent as…
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 (1864–1925), 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.…
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 (1805–1899), educated at Westminster School. He “entered the Bengal Cavalry and arrived in India 1858. Served in the mutiny, joined the Indian…
BIDDULPH, Charles Hubert. Mount Abu, Rajasthan 28.7.1898 — London 11/16.10.1966. British Engineer and Numismatist in India. Son of Charles Biddulph (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, Chin. Yíāqīntè Bǐqiūlí, originally Nikita Jakovlevič Bičurin). Akulevo, Tsivil’skij district, Kazan Province 29.8.(19.9.)1777 — St.Petersburg 11.(23.)5.1853. Russian (Čuvaš) Monk, Orthodox Priest, Sinologist and Central Asian Scholar. Son of Jakov, a deacon, and Akulina Stepanovna. From 1786 studied theology and languages at Kazan Ecclesiastical Academy, graduated 1799, then…
BICKELL, Gustav Wilhelm Hugo. Kassel 7.7.1838 — Vienna 25.1.1906. German Oriental (Semitic) Scholar in Austria. Son of Johann Wilhelm Bickel (1799–1848), Professor of Canonical Law at Marburg, and Maria Kaup. Gymnasium in Marburg. From 1857 studies of theology and philology at Marburg and Halle, Ph.D. 1862 Marburg, from the same…