LA LANE, Pierre de (Lalane, Lalanne). Toulouse 6.8.1669 — Pondichéry 1746. S.J. French missionary in South India. Entered Jesuit order in 1685, in 1703 arrived at Pondichéry and began learning the language. Then worked there until his death (except three years in Tarcolam and a visit to Bengal). Publications: According…
STEPHENS (Stevens), Thomas (Thomaz/Tomás Estevão/Estevam/Esteves, also known as Padre Busten/Buston). Bushton, Wiltshire 1549 (?) — Salcete 1619. S.J. British Missionary in India. Early Marathi scholar and author. Son of merchant Thomas and Jane St. Educated in Winchester, perhaps studied at Oxford. Adopting Catholic faith he went to Rome and joined Jesuits…
SCHULTZE, Benjamin. Sonnenburg (now Słonsk in Poland) 1689 — 25.11.1760. German Missionary and Precursor of Indology. In India 1719-43. From Sonnenburg in Neumark. After studies of Theology at Halle (from 1711) he joined the Lutheran Trankebar Mission in 1719 and participated in the conclusion of the Tamil Bible. Ordained priest…
STEPHANUS A SANCTO PETRO ET PAULO (lay Antonio Buffi). Brescia 18.3.1692 — 8.5.1767. Father. Italian Carmelite Missionary in India. Joined the order in 1712, was sent to Malabar Mission 1720 and arrived at Verapoly 1721. Sent to Rome on a mission in 1723 he was caught by pirates and held…
SALDANHA, Antonio de. Mazagão (El Jadida in Morocco) 1598 — Rachol 15.12.1663. S.J. Portuguese Missionary in India. Son of Portuguese father and Italian mother. Came to Goa as soldier, but soon took religion and joined S.J. in 1615. Trained in Salsette Mission he became Rector of St. Ignatius Seminary in…
RUELL (de Ruël), Joannes. Leiden 1659/60 or 1663/64 — Colombo ?.5.1701. Dutch Priest in Ceylon, worked there as predikant in Colombo from 1692 until death, from 1698 also the first Rector of Sinhalese Seminary. He prepared a Sinhalese grammar, which was printed in Amsterdam in 1707 with help of “Sinhala…
ROTH, Heinrich (Henricus Rodius, Roa). Dillingen 18.12.1610 — Agra 20.6.1668. S.J. German Missionary and Precursor of Indology. Son of Johann Konrad Roth, a lawyer, and his wife Maria Susanna, grew up in Augsburg. Studies at Dillingen University and, after having fled the attacking Swedish, at Innsbruck Jesuit College. Joined S.J. in…
ROGER, Abraham (A. Rogerius). Haarlem (?) 1609 — Gouda 1649. Dutch Reformed Priest in India and Indonesia. Studies at Leiden, in 1631 left for the east. Worked in 1631-47 as minister of Dutch congregations in India and Indonesia (1632-42 in Pulicat [Pāliakatta] factory on Tamil coast, then in Batavia). In…
ROE, Thomas. Low Leyton near Wanstead in Essex 1580/81 — Bath 6.11.1644. Sir. British Diplomat in India. Son of Sir Robert Rowe and Elinor Jermy, lost early his father. After early studies at Oxford (Magdalen College) he became esquire of the body to Queen Elizabeth I and was knighted by…
RIBEIRO, João. Baptized Lisbon 17.5.1622 — ?.11.1693. Portuguese Officer in South Asia. Son of a cap-maker. Left for India as private soldier in 1640 and was sent from Goa to Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Participated in the war between Portugal and the Netherlands, wounded several times. In 1658 caught by the…