FERNANDEZ TRACOSCO, Gonçalo. 1541 — 1619/21. Father. Portuguese Jesuit in India. Arrived in India in 1560 as a soldier, but soon turned to religion and joined the S.J. In charge of the Mission in Madurai from 1595, he became Roberto De Nobili’s superior, but strongly opposed to the new methods…
FERGUSON, William. Urquhart and Logie Wester, Ross-shire 18.7.1820 — Colombo 31.7.1887. British (Scottish) Civil Servant and Botanist in Sri Lanka. Son of John Ferguson and Ann Mackerras, brother of —> Alastair M. Ferguson (1816–1892). Joined C.C.S. in 1839. Beside botany he was also interested in herpetology and entomology. Married 1852…
FERGUSON, Alastair Mackenzie. Urquhart and Logie Wester (Cannon Bridge?), Rossshire 25.1.1816 — Colombo 26.12.1892. British (Scottish) Journalist in Sri Lanka. Son of John Ferguson and Ann Mackerras, brother of —> William Ferguson (1820–1887). Came to Ceylon in 1837 in the staff of Governor J. A. Stewart Mackenzie. Worked as planter,…
FELL, Edward. 17?? — 1824. British Colonial Officer in India. From 1807 Lieutenant, 1823 Captain of 10th Native Infantry. Superintendent of Benares Sanskrit College, from 1820 until death. In 1819 he examined the remains of Sanchi and wrote the first published decription. He is reputed to have mastered Sanskrit, also…
FEIST, Samuel Sigmund. Mainz 12.6.1865 — Copenhagen 23.3.1943. German IE Linguist and Pedagogue. Son of wine merchant David Feist and Juliana Marx. Studies at Strassburg (Strasbourg), Ph.D. 1888 (diss. on Gothic). Director of the Reichenheim Orphanage in Berlin, 1906-35, kept a military order. In 1939 emigrated as Jew to Denmark…
FAULKNER, Alexander. 18?? — 1881?. British Civil Servant in India. He joined Bombay Civil Service in 1839 and made his career in Customs, Salt, and Opium Department, served in various positions there (1856 he was Assistant Commissioner) at least until 1874. The death of A.F., member of R.A.S., was announced…
FANTIN-DESODOARDS (F. des Odoards), Antoine-Étienne Nicolas. Le Pont-de-Beauvoisin (Isère) 26.12.1738 — Paris 25.9.1820. French Former Clergyman, Historical Author and Revolutionary. Entered ecclesiastic career in 1750. Joined S.J., ordained priest, after the suppression of Jesuits spent some time as a refugee in Tuscany. Back in 1773 he became prior in Betteville…
FALLON, Pierre. Namur 24.9.1912 — Calcutta 20.9.1985. S.J. Father. Belgian Jesuit Missionary in India. Indian citizen 1950. After school in Namur joined S.J. in 1930, studied Indology and theology at Louvain (lic.phil. & lic. theol.). Came to Calcutta in 1935. Professor of French Literature at Calcutta University for 25 years,…
FABRICIUS, Pierre (Peter F.). Berlin 23./30.4.1912 — 20.12.1988. French (of German origin) Indologist and South-East Asian Scholar. Son of a teacher of classical languages. Studies at Heidelberg (under Zimmer), then at Hamburg (Schubring), In 1933 emigrated to France because of Nazis. Now further studies under Lévi, Foucher, Renou, et al.,…
FAY, Edwin Whitfield. Minden, Louisiana 1.1.1865 — Pittsburgh, PA 17.2.1920. U.S. Indologist and Linguist. Professor in Austin. Son of Edwin Hedge Fay (1832–1898), a noted educator, and Sarah Elizabeth Shields, attended with a few other boys on a special permission the girls’ school, Silliman Institute, where his father was the…