GRANT, Charles (Gaelic Teàrlach Grannd). Aldourie, Inverness-shire 16.4.1746 — London 31.10.1823. British (Scottish) Politician interested in Indian Affairs. Son of Alexander Grant (d. 1762), who on his birthday was fighting for the Jacobites against British Crown (Rapson claims he was killed then, but see Wikipedia), and Margaret MacBean (d. 1758).…
GRAEFE, Christian-Friedrich (von) (Gräfe, Russian Fëdor Bogdanovič Grefe, Latin Fredericus Graefius). Chemnitz 1.7.1780 — St.Petersburg 12.12.1851. German Linguist in Russia. Son of Johann Gotthelf Graefe (1750–1821), a minister, and his wife Christine Friederike (who died two days after his birth). After Lyceum in Chemnitz studied from 1796 theology and Greek…
GOUGH, Richard. London 21.10.1735 — Enfield, Middlesex 20.2.1809. British Antiquarian. Son of Harry Gough (1681–1751), M.P. and Director of E.I.C., and Elizabeth Hynde. Studies at Cambridge (Corpus Christi), 1752-56, without degree. Travelled much in the U.K., but never abroad, from 1774 resided in the family estate in Enfield. F.R.S. 1778.…
GOSSELLIN, Pascal-François-Joseph. Lille 6.12.1751 — Paris 8.2.1830. French Merchant, Geographer and Historian of Geography. Born in a family of merchants, came early into family business. Member of Chambre de commerce in Lille, from 1784 of Conseil royal du commerce for Flanders, Hainaut and Cambrésis. Travelled much in Europe on business.…
GOLDINGHAM, John (born Johannes Guldenheim). London 1767 — Worcester ?.7.1849. British Mathematician and Astronomer in India, also an Architect and Surveyor. Son of Benjamin Guldenheim, of Denmark, and Elizabeth Williams. From 1788 assistant to sailor-astronomer Michael Topping (1747–1796) and thus came to Madras. Succeeded Topping as the astronomer of Madras…
GODWIN-AUSTEN, Henry Haversham (until 1854 H. H. Austen). Teignmouth, Devon 6.7.1834 — Godalming, Surrey 2.12.1923. British Colonial Officer and Scientist in India. Son of Robert A. C. Austen (later Godwin-Austen, 1808–1884), a geologist, and Maria Godwin. After school at Guildford he went in 1848 to Sandhurst. Entered the army in…
GODINHO, Manuel. Montalvão 1630 (1632?) — Loures 1712. S.J. Portuguese Priest and Missionary in India. Became novice of the S.J. in Coimbra 1645, joined the Indian mission. In December 1662 left for Portugal by land, visited Persia, Mesopotamia and Syria, and arrived at Cascais in October 1663. Also carried diplomatic…
GLADWIN, Francis. 1744/45? — 1812. British Colonial Officer and Orientalist (Persian Scholar) in India. Served in the Bengal Army at least 30 years, until his death. He was encouraged by Warren Hastings in his study of Oriental languages, mainly worked on Persian literature. From 1801 he was the first Professor…
GIORGI, Antonio Agostino (Augustinus Antonius Georgius; baptized Francesco Maria Giorgi). Santo Mauro di Romagna (near Rimini) 10.5.1711 — Rome 4.5.1797. Italian Monk, Theologian, and Orientalist, a Coptic Scholar and Pioneer of Tibetan Studies. Son of Antonio Giorgi (1685–1723) and Antonia Semprini (1687–1767). Augustinian monk since 1726, studied philosophy, science, theology…
GILCHRIST, John Borthwick (born John Hay G.). Edinburgh 19.6.1759 — Paris 9.1.1841. British (Scottish) Indologist, a Pioneer of Hindi-Urdu Studies. Son of merchant Walter Gilchrist and Henrietta Farquharson (1730–1830), lost his father at the age of one. After school in Edinburgh studies of medicine at George Heriot’s Hospital, Edinburgh. Joined…