WILKINS, Charles. Frome, Somerset bapt. 21.6.1749 (not 1750!) — London 13.5.1833. Sir. British Pioneer of Indology. In India 1770-86. Son of Hugh Wilkins (Sengupta Walter Wilkins) and Mary Wray, a modest family. Trained as a printer. Joining the E.I.C.’s service he came to India as a Writer in July 1770…
WILKEN, Friedrich. Ratzeburg, Holstein 23.5.1777 — Berlin 24.12.1840. German Historian and Oriental Scholar. Professor in Heidelberg and Berlin. Of modest origin, son of Christian Erich Wilken, a valet, and his wife Sophie. After Domschule of Ratzeburg from 1795 studies of theology and history at Göttingen, also Oriental languages under J.…
WILFORD, Francis. 1761 (1771 makes him too young for his early career) — Benares 1822. British (of German Origin) Colonial Officer and Indologist in India. Born in the Kingdom of Hannover, obtained classical education. In 1781 joined the E.I.C.’s military service. Served many years as Lieutenant, in the end Colonel.…
WEYRAUCH, August Heinrich von. Riga 30.4.1788 — Dresden 8.3.1865. German (of Livonia) Poet (nom-de-plume Heinrich von der Myrrhen) and Composer. Born in a Livonian German family as the son of a post master, Friedrich Wilhelm von Weyrauch and Sophie Albertina Österlein. Educated in Riga and St.Petersburg. Studied law at Dorpat…
WEST, Hans. Mesinge, Fyn 6.7.1758 — Kassel 6.7.1811. Danish Scholar interested in India. Son of a minister, Hans Zacharias Danchel West (1719–1771) and Maren Hetting (1722–1778). Educated at Odense school. From 1788 rector of the Danish School in Christiansted, St. Croix (now of Virgin Islands). There he translated Jones’ English…
WATHEN, William Henry. Gloucestershire 31.12.1794 — Cape Town 28.6.1866, when 71. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Samuel Wathen and Elizabeth Sheppard. In Bombay as early as 1810. In the 1820s and early 1830s Persian secretary to Bombay Government, in 1837/38 Chief Secretary to it. Introduced to Oriental studies…
WARD, William. Derby 20.10.1769 — Serampur 7.3.1823. Rev. British Baptist Missionary in India and Precursor of Indology. Son of John Ward, carpenter and builder. Apprenticed to a printer, worked as printer and editor (of the Derby Mercury, Stafford Advertiser, and Hull Advertiser). Baptized in 1796, preached in villages and in…
WALTHER, Christoph Theodosius (Ñānavālutār). Schildberg in Neumark, Pomerania (now Golenice in Poland) 20.12.1699 — Dresden 29.4.1741. German Missionary and Precursor of Indology in India. Son of a minister, lost early his father and was educated by his maternal grandfather, Rev. David Torfstecher. After gymnasium in Stargard worked as teacher and…
WALLICH, Nathanael Wolff (born as Nathan ben Wulff W.). Copenhagen 28.1.1786 — London 28.4.1854. Danish Physician and Botanist in India. Son of Wulff ben Wallich (Wolff Lazarus Walllich, 1756–1843), a Sephardic Jewish merchant with German background (from Altona), and Hanne Jacobson (1757–1839). After surgeon’s examination in 1816 in Copenhagen entered…
WALLENIUS, Ivar Ulrik. Akaa 30.1.1793 — Helsinki 23.5.1874. Finnish Orientalist (originally Arabic Scholar). Son of Rev. Johan Wallenius (1758–1829) and Anna Lovisa Favorin 1755–1798), both of old clerical families. School (from 1804) and studies (from 1811) in Turku. M.A. 1815, Docent of Arabic 1817, Associate Professor (Adjunkt) of Oriental Literature…