FRANÇOIS-MARIE DE TOURS (Francesco Maria Da Tours, Franciscus M. Turonensis). 16?? — Patna ?.5.1709. Father. French Capuchin Missionary in India and Tibet. Came from Tours and joined the order in Italy. Worked first as Capuchin Missionary in Diarbekir, Turkey, came to India in 1680. Worked in Pondicherry and Surat, in 1701 left…
FERNANDEZ, Gonçalo. 1541 — 1619/21. Portuguese Jesuit in India. Arrived in India in 1560. In charge of the Mission in Madurai from 1595, he became Roberto De Nobili’s superior, but strongly opposed to the new methods of mission suggested by him. Himself wrote about Hinduism in 1616. He did not…
DU JARRIC, Pierre. Toulouse 2.3.1566 — Saintes (Charente-Maritime) 1617. S.J. French Historian of Mission. Joined Jesuits in 1582. When his hope to become a missionary was not accepted he turned to writing mission history. Ordained priest he taught many years philosophy and moral theology in Bordeaux. Beside mission his work contains…
CINNOMA, Leonardo. 1??? — 1644. Father. Catholic Missionary in India. Publications: A grammar and dictionary of Kannaḍa, publ. Goa 1674 (some say 1774), some religious works. Sources: The work often briefly mentioned, e.g. in V.K. Gokak, Literatures in Modern Indian Languages. Delhi 1967, 107. These may all hail from one…
BOUCHET, Jean Venant. Fontenay-le-Comte (Vendée) 1655 — 1732. Father. S.J. French Missionary in Thailand and India. First in Thailand, where he arrived with the French embassy in 1688. When the Jesuits were forced to leave in 1688 he entered Madurai mission. Following Roberto de Nobili’s methods lived as a sannyāsin.…
BOCARRO, Antonio. Abrante (or Lisbon?) 1594? — Goa 1643?. Portuguese Historian and Geographer. Son of New Christian parents (with Jewish background). In 1615-38 served in India, first as soldier in Goa and Cochin, finally as corretor-mor of customs in Goa, but also official historiographer in 1631-43. Married 1624 Isabel Vieira.…
BLIN, Amédée. 1799? — 18??. French Colonial Officer. Still in Paris, he had some months attended the Hindustani classes of Garcin de Tassy. From 1823 (if not earlier) served in Pondichéry (1831 mentioned as Lieutenant of the Cypahi Battalion). His dictionary is “dédié à Mr. le Ministre de la Marine”.…
TESSIER DE QUÉRALAY, Jean-Jacques. Chantenay (Sarthe) c. 1668 — Ayuthia 27.9.1736. French Capuchin Missionary in India. From 1699 missionary (procureur of Société des Missions Etrangères) in Pondichéry. From 1717 Coadjutor to Vicar Apostolic of Siam (Thailand) and titular Bishop of Rosalia, in 1723-36 Vicar Apostolic of Thailand. Publications: G. Dharampal: La religion…
SÃO MIGUEL, Gaspar de. 1595? — 1647. Born in Portugal. Franciscan priest and missionary in India. Publications: Manuscript works: Arte da lingoa Canarim (lost?); Dictionarium et ars lingua Canarinae; Vocabulario da Lingua Portugues e Canari. – Sintaxis copiosissima na lingoa Bramana e Pollida: a syntax of standard Konkani. 154 p.…
LAET, Joannes de (Latin: Ioannes Latius). 1581 (not 1593) — buried 15.12.1649. Flemish Geographer, Philologist and Naturalist, who wrote from secondary sources a well known book on India. Son of a cloth merchant, Hans de Laet, who as a protestant fled to north, when the Spanish took the town. Educated…